Hiring the wrong employees at a medical practice is a costly mistake that can hurt your business in numerous ways. Employees with poor work ethic may show up late (or not at all), resulting in an understaffed shift. And hiring under-qualified employees to handle certain task may leave your medical practice susceptible to lawsuits and litigation. The bottom line is that hiring the wrong workers will cost you time, money and resources while leaving you vulnerable to lawsuits. To prevent this from happening, check out the following medical practice hiring mistakes.
Not Checking References
While checking a job candidate’s references is important for candidates in most industries, it’s especially important for medical practices. Once you’ve received the candidate’s resume along with their application, go through and check their references. Don’t take the candidate’s word for it, but actually call and verify their references. This will give you a better idea of the candidate’s character, which is something that’s not found in a typical resume.
Not Conducting Proper Background Checks
As we discussed in a previous blog post, failure to conduct comprehensive background checks on job applicants can result in negligent hiring claims. The keyword is comprehensive and this includes a minimum of a seven year criminal history search based on where the applicant has lived during this time.
Not Searching Medical Sanction Databases
This is a big one where many applicants with sanctions have been found and these actions would of otherwise not reported on a standard background check. This type of report is often under utilized by the healthcare industry – particularly home care agencies. It reveals information about abuse, license revocations, suspensions, misconduct, and other actions taken.
Hiring Candidate’s Based on ‘Gut’ Feeling
After interviewing dozens of candidate’s for your medical practice, you’ll probably come across some whom you naturally feel will be perfect for the job. Even before checking their application, you might have this instinctual feeling that he or she is a good match for your medical practice. In some cases, you might get lucky and find a qualified candidate based solely on your ‘gut’ feeling. Nine out of ten times, however, this isn’t the case, and hiring candidates strictly from a feeling in your gut will only hurt your practice in the long run.
Not Asking The Right Questions During an Interview
You can only learn so much about candidates for your practice through applications and resumes. If your really want to find out whether or not they are fit for your medical practice, you need to perform a followup interview. During the interview, ask them key questions regarding their professional goals, along with questions related to the medical industry. Doing so will help you identify knowledgeable candidates who are ready to tackle exciting world of medical practice.
Understaffing
Another common hiring mistake at medical practices is understaffing. When you’re operating with the bare minimum number of employees, you’ll find yourself in a trouble if a worker becomes sick, quits or otherwise unable to work. In the medical practice industry, it’s better to over hire than under hire.
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