Last week, we discussed compressing your schedule and adjusting to flexible working hours to make your schedule work for your practice. This week, we’ll continue the conversation with how schedule flexibility can assist in recruiting, and we’ll look at ways to structure your days based on scheduling data.
Leverage Flexibility as a Hiring Advantage
If you’re looking to hire an associate doctor, emphasizing schedule flexibility can be a powerful recruiting tool. Many ODs seek positions that offer work-life balance, so make your practice more attractive to potential candidates by promoting a flexible schedule. For example, you might offer part-time positions with extended evening hours or a four-day workweek with full patient loads. These options can set your practice apart in a competitive hiring landscape.
Analyze Appointment Trends to Maximize Efficiency
Take a deep dive into your practice’s scheduling data. Which days consistently fill up? When do no-shows peak? If you notice that Wednesdays have a high no-show rate, it may be worth scaling that day back or repurposing it for administrative work.
Understanding patient behaviors helps create a schedule that maximizes your time and minimizes frustration. You might even find that certain appointment types are better suited to specific days or times, allowing you to structure your schedule for optimal flow.
You can find this information and more by having AI do the heavy lifting for you. (See more about that in my tip on optimizing your office systems.)
Look out for next week’s tip, where we’ll review how grouping appointment types and using non-doctor time for tests can work to your advantage.
