Avoid Hiring Pitfalls When Hiring Medical Staff
By Ryan Naylor, Founder & CEO of VIVAHR
From Print Issue - Spring 2023
Hiring the right medical staff is essential for any healthcare organization to maintain a quality standard of care. However, making the wrong hiring decisions can have disastrous consequences, leading to decreased patient satisfaction and financial loss. Therefore, it’s essential to take all necessary steps to avoid making costly mistakes when recruiting medical personnel. Doing so will help ensure your organization continues providing the highest quality care for patients. Here’s what you need to know about avoiding hiring mistakes in the medical field.
Common Hiring Mistakes When Hiring Medical Staff
Bad Job Title
Tailoring a job title to attract many applicants is crucial to successful recruitment. With the right words, you can draw the attention of potential candidates and showcase your company as a desirable employer.
Here are some tips on how to make sure that your job title stands out from the rest:
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Keep it short and simple - Long and complicated job titles can be off-putting to potential applicants. They can also appear intimidating or confusing. Keep the title concise, and ensure it reflects what you’re looking for.
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Leverage industry buzzwords - Include those keywords in the title if the job requires specific skills or knowledge. It will help it to show up in relevant searches and attract those with the right experience level.
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Create a functional job title - As you craft your job posting, consider the title that resonates with those searching for the position. When designing the job titles, stick to simple keywords that accurately describe the post. Save any fun puns or out-of-the-box terms for employees’ business cards and LinkedIn profiles!
Insufficient Information
When you set out to hire for a specific role, it’s essential providing potential applicants with enough information about the job. That way, they can make an informed decision on whether or not to apply and have realistic expectations of what the job entails. Providing precise details about the job is vital for avoiding confusion or misunderstanding between the employer and the employee. Give candidates a thorough overview of duties, skills needed, working hours, and other relevant information to give them insights into what they can expect. Speak to the values and culture of your company as well—this will help applicants determine if it’s an environment in which they’ll thrive.
Hiding Your Company
Hiding crucial information from potential employees needs to be corrected for several reasons. It can lead to a lack of trust between the organization and its candidates. If applicants feel that their questions about the company’s mission and organizational culture are being intentionally avoided, they will likely view this as a red flag. This feeling of distrust can also carry over into the job itself since employees may sense that their employers are not being honest or transparent with them. At the end of the day, honesty matters. Be open when hiring new employees. Not only will this lead to more trust within the organization, but it will also create a better candidate experience for those who do apply. Being transparent about company information and expectations from the start will go a long way toward finding the right people for the job.
Things to Consider When Hiring Medical Workers
Soft Skills
When hiring medical workers, it is essential to consider their hard skills, such as technical knowledge and expertise, and soft skills. Soft skills are essential components in a medical worker’s overall success and can significantly impact patient care quality. These skills help ensure medical workers can deliver effective care with compassion, manage challenging patient needs, and create meaningful relationships with other healthcare professionals. Soft skills are also essential for helping medical workers remain up-to-date on the latest medical advancements. These skills also help them communicate effectively with colleagues and patients and develop better approaches to wellness management. Focusing on soft skills during the hiring process sets medical staff up for success. It ensures that employers bring on board individuals who will contribute positively to the larger healthcare environment.
Company Culture
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, hiring the right people for your team is essential for success. That’s why it’s vital to always keep company culture in mind during the recruitment process. Company culture isn’t just about having an office with fun decor and relaxed dress codes—it’s the attitudes, values, and beliefs defining your company. Finding recruits who share these is vital to building a successful team that works hard, communicates well, and supports each other. When you hire someone who has the skills and complements your culture, it helps create an environment of trust and respect—something which can drive your business to new heights. Research shows that when employees feel like they belong, there is a boost in job satisfaction and productivity. So, remember to consider company culture when you’re looking for new recruits— it’s essential for creating a workplace that brings out the best in your team!
Purpose
When it comes to hiring, it’s important to give job seekers purpose. A purpose-driven individual is far more likely to be successful in their job, and that helps your company reach its goals. Giving candidates a sense of purpose can also help them feel more connected to the team and become enthusiastic about their work. Jobseekers who understand the bigger picture of their role are more likely to be loyal and motivated. They also have greater clarity on what needs to be done, which leads to better performance. When job seekers know that their work has a purpose and is meaningful, they feel far more valued and respected by their employers. This can increase productivity and morale in the workplace, leading to greater success for the company.
Scorecards
When hiring in the medical field, utilizing candidate scorecards can be especially beneficial. As a part of structured hiring, not only are scorecards a great way to measure and track the success of potential new employees accurately, but they also help employers make sure they hire someone well-qualified and capable of handling the job. Scorecards provide an objective overview that employers can use to ensure they make the right hiring decision. It also allows employers to easily compare potential candidates and better understand applicants’ qualifications. Additionally, scorecards are an essential tool for employers when it comes to staying compliant with any industry regulations or standards that may be in place.
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About the Author:
Ryan Naylor, Founder and CEO of VIVAHR, a company he started in 2018, provides simple software tools for small businesses to compete for talent against bigger companies without the burden of high costs and unnecessary features.