Reviewing resumes can be challenging enough, but now that you’ve navigated the red flags within them (as we discussed in last month’s column, viewable at bit.ly/0124OMstaffing), what should you do next with the candidates you’ve identified? Some would start reaching out to each to set up a phone interview. While I agree with conducting phone interviews before in-person meetings, I recommend these two steps first: (1) Social media sleuthing, and (2) Contacting references.

1. Social media sleuthing

Once you have narrowed down your resumes, I highly recommend searching for each person on social media. As we all know, social media is everywhere these days. Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn all give insight into a person’s life, personality, and habits (sometimes more than they should). Thankfully for hiring businesses, this information can be a gold mine for filtering out “good-on-paper” applicants.

When looking into someone’s social media footprint, evaluate how they present themselves. Do they portray themselves with class and a brand you’d like representing YOUR brand? If you see behaviors or appearances you don’t like here, there’s a good chance you will see some of these trickle into the workplace. For example, if derogatory language or inflammatory pictures or clothing are present in their social media posts, the applicant may also bring such language or biases into your office, potentially influencing their dealings with patients.

Something else to keep in mind: Your staff represent your business when they are outside of your office, not just during working hours. You likely won’t influence their behavior outside of your walls, so if you are already seeing things that make you uncomfortable, you’d do well to take note.

2. Contacting references

Many resumes today do not include references, but if you have any that do (and the potential employee has passed your social media test), I recommend reaching out to listed professional references, as well as previous employers, to determine skill and personality before you move on to scheduling a phone interview. This is particularly helpful if they have worked in eye care before. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the previous office to confirm prior employment and get an idea of the type of worker this person was during their time there.

Keep in mind that certain states have reference laws that prevent information from being presented in any biased or negative manner. Therefore, many ex-employers are often tight-lipped regarding what they will say about a previous employee. Monster.com provides a helpful list (at bit.ly/monsterstatelaws) of some of these states, including California, Colorado, Maine, and Nevada, with links to their state government websites for more information.

This step is, nonetheless, beneficial as you will be able to discern whether applicants have accurately represented their work history on the resume, what position they held at previous jobs, and whether they are eligible for rehire — a quality that indicates whether the employee left their position in good standing. This information can help you weed out bad seeds before you make any contact with them.

As a side note, some resumes will also include personal references. I do not find significant advantage in contacting these references, as candidates will not list someone that would speak damagingly about them on their resume.

Next month: Contact the applicant

Now, that you have completed these two important steps, you are now ready to start contacting your applicant pool, which we will review next month! 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.