BUSINESS

  PERSONNEL POINTERS

FIND AND RETAIN STAFF

MAINTAIN A TALENT POOL AND COMMUNICATE CHANGE

TRUDI CHAREST, R.O.

Q: HOW CAN I FACILITATE CHANGE AMONG MY STAFF?

A: Leaders play a huge role in employee development and performance. Employee change is often a direct reflection of the leader’s direction. You cannot blame an employee for not doing something if you have not taken the time to tell him or her, show the employee, set expectations, measure, follow-up and, perhaps, re-train.

Q: HOW CAN I RETAIN STAFF?

A: One way is to provide a satisfactory work environment. Happy staff talk about great team work, leaders who recognize and reward them, cultural fit and being involved in practice decisions.

Compensation is also important, but it is not the number-one reason employees say they stay or leave. A Gallup study reported the following reasons people give for leaving their jobs, in order: career advancement and promotional opportunities; compensation and benefits, and inadequate fit (see chart below). Given this data, address any of these that could be at issue in your office.

Source: Gallup’s “Turning Around Employee Turnover”

Q: WHERE DO I FIND GOOD STAFF?

A: The biggest success tip I can give you is to become a proactive recruiter. Don’t wait until someone quits to look, consistently look for talented individuals around you! Keep in mind, a background or certification in eye care does not make someone a good employee. The best candidate may be the friendly waitress who serves you coffee.

If you have to hire qualified, cast a wide net. Use niche job sites targeting eye care (jobs4ecps.com), industry job boards (AOA), local opticians or ophthalmic colleges and social media. Spend the time to interview well and look for current behavior traits as they are indicators of the type of behavior you will see in the practice.

Q: WHAT IS FAIR VACATION AND SICK TIME FOR STAFF?

A: Employers are not required by U.S. federal law to offer vacation or sick time, however most companies do as part of an overall employment package. The average U.S. business offers 10 vacation days, two personal days and three to eight sick days per year, according to Findlaw.com.

An alternative is to combine sick leave and vacation time into one lump sum called paid time off (PTO). For example, if you would normally offer 10 vacation days, two personal days and three sick days, you would now offer 15 paid days off. (For more check out tinyurl.com/OMDecJohnson.)

Q: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I UPDATE MY EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK?

A: An employee handbook covers you legally, if needed, and provides direction to employees on policies important to running a business. It sets guidelines on everything from hours of work to dress code and harassment. For the handbook to be most effective, employees should read and be required to sign off on the contents.

You and your staff should review the handbook annually, as a refresher of policies and to review any changes. In addition, you should have a lawyer review and update it every two years as laws and regulations change. OM

Questions are based on reader responses to an Optometric Management online survey, which closed on Dec. 20.

MS. CHAREST is the Co-Founder of 4ECPs, a practice management resource company for eyecare professionals. 4ECPs has three divisions including Eyecare Jobs, Marketing & Training. Visit www.4ecps.com or email trudi@4ecps.com.