By Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO
Have you ever wondered why some employees do whatever they can to ensure your patients leave happy while others do as little as possible? Savvy ODs learn to recognize high-achievers during job interviews and weed out those who are just focused on their paycheck.
I recently discovered a new strategy for hiring dedicated employees–by identifying individuals with a service heart. People with this trait are enthusiastic about serving patients. These employees do more than what is required of them; they are proactive about finding solutions and making improvements to take your practice to the next level.
Over the last year my practice had two staff members leave due to relocation, and I am now adding another position, so hiring has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been thinking about additional strategies to find quality employees, regardless of how often I need to refill positions due to turnover.
The cafe in the gym I belong to always has young employees, and it has a lot of turnover as most of the staff are students. But overwhelmingly, the service is excellent and the staff is extraordinarily helpful and friendly. So, one day I asked the manager if they had a really good training program. They had one but it wasn’t that intensive. He said that he interviews a lot of people as he is at a disadvantage because he can only pay $8 an hour. He says he looks for a “service heart,” which he defines as people who like to serve and to help others.
Since learning about what it means to employ individuals with a service heart, and seeing the results for myself every time I go to the gym, the concept guides my job ads and hiring interviews. For example, in job ads I say that I am looking for a compassionate, team player with a “service heart” who wants to help others and make a difference. During job interviews I ask applicants to share experiences from past jobs that illustrate their enthusiasm for serving those they provide products or services to. Individuals with an affinity for serving others sometimes show you that trait when you ask why they want the position. Instead of answering vaguely about “a great opportunity,” a service heart might point out the ways the position will enable her to help others.
What is your strategy for hiring employees who are eager to serve your patients and continuously improve your practice?
Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, is president of Lakeline Vision Source in Austin, Texas. To contact her: sorrenson@att.net.
