| I am often asked by doctors "How can I get a | | | | the legal right to remain permanently in the United |
| great office staff/team and keep them? How do | | | | States? |
| I know the right person to hire? How much do I | | | | 10. Education - You can inquire into the applicants |
| pay them? How do I train them? Etc... To try to | | | | academic, vocational or professional education and |
| answer these questions in one article is not | | | | the public and private schools they attended. You |
| possible so this is the first article in a series on | | | | cannot ask dates attended or graduated. |
| "The Building of a Collaborative Team." | | | | 11. Drivers license - You can ask, "Do you posses |
| As we know when building a house or building we | | | | a valid drivers license?" but you cannot require the |
| need to start with the ground floor where our | | | | applicant to produce it prior to employment. |
| structure is to be built. Every architectural | | | | When sitting down with the applicant make sure |
| structure is built on a solid foundation that will | | | | that the atmosphere is a comfortable one. |
| ensure the longevity of the building. A foundation | | | | Remember the applicant is going to be nervous |
| is the foremost most essential part of a building | | | | and you do want them to feel comfortable so |
| or structure. The foundation is a structure that | | | | that you can get them to open up and talk so |
| transmits loads from a building to the ground. | | | | they will reveal information that will be helpful to |
| Failure to install appropriate foundations | | | | you for your hiring process. Depending on who is |
| underneath the structure is sure disaster. Without | | | | doing the interviewing in your office (the doctor |
| a solidly constructed foundation a building can be | | | | or the office manager) they may want to open |
| destroyed very easily, all it would take is a bad | | | | up the interview by telling the applicant a little |
| rain or earthquake to cause it to tumbling down. | | | | about how they got into the medical profession or |
| Now let us apply this same principle to our offices. | | | | some of the history of the practice. This will ease |
| We need to have a good foundation to build our | | | | the applicant up and make the situation more |
| office staff on. What I mean by this is to have | | | | comfortable for the interview to progress. |
| systems in order when you bring new staff | | | | How you word your questions is important, |
| members on board that will make sure that they | | | | remember you want to get the applicant to give |
| get the solid foundation to build on with your | | | | you information about them. Do not ask questions |
| office team. | | | | that can be answered "Yes or No." Instead of |
| First, how do I hire the right person for the job? | | | | asking "Have you ever been in charge of |
| This is not an easy task, but you can make the | | | | answering the phones?" Say "Tell me about your |
| process easier by becoming a better interviewer. | | | | experiences of being in charge of answering the |
| Prepare for your interviews. Before you meet | | | | phones." This will allow the applicant to give you |
| your applicants spend time looking over their | | | | information about what they did and allow them |
| application and resume. Look for any areas of | | | | to expound on what their experience has been. |
| question like seeing that there is a lapse in | | | | Never put words in the applicants mouth. Instead |
| employment that they did not account for. Make | | | | of asking "I see you have had plenty of patient |
| a job description for yourself that will have many | | | | service experience" say, "I see you have worked |
| of the detailed job duties for the position that you | | | | at The Get Healthy Clinic, what was that like?" |
| are hiring for. This way you know what | | | | Do not ask questions that are unrelated to what |
| qualifications the applicant must have. If you are | | | | you need to know about the applicant. Ask |
| hiring for a front office assistant that will be doing | | | | questions that will give you further information |
| computer input, scheduling appointments, taking | | | | about what your applicants experience has been |
| payments and messages you will want to make | | | | with relation to what you are looking for in a |
| sure that the applicant can type and listen | | | | prospective employee. |
| carefully to a message and then transfer the | | | | You can give the applicant hypothetical situations |
| correct information onto paper. Computer skills | | | | and ask how they would handle it. The situations |
| and accuracy are a must for this position. You | | | | should be close to what actually happens in your |
| would then want to set up a few tests for the | | | | office so you can see what they would do. A |
| considered applicants to take. I have had | | | | technique that that may be helpful when |
| applicants type a letter from a handwritten one to | | | | interviewing is when you have asked the applicant |
| check how fast and accurate they can type. Also | | | | a question and they have answered wait five |
| we will make a call from the back office to the | | | | seconds before going on. By waiting you give the |
| front line and have the applicant answer the | | | | applicant time to think and many times they add |
| phone and take a message from us to see if this | | | | more information that gives you further insight to |
| is something they can do. Do they ask for | | | | them. |
| correct spelling of the name given? How about | | | | Now that you have given them time to talk about |
| saying the phone number back to the caller make | | | | themselves and what they have done it is |
| sure they have it correctly? If the applicant has | | | | important that you give them more information |
| no clue how to take a message do you want to | | | | about the position. You may want to give them a |
| spend the time training them to do this? You | | | | job description. I do this after the interview |
| need to decide what qualifications you are | | | | because if you give the job description to the |
| requiring for the position and then set your | | | | applicant prior to the interview they might answer |
| interview and your performance tests to fit that. | | | | their questions to make them more in line with |
| During the interview make sure your questioning | | | | what the job description is. Let them know what |
| is in line with your state laws (you can find these | | | | the doctors expectations are regarding the |
| online). Here are few unlawful questions I found in | | | | position. Paint an accurate picture of what the |
| my online search that you cannot ask and the | | | | office is like, what the compensation is for the |
| correct way of asking certain questions that may | | | | position and describe potential opportunities. By |
| be of help to you. | | | | letting the applicants know this information it will |
| 1. You cannot inquire about the applicants religious | | | | allow them to let you know if they are still |
| denomination or affiliations. | | | | interested. I have found over the years it is best |
| 2. Marital status - You cannot ask if the applicant | | | | to be up front about compensation, as many |
| is married or not. | | | | times applicants expectations are unrealistic when |
| 3. Children - You cannot ask if the applicant has | | | | it comes to this and none of us have the time to |
| children. You can tell the applicant what the | | | | waste on applicants that are expecting more than |
| working hours of employment are and do they | | | | what we can deliver. |
| have any problems with working these hours. | | | | Whoever is doing the interview should take good |
| Many times, the applicant will reveal information | | | | notes, make these brief as an applicant will get |
| about childcare when asked this question, but you | | | | nervous if they see you writing down everything |
| cannot ask specifically about children and childcare | | | | they say and may clam-up on you. You only need |
| unless the applicant brings it up. | | | | to write down key thoughts or things that will |
| 4. Age - You cannot ask how old the applicant is, | | | | trigger thoughts about the applicant that you can |
| but you can ask if they are 18 years or older. | | | | share later. It is good practices that after an |
| 5. Arrest record - You cannot ask, "Have you | | | | interview to write a summary of what your |
| ever been arrested?" but you can ask, "Have you | | | | thoughts are on the interview and applicant so it is |
| ever been convicted of a crime?" and let them | | | | fresh in your mind to have for later. |
| know they may be asked to provide the details. | | | | Now that you have all the information that you |
| 6. Disabilities - You cannot ask, "Do you have a | | | | need from each applicant it is time to figure out |
| disability?" But you can ask, "Do you have any | | | | which one to pick. Usually from your interviews |
| impairment, physical, mental or medical which | | | | you have someone that sticks out more than the |
| would interfere with your ability to perform the | | | | rest. |
| job for which you have applied? | | | | If you have discussed compensation during the |
| 7. Name - The applicant may not be asked his or | | | | interview process you know if this person is willing |
| her original name, if their name has been changed, | | | | to come on-board with what you can offer. |
| maiden name, or "have your ever worked under | | | | Now it is time to make the decision. You can do |
| a different name? If so what was it and the | | | | this either in person or over the phone, but one |
| dates you used it. | | | | thing that is very important is that the applicant |
| 8. Birthplace - You cannot ask the applicant their | | | | (employee) understands what the job and |
| birthplace, or their parents birthplace, wife or | | | | expectations are and what the compensation is. |
| other close relatives birthplace. | | | | Now that you have hired the right person, it is |
| 9. Citizenship - An applicant may not be asked if | | | | time to make sure that you have all of the office |
| he or she is a naturalized or native-born citizen or | | | | systems in order. This is necessary to begin on |
| the date when the applicant acquired citizenship. | | | | the right foot once they begin their employment. |
| The applicant may not be required to produce | | | | Hiring a new employee is not an easy task. You |
| naturalization papers or first papers. An applicant | | | | the doctor are in a very vulnerable position, that |
| may not be asked, "Of what country are you a | | | | is why you need to make sure you have all of |
| citizen?" An applicant may be asked any of the | | | | your "ducks in order" to protect yourself and |
| following: Are you a citizen of the United States? | | | | keep your practice running as smoothly as |
| If not a citizen of the United States, do you | | | | possible during this transition period. My next |
| intend to become a citizen of the United States? | | | | article will be about "On-Boarding" the transitioning |
| If you are not a United States citizen, have you | | | | of the new employee into your practice. |