BUSINESS

  personnel pointers

Screening Applicants

Don’t be duped by misleading resumes

REBECCA L. JOHNSON, CPOT, COT, COE

Several years ago, I ran an ad for a certified ophthalmic assistant and received a resume from John (fictitious name), who listed “certified ophthalmic assistant” under his “achievements.”

I was impressed by John during the interview; he was personable, and had great energy and a winning smile. All his references raved about him being a great guy and a hard worker. The fact that he had only worked in ophthalmology for one year gave me pause. However, I thought his achievement of certification in such a brief period showed he had a strong commitment to being successful.

A miscommunication

During John’s first week of work, it became apparent that he was unable to perform at the level of a certified ophthalmic assistant. I thought I had been duped, so I asked him to provide a copy of his certification. He happily handed me a certificate showing he attended a one-day ophthalmic assistant course. Yikes!

Upon further questioning, John said he did not understand I was looking for JCAHPO certification. He said he thought the certificate he handed me made him “certified.” I now had a highly paid employee who required extensive training.

An important lesson

Lesson learned. I am now a strong believer in asking job candidates to substantiate their resume by performing duties the person in that position would perform. For example, if someone applies to be my technician, I ask him or her to perform and document a comprehensive history on a pretend patient.

Similarly, an optician should be able to demonstrate how he or she sells eyewear and makes adjustments on a frame. And of course, if a candidate states he or she is certified, I now ask to see the document from the certifying agency.

Ask questions

Resumes sometimes can be misleading. Therefore, when interviewing a candidate for an open position, be sure to ask questions regarding each bullet point on the resume to glean important information about the candidate’s experience and achievements. Here are a few examples.

Resume states: “Sold the highest percentage of AR in the company.”

Ask: “How many opticians were employed? What was the overall AR percentage for the office? Why did you sell more AR than the other opticians? What did you personally do to help the other opticians increase their AR percentage? Were you compensated more based on the higher AR sales?”

Resume states: “Managed clinical staff.”

Ask: “What were your responsibilities as a manager? Did you have the authority to hire and fire the employees? Did you personally perform the employee reviews? Can you tell me about a time that you managed conflict between two employees? Can you describe your management style? Have you had any formal training in employee management?”

Put in the time

Finding great team members is no easy task. Taking additional time during the interview process to ask for proof can save you a world of aggravation in the future. OM

MS. JOHNSON IS THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF EYETRAIN4YOU AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES FOR GPN. E-MAIL HER AT REBECCA@EYETRAIN4YOU.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.