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MANAGING STAFF

6 ways to dodge the dreaded performance review

Performance reviews: You don’t like to do them, employees dread them and they may not be all that effective in improving work behavior. Here are five alternatives to an annual performance review. Regular feedback sessions: Instead of a once-a-year review, schedule regular feedback sessions throughout the year to discuss performance and provide feedback. These sessions could be bi-monthly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on the needs of the medical office. 360-degree feedback: 360-degree feedback involves gathering feedback from various sources, including managers, colleagues and physicians, to provide a more comprehensive view of an employee’s performance. This type of feedback can be gathered throughout the year and used to inform development plans. Goal setting and tracking: Set goals with employees and regularly track progress toward achieving those goals. This approach helps employees… . . . read more.

MANAGING STAFF

Partnering: Reset your relationship with your employees

By Lynne Curry You want your employees to work harder. They seem to expect a medal for what they’re already doing. You want your employees to feel happy about returning to the office. They don’t. They’d prefer to work remote. You handed out raises and expected your employees to thank you. Your employees reminded you their wages, even with the raises, haven’t kept pace with inflation. This disconnect may be so extreme that you can’t find enough employees willing to work for what you’re paying them. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, many employers have left jobs unfilled because they can’t afford to pay employees the wages employees demand. If you’re a manager or business owner struggling with the gulf between employee expectations and employer needs, here’s what… . . . read more.

YOUR CAREER

Valentine’s Day a chance to show appreciation at work

Valentine’s Day, coming up on Feb. 14, is often focused on a celebration of romantic love. It can also be a day to express affection and appreciation for others, and it is a great opportunity to show kindness and generosity at the office. Here are some ways that you can encourage acts of kindness at your workplace on Valentine’s Day: Write notes of appreciation: Take a few minutes to write a note of appreciation to a coworker or boss. A simple message of thanks or a few words of encouragement can go a long way in building relationships and boosting morale. Share treats: Consider bringing in some treats to share with your coworkers, such as chocolates, cookies, or other sweets. This is a simple way to show your appreciation and… . . . read more.

HIRING

Create a great job description and make it your blueprint for hiring

By Robert Half Trying to compete for top medical office talent in a tough hiring market? Here’s another question: Do you know how to create a job description that can help you find the right candidates and set the stage for a new employee’s success? The job description is your hiring blueprint, and it needs to be thoroughly thought (or rethought) through. Do it well, and the rest of the hiring process—from evaluating resumes and job applications to candidate selection, interviews and salary negotiation—will flow much more easily. But writing it poorly risks a prolonged, expensive hiring process and increases the possibility of making a bad hire. As you gather details to update or write a job description, you may want to seek input, if appropriate, from key personnel who will work directly with the new hire. These individuals may be… . . . read more.

COMPLIANCE

What does FMLA require of a medical office employer?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is one of the employment laws that protect your staff. It is a federal law that requires certain employers to provide their employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain qualified medical and family reasons. For a medical office employer, the FMLA requires that they provide eligible employees with job-protected leave for the following reasons: The birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care The care of an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition The employee’s own serious health condition that makes them unable to perform the essential functions of their job Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse,… . . . read more.

COMPLIANCE

What does the Americans with Disabilities Act require of your medical office?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires medical offices to make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices, and procedures to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would create an undue burden or fundamentally alter the nature of the services provided. This includes ensuring that the facility is physically accessible to individuals with disabilities, as well as providing appropriate communication accommodations and assistive technology. Specifically, medical offices must take the following steps to comply with the ADA: Physical accessibility: Medical offices must ensure that their facilities are physically accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes installing ramps or chair lifts for individuals who use wheelchairs or mobility devices, providing designated parking spaces for individuals with disabilities, and ensuring that doorways and hallways are wide enough for individuals… . . . read more.

SOCIAL MEDIA

‘It was just a joke’: Jokes and social media posts gone wrong

By Lynne Curry Question: During the Christmas holidays, I attended a social event where my wife and I told a series of jokes to and about each other. Several others at our table were equally rowdy, and everyone enjoyed our jokes. While I knew individuals at other tables were watching the fun we were having, I didn’t realize one of them was recording us. The recording made it back to my employer. Even though I attended the event on my own time and the person who recorded my jokes wasn’t employed by our company, my employer fired me, despite my four-year track as a manager. I’ve searched for an attorney but not found one interested in my case. I’ve also looked for work, and found a potential new job. I’ve… . . . read more.

HIRING

Prepare and practice for conducting an online job interview

By Robert Half By now, you’ve likely discovered the advantages of conducting a remote interview. It’s convenient for you and the candidate, it’s easier to schedule separate interviews with the hiring committee, it saves you the cost of a candidate’s lunch or travel expenses, and you can conduct more assessments more quickly. Most importantly, and especially in this very challenging labor market,  the remote interview allows you to meet your top candidates and make a hiring decision before many old-school competitors can even finalize arrangements for an on-site meet-and-greet. Still, the remote interview presents a few complications. Details you never had to consider when interviewing at the office—your background, screen presence and technology, for example—must now be part of any well-planned meeting. Otherwise, you risk mishaps that can distract and… . . . read more.

INCREASING PROFITS

Track these 5 metrics for practice profitability

By Mike Rigert “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … , ” wrote author Charles Dickens in his classic novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.” While it’s certainly not the worst of times for most healthcare practices (that honor likely went to 2020-2021), things could always be better, right? You’re likely still dealing with the impacts of rampant inflation and ongoing short staffing, among other things. Despite these setbacks, there’s clear opportunities to move your practice forward to improve both production and productivity to help you reach your financial goals. It all goes back to numbers—the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine whether your practice sinks or swims. Some metrics are more important and vital to the success of your practice than others. We’ve outlined five… . . . read more.

HIRING

Dig deeper with these 4 types of interview questions

By Robert Half If you want to identify the best candidate for a job, you have to ask the right questions during the interview. And that takes preparation. You need to evaluate not only the job candidate’s skill sets and experience but also how the interviewee thinks. That requires you to ask the right types of interview questions, with both closed-ended questions and open-ended questions. Other kinds of queries can produce even more nuanced information to help you with your hiring decision. Here are four types of interview questions employers ask, including when to use them— and pitfalls to avoid. 1. Closed-ended interview questions This category of job interview questions calls for simple, informational answers. Often, they can be just a “yes” or “no,” but you should give candidates an opportunity to… . . . read more.


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