Using Your Resources

Ease the process of hiring and training employees with these tools.

TRUDI CHAREST

With the right resources at your disposal, stressful and time-consuming human resource processes become much more manageable. Collecting the right tools allows you to plan an effective campaign to hire, train and orient employees properly from the start.

To build your portfolio of human resource tools, start researching and compiling from the following list of industry resources:

1 RECRUITING

We are all so busy that even the idea of having to search for a new employee is overwhelming and stressful. Where do I post an ad? What do I write in the job posting? What is the best way to let people know I am looking? Building a recruitment binder or folder with online resources and tools assists you in being proactive and ready to recruit when needed.

Use the following resources on recruiting:

► Employment ads. Look on current job boards for ideas and ad templates (About.com, Recruitersnetwork.com)

► Job boards (generic). (Monster.com, Indeed.com, Kijiji.com, Careerbuilder.com)

► Job boards (niche). (GetOptometryJobs.com, OptometricManagement.com, Optometry.com, IhireOptometry.com, JOBS4ECPs.ca, Optometristjobs.com)

► Association career sites. (excelod.com, AOA.org)

► Industry career sites. (Optometric Management, Eyecare Business)

► Community newsletters & job boards.

► Forums. (Sightnation.com, Opti-guide.com)

► Social media. (Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter)

2 HIRING

An effective interview process starts with reviewing resumes, conducting telephone interviews and setting up personal interviews. Investing time at this stage of the process to uncover necessary information. This allows you to make a well-informed decision and results in a more qualified hire.

These resources will help you through the hiring process:

► Interviewing. (Job-interview.net, Careercc.com, Job-interviewsite.com)

► Reference checks & background checks. (Reference-check.com, Startupbizhub.com)

► Employment offers. (HR.com, TheHRteam.com)

► Personality testing. (Disc.com, PredictiveIndex.com)

► Salary negotiations. (Payscale.com, Indeed.com/salary

3 ORIENTATION

While best hiring practices are crucial, helping new hires get oriented to their new environment is equally as important. Why spend all the time it takes to hire someone and not start them off on the right foot?

These resources will help provide guidelines, foundations, direction and start the important interpersonal relationships that build a strong, cohesive team:

► Policies & procedures handbook. (HR.com, HRdirect.com, SHRM.org)

► Orientation checklist. (Managementhelp.org, Managers.hr.columbia.edu)

► Operations manual. (Klariti.com)

► New employee welcome package. (Allbusiness.com)

► Mission statement & core values. (Missionstatements.com, Nightingale.com)

4 TRAINING

Every employee should go through the same orientation, which covers office and operations basics. Next, you want to determine his/her current skill level through an assessment, and then you can proactively set up a training schedule and plan specific to each individual’s experience level. Development of your employees should be an ongoing part of your workforce planning.

► Training assessment. (Training-Assessment.com)

► New employee training. (Businessballs.com, Mytrainingbook.com)

► Optical & dispensing training. (ECPUniversity.com, Opticianshandbook.com, Opticianworks.com, Opticaltraining.com)

► Customer service training. (Opticiantraining.com, Proedgeskills.com, Customerservicetrainingcenter.com)

5 EVALUATE

The success of our employees is usually a direct reflection of the efforts we have put in as leaders or managers to bring them to where they are. Evaluating employees allows us to open lines of communication and set a new direction.

► Performance appraisals. (SHRM.org, HR.com, TheHRTeam.com, Jrmi.com)

► Goal setting. (Goalsettingworksheet.com)

► Coaching & communications. (CMOE.com, Entrepreneur.com)

► Benchmarking & KRI tracking. Utilize your practice management software.

► Conflict resolution. (Mindtools.com, Helpguide.org)

Being resourceful

As with any well-developed strategy, it is important to review and update your recruitment process and tools on a regular basis. How often you need to do this depends on how often you hire employees and the size of your practice.

Once you have done the background work to pull all these resources together, you have made human resource management easier and proactive. This will lead to better hires, reduced turnover and high employee retention. OM

TRUDI CHAREST IS THE PRESIDENT AND TRAINER FOR TOTAL FOCUS TRAINING & CONSULTING AS WELL AS PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF JOBS4ECPS, AN ONLINE EYECARE JOBSITE. E-MAIL HER AT TCHAREST@EYECOMMEND.CA, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.