Despite being as busy as ever, many optometrists report it’s been difficult to find qualified staff members to fill voids. To paraphrase Paula Cole’s 1997 Billboard Top 10 hit “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” Where Have All the Qualified Candidates Gone?” According to the four optometrists interviewed for this article, good hires exist. Attracting/finding them comes down to these proven tips. (See “Retaining Exceptional Hires,” p.19.)
MAKE THE JOB DESCRIPTION CLEAR AND ENTICING
Jessilin Quint, OD, MBA, FAAO, owner of Smart Eye Care Center, with three locations in Maine, and Optometric Management’s “Optical” columnist, says she’s been able to find knowledgeable and experienced job candidates by writing both a “descriptive and enticing job post.”
“So often, job ads appear almost copied and pasted,” she explains. “They are usually vague and not exciting.”
An example of a recent job posting for Smart Eye Care Center:
“Multi-doctor eye care practice is looking for a full-time optician at our office in Farmingdale, Maine. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and has an interest in aesthetics. Candidate must be articulate, upbeat, and high-energy… We seek to add a dynamic team member who will go above and beyond in our mission to provide excellent patient care.”
OFFER FLEXIBILITY
Patricia Fulmer, OD, FAAO, owner and optometrist of Legacy Vision Center, in Huntsville, Ala., says she’s been able to attract/find qualified folks by promoting the practice’s work flexibility — something she says she has found is “more important than ever” to job seekers, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think that optometrists need to shift their perspective and understand that a lot of quality people don’t want a Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job anymore,” she points out. “If there are ways to be flexible with the hours, such as possibly hiring two part-time people instead of one full-time person, I think optometrists struggling [to find experienced staff] might have better success.”
Retaining Exceptional Hires
SHOW THEM THEY’RE VALUED. Dr. Fulmer says she has found she has been able to retain employees who are worth their weight in gold by making a point of meeting with them and checking in to ensure they aren’t feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, Dr. Fulmer says she “always thinks about things she can do to show her appreciation.”
FOSTERING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. “I think being positive and mirroring the type of attitude that we want our staff to have are two of the best things that we can do,” Dr. Lifferth explains. “Times can be stressful for everyone right now but if we, as providers, complain, that spreads to the staff. It absolutely affects how their day is going and how they act.”
DIFFERENTIATE THE PRACTICE
“There are a lot of practices hiring that can offer competitive pay and solid benefits, so I think ODs need to showcase how their practice is different from the others to assemble the job applicants they desire,” explains Dr. Quint.
Specifically, she suggests thinking about and presenting the unique one or more characteristics of the practice that would be particularly attractive to a worthwhile job candidate.
“If the optometrist feels their pre-testing technology is amazing, for example, they should show it to the qualified candidate during the interview process, presenting it as, ‘look what you’ll get to operate!’” she says. “Today’s hires don’t just want good health insurance and a 401k. They’re also looking for perks, such as ‘Summer Fridays.”’
Greg Aker, OD, owner of Aker Eye Vision Source, with two locations in Florida, adds that he differentiates his practice from others by discussing how he seeks to meet his staff’s employment desires. He offers the following as an example:
“My staff expressed wanting to earn a higher wage to meet the higher cost of living, which I absolutely understand,” he explains. “That’s certainly not an easy ask to meet, though, as in many cases, I am paid the same amount by insurance companies that I was paid 20 years ago. To meet this request, a phone tree system was installed for incoming calls, so everyone has a hand in taking appointment requests. This allows for the practice to do more with less staff and, thus, earn that higher wage.”
ASK CURRENT STAFF/PATIENTS/REPS
Austin Lifferth, OD, a consultative optometrist and residency director at Center for Sight, in Carmel, Ind., and Optometric Management’s “Glaucoma” columnist, says the practice at which he works has found knowledgeable and experienced job applicants by asking current staff and patients for their recommendations.
“Nobody knows your practice better than your current staff and your patients, but too often we don’t think to use that to our advantage,” he points out. “You are more likely to attract the type of people you want to hire when you solicit the help of the people who already know the practice.”
Dr. Fulmer agrees and adds that she talks to the practice’s reps for suggestions as well.
“Your reps tend to also know you well, so they might be able to keep an ear to the ground about who is looking for a new opportunity,” she explains.
AN ALTERNATIVE
Dr. Aker notes that because he does not garner as many qualified applicants as he once did, he has also found it worthwhile to hire someone who lacks experience and then train them.
“This can work out better because experienced people sometimes bring long-established bad habits that are difficult to unlearn,” he points out. “I’ve found that if you can take a highly motivated person who is willing to learn, they can quickly become a qualified person, and learn your practice’s ways.” OM
MORE ON STAFFING
HOW CAN ODs CREATE STAFF LOYALTY?
HOW CAN OPTOMETRISTS INSPIRE STAFF TO CONTRIBUTE TO PRACTICE SUCCESS?
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