As a medical marketing agency, we often hear the frustration medical practices face when looking to hire skilled individuals. Taking shortcuts for new hires only hurt the practice in the long run despite the best intentions.

To ensure a smooth process, here are recommendations for finding skilled individuals who can make an immediate impact at your medical practice:

Work Experience Over Education

As the saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover”-this applies for hiring as well. Stanford, MIT, and Columbia are all wonderful colleges that provide excellent education. But by using education alone as a factor in selecting job candidates, a complete picture will not be reached. In place of education, review the candidates’ work experience and consider the associated work skills present in these job roles. Keep an eye out for keywords and phrases that match your job description.

Skill Set Over LinkedIn

While the number of skills and endorsements candidates list on LinkedIn may initially appear impressive, under close analysis, this list may mean little to their work potential. One personal example that will demonstrate this is when my previous neighbor “endorsed” me on LinkedIn for project management skills despite having no idea of my work experiences. Instead of LinkedIn, carefully review the individual’s skill set through Q&A in the interview process along with analysis of their work experiences and future potential.

Face to Face Over Phone Interviews

After you have completed an initial phone screening of the job candidates, narrow down the list to your top 10% to interview directly. In most cases, a direct interview is preferred over a phone interview. While there may be additional expenses that your practice would incur from bringing the candidates in, the benefits of this type of interview would greatly offset these costs in the form of an experienced hire. In a direct interview, look closely for the following:

• first impression (it’s important to trust your instincts on this)
• observe the non-verbal communication (posture, eye contact) presented
• watch out for discrepancies in what was said during initial screening to the questions asked in the interview
• ask open ended questions, as compared to closed questions, that will show off the candidates talents and experiences (such as “tell me about a time when you had to make a decision that went against the group”)

Selecting the right candidate is the first and most important step in ensuring your investment in practice growth. After years of experience working with medical practices, WhiteCoat understands the unique skill-set and personality traits of an ideal candidate, from a physician liaison to the marketing director. Whether it’s interviewing an internal candidate or conducting an external search, we’ll help you find the right person for the job. Reach out to us today