Echoing reports of ongoing labor shortages, a new survey confirms that a vast majority of organizations are facing extreme difficulty finding and retaining qualified workers. But, the survey reveals, these challenges are no longer being driven solely by a lack manual services workers, as previous trends have indicated. Rather, office workers are now significantly harder to both … [Read more...] about It’s harder to find and keep office workers
Hiring
Candidate ghosting: They’re just not that into you
Candidate ghosting is taking an increasing toll on employers, new research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half suggests. In a survey of more than 800 senior managers, more than four in 10 respondents (43 per cent) said it’s more common for job candidates to cut off communication now than two years ago. Why candidates ghost In a separate survey, … [Read more...] about Candidate ghosting: They’re just not that into you
A staffer hands you a two-week notice: What’s next?
By Paul Edwards It’s 4:30 on a Friday afternoon, and one of your employees knocks on your door asking to come in. They’re avoiding eye contact, they’re fidgety, nervous… This can’t be good news. You imagine accidentally shredded payroll reports, stolen laptops full of patient information, or something equally catastrophic. But when the employee tells you what’s going on, it’s … [Read more...] about A staffer hands you a two-week notice: What’s next?
Religious discrimination and pitfalls for diversity efforts
By Mike O'Brien Religious discrimination An Asian-American engineer who worked for a municipal utility in Stockton, California filed a lawsuit claiming that city officials belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the “Church”) sought to recruit, hire, and promote members of their own faith and that he was denied a promotion because he was a member of the … [Read more...] about Religious discrimination and pitfalls for diversity efforts
Job descriptions have hidden powers
By Paul Edwards When it comes to hiring practices, the job description is usually not top of mind for small practice entrepreneurs. In fact, it’s usually one of the last things on the HR to-do list of small medical offices. Still, if small business leadership understood how much heavy lifting a good job description can do, they would likely be seen as the first thing you need … [Read more...] about Job descriptions have hidden powers
We should have waited for reference checks
By Lynne Curry Question: When a long-term staffer passed away, we suddenly had a hard-to-fill position in our firm. We advertised, and when we got an acceptable candidate, offered him the position before completing reference checks. He’s already worked four days for us. What we’re learning from his references makes us worry we’ve selected the wrong candidate. Several … [Read more...] about We should have waited for reference checks
Prepare behavioral questions for the best interviews
By Paul Edwards bio Stop us if you’ve heard this job interview cliche before: In the middle of interviewing a candidate, the hiring manager asks, “What is your greatest weakness?” Without missing a beat, the candidate smiles slightly, folds their hands on their knees, and responds “My greatest weakness is that I work too hard.” Ugh! If you’ve ever been in a position to … [Read more...] about Prepare behavioral questions for the best interviews
Who’s an independent contractor? DOL explains
By Mike O'Brien bio DOL tries to clarify independent contractor definition The US Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed what it believes is a simplified definition of independent contractor (IC) for purposes of applying wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which applies only to employees. The new DOL proposal still focuses on the factors of economic reality, … [Read more...] about Who’s an independent contractor? DOL explains
3-point retention strategy
By Julie Ellison bio Great medical offices are built with great people. In today's competitive employment market, it's hard enough to recruit those great people, but the real challenge is getting them to stay. Traditional retention strategies haven't worked so it's time to take a fresh look at how to keep the best people you have. Benefits vs. retention We often … [Read more...] about 3-point retention strategy
Should you notify applicants they didn’t get the job?
Open positions, especially those advertised, often generate many applications. If your practice is located in a major metropolitan area or large town, you may receive a huge pile of applications, electronic or otherwise, in response to a job posting. Fortunately, not all job applicants will have the appropriate qualifications—otherwise, interviewing would become your full-time … [Read more...] about Should you notify applicants they didn’t get the job?