If you’re doing it right, the entire hiring process actually starts long before you need to hire someone. 

Need to Hire Now?

But let’s say you are ready to hire right now. How do you find and choose the best candidate, train them in the most efficient way, and fill their treatment schedule as quickly as possible? Read below or watch this video to learn how I set up systems to automatically weed out bad candidates, automate much of a new hire’s training, and hype them up to your client-base to quickly fill their treatment schedule. 

[Note: I made this video in response to questions from one of my Cash-Based Practice Mastermind members who is starting the hiring process. I make a ton of videos like this to answer member questions if it’s more than a couple days till our next live weekly Q&A call. Do you like the idea of having a direct line to ask me questions and get my guidance as you start or grow your private practice? Click here to check the details of our incredibly supportive group of cash practitioners becoming amazing business owners].

1. Automatically Weed Out Candidates Who Don’t Follow Directions

First, set up a system that weeds out those who don’t pay attention to detail. Candidates who don’t follow specific directions should be automatically weeded out BEFORE you even take time to look at their resume.

This can be done easily and for free using Gmail filters and Google questionnaires. The details of which are beyond the scope of this blog post. However, they will be a part of my Automated Private Practice Hiring System, which will be available at some point soon.

The steps that any of my candidates go through are as follows:

1. Make it through my Gmail filters by following specific directions.
2. Online Google questionnaire / written interview.
3. Phone interview.
4. In-person interview at the clinic (and motivator index filled out).
5. Dinner/happy hour with the rest of my staff, or at least dinner with me and my wife.

2. Balancing Training and Revenue Production

For most business owners bringing on a high-cost professional staff member, one of their biggest fears is the “downtime” or “non-revenue-producing” time in the beginning. To avoid downtime, they try to minimize the amount of time before the new hire is at least producing revenue to cover his/her own expenses.

Don’t allow this concern to make you skimp on training. Spend a lot time with the new hire and make sure they learn from and shadow your staff as well. Make sure you are not just providing clinical training, but also focusing on administrative systems.

I recommend you spend as much time as necessary to train them well. Don’t worry about filling up their schedule and throwing them into patient care as soon as possible. Due to this extra attention, you may make less money in that first month or two or even lose money. Still I recommend it because, long-term, you will lose far more if you don’t adequately train your new staff. This concept holds true with continuing training. As long as long as they work for you, you should continue to train via meetings and in-services.

3. Automate your staff training and on-boarding

Document your systems via text and video ahead of time so you can save yourself time new hires.

Think about everything you do in a specific way on a daily basis and document it or have your staff document it. Document and teach them everything … from how you greet the new patient, to what is said during treatment sessions, to how you document treatments, and everything in between.

It’s a lot of work to document those systems but it will save you a ton of time in the long run. It will also prevent a lot of mistakes and stress due to new hires not being fully informed of their expectations.

Another thing to consider here is that just because someone isn’t seeing a patient doesn’t mean they can’t be immediately performing activities that bring value to your business. Did you hire someone with a knack for social media posting and trends? Or someone who is great speaking with people on the phone? Give them a list of things to work on during any gaps in their schedule.

4. Ramping up business and filling their treatment schedules

Ramping up starts with asking your client list and social media following to help you find an amazing therapist. When you do this, your clients may help you find great candidates. More importantly, you pre-frame your clients and social following to be expecting a new employee with incredible skills and a great personality. What else can you do to build expectations? You can write a few posts on social media during the recruiting and hiring process letting people know you’re getting close to choosing an amazing candidate. This starts the “hype up” of whoever is chosen.

Next, you should make a huge deal about the new hire and all their experience / accolades via various forms of media. Use emails, social media, blogs, direct mail, etc. Make sure you do at least a couple videos and introducing them and asking them some fun questions that will bring out their personality. This allows past and prospective patients to feel they already know and love your new hire. When it comes to someone making a decision to pick up the phone and book an appointment, this is actually much more important than the credentials and experience they bring to the table.

And ALWAYS end with the call to action that your new hire is ready to help the reader/viewer. You can also ask readers of these posts and announcements to forward them to anyone they know who could benefit from working with your fantastic new therapist.

5. Have stellar candidates ready and waiting when you are ready to hire

And I’ll end with a tactic that is being used by the best healthcare clinics out there –  even if you’re not currently hiring, you should be constantly recruiting. Don’t wait until you are completely slammed and overbooked to start looking for a candidate.

Most business owners hire way too fast and fire way too slow. Whether via your website and/or via in-person networking, you should continually put candidates who would like to work at your practice through my above-mentioned automated hiring system. Then, when the time comes to hire, you will have at least a handful of great candidates to reach out to. I cannot put into words what a relief that will be for you!

P.S. Again, I recorded this video in response to questions from one of my Cash Practice Mastermind members who is starting the hiring process. Like the idea of having a direct line to ask me questions and get my guidance as you start or grow your private practice? Click here to check out the details of how the Cash-Based Practice Mastermind can help you reach your goals faster and with far fewer mistakes along the way.