Tips & Articles
Tip of the Month
How to Interview & Hire the Right Person
Have applicants fax their resume to your office. This allows you to prescreen applicants and provides and indication of their ability to follow directions.
Narrow your list of applicants through telephone interviews. An applicant can look good on paper, but have poor interpersonal and verbal skills, manners, etc. Go over job requirements and the applicant's skills and experience to see if they are a good match. Discuss their salary requirements, geographic location and work hours to see if they are acceptable to the applicant.
Always check references. This is absolutely essential - many people know how to package themselves to cover up past problems or undesirable traits. While employers might only be willing to confirm employment dates, you can often determine their overall satisfaction with the employee by their tone of voice and other comments.
Always speak to a former supervisor, not just friends and acquaintances. If they have worked in a dental office, be sure and speak with the doctor. Describe your perceptions/observations of the applicant to determine if they are correct. Ask if there is anything else they can share with you. One of the most effective interview questions is "If you had a position open up in your office, would you rehire this person?" This almost always provides a strong indication of the employer's level of satisfaction with the employee.
NOTE: You should always ask permission to call for references. Never call an applicant's current employer. Not only could it cost an applicant their job, it is also illegal.
Have final applicants take the Professional Dynametrics Programs (PDP) survey. This will identify their strongest behavior traits (dominance, extroversion, patience and conformity) and determine whether or not their strengths and personality match the job profile.
Personally interview final candidates. Even in a phone person, a person can sound great, but meeting in person can reveal unprofessional mannerisms, inappropriate dress and other undesirable characteristics. Look for the ability to make eye contact, convey a professional presence and interact well with team members. Have the applicant fill out a job application form and look for completeness and neatness.
Prepare a list of interviewing questions ahead of time that will help determine an individual's compatibility with the job. Have applicant do most of the talking. Show the applicant a written job description and discuss the duties. Questions you may want to ask include:
- Tell me about your previous work experiences.
- What responsibilities do you currently have? Enjoy most? Enjoy least? Why?
- Describe your strengths and areas where you can improve. Qualities you bring to this job.
- What motivates you? What frustrates you most in a job?
- What kind of performance feedback do you like to get?
- Goals, Long term career objectives?
- What do you do in your time away from work?
- If I asked your best friend to describe you, what would he or she say?
Conduct a paid working interview. Observing the applicant in the office will provide an indicator of the applicant's current skills, ability to work with others, ability to follow directions, speed of work and adaptability to your unique work environment.
Have the applicant go to lunch with the office staff. The doctor should pay for this lunch, but not attend. Ask the staff about the applicant's politeness and manners, personality outside the office away from the doctor and the applicant's interest in the job itself, not just a pay check and benefits.
Ask the team's opinion about hiring the applicant. Is the team comfortable with this person and willing to let them into the "family"? Will they be supportive of the applicant as a new employee? No matter how qualified the applicants, if the team is unwilling to accept them, there will problems in the office.
Be sure the new employee - and all your staff - are properly certified. Make verification a condition for employment. It is not uncommon to find dentists using assistants who had indicated they were licensed to take X-rays but who actually are not. Have your office manger confirm the license and permit status for your entire staff. Order copies of the permits and keep them in the personnel file.
Hire based on personality, not just skills! This is one of the most important guidelines when hiring a new employee. You can train a new employee on specific job skills, but it is very difficult to change someone's personality if it is not the right match for the position you are hiring for.
One of the most effective tool's for hiring the right person is the Professional Dynametric Programs (PDP). This leading behavioral assessment tool provides powerful insights into a person's behavioral traits and can match them to required job traits. It can also provide a customized interviewing guide for each applicant based on their individual profile and the job profile. For information on using PDP to help with your hiring needs, visit www.julieweir.com, or contact Julie Weir at (303) 660-4390 or julie@julieweir.com.
|
