Show staff you value them by offering these perks

Over the last few years, it has become an increasingly difficult to find and retain staff. Even though it may feel impossible to compete with the salaries and benefits offered by larger companies, there are ways to make your practice more attractive to employees. Here, I present four ways that my practice has fostered loyalty.

1 Host activities that create a “team” environment

To cultivate an environment of inclusion and family, consider hosting events that allow team members to get to know each other and their leaders outside the office. Be sure to find out what activities your employees enjoy and plan activities around these. For example, recently, I took my team kayaking. Other ideas include: a meal out together, attending a play or concert, or taking a cooking class. From time to time, I would suggest including family or significant others in these events.

2 Offer comprehensive eye care

Many optometry offices have a difficult time providing insurance for their employees due to rising costs associated with small business plans. We can, however, offer complimentary eye care services and materials at cost to our staff and their immediate families. While this benefit doesn’t entirely make up for not offering health insurance, it is a desirable attribute that many hires will appreciate. My staff value not having to worry about eye care costs and love the excitement of being able to represent the office’s brands through new eyewear.

3 Provide bonuses

Larger companies typically can out-pay our practices. Offering a bonus structure often can offset a difference in compensation. A clear-cut bonus system encourages your team to hit goals and achieve more, and it allows you to control the payout. I recommend structuring overall (monthly, quarterly, yearly) bonuses as a percentage of profits so that you can implement a number that is comfortable for your budget.

Another successful method of calculating bonuses is to set a production goal that, if hit, equals a fixed amount paid to the staff. For example: if your clinic takes X number of screening retinal photos in the month, each staff member gets Y amount of money. Make sure when calculating the goal that you are covering both the cost of the equipment and of the bonuses.

Spontaneous bonuses, such as gift cards, are a third way of boosting team morale and showing appreciation for hard work. These amounts do not have to be much to be impactful; ; at my office, gift cards ranging from $20-$100 have been utilized as a thank you for a particularly productive month or for working hard when the office was short staffed.

(Tip: You can often get gift cards through lab points, credit card points, and other rewards programs. Utilize those as bonuses to reward your team without affecting expenses.)

4 Value the employee’s time

While pay is important, staff frequently view personal time as a true perk. Consider offering paid time off, early dismissals or late arrivals when the clinic is slow, and flexibility when a team member needs time out of the office.

In my practice, time-off requests are rarely denied. While I don’t let my team abuse their hours, it is understood that life and family come first and that I will always try to work with team members if they respect the needs of the clinic and the team in return.

Stand out from the competition

The competitive staffing market is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, but by using the tips above, any practice will be able to compete and succeed. OM

DR. FULMER opened her practice, Legacy Vision Center, in Huntsville, Ala., in December 2020. She also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Alabama Optometric Association and the Optometric Advisor on the Board of Directors of HEALS, Inc, a local non-profit organization.