Bob Levoy
If a new employee doesn`t have a good attitude about work or the right personality for your practice, it`s unlikely on-the-job training is going to make a difference. An easier, more cost-effective alternative is to recruit the right people at the outset.
Identify the ideal candidate. It will simplify the search. For example, one dentist`s wish list for a receptionist included an outgoing personality, a patient-service orientation, a predisposition to be a team player, a good work ethic and a sense of humor.
Then, carefully screen job applicants. Southwest Airlines, which has the lowest employee turnover in that industry, interviews applicants three times. The first session tends to be a bit stiff. The second is more relaxed and by the third, candidates are more comfortable and likely to reveal those inner traits so important to success on the job.
Southwest Airlines involves the people with whom successful candidates will be working by including them in the interviewing and selection process. This way, existing employees buy into the recruitment process and feel a sense of responsibility for mentoring and helping new recruits to succeed.
Employee recruitment may take longer with these added steps. But, it will be more than offset by lowering training costs and less frequent replacement of unsatisfactory employees.
Bob Levoy is a marketing consultant, seminar speaker and writer based in Roslyn, NY. For further information, contact: Success Dynamics, Inc., 11 Vanad Dr., Roslyn, NY 11576; phone 516-482-5959.
