MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
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RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES 46 MARCH 2015 | Med Esthetics Hiring From Within A busy practice will often fi nd potential staff members already at work in the offi ce. Former interns and externs are always promising candidates: They have experience working at the practice and have built relationships with patients and staff. "My favorite way is to go to nursing schools and use their nursing students as interns," says Mitchel P. Goldman, MD, of Goldman, Butterwick, Fitzpatrick, Groff & Fabi Cosmetic Laser Dermatology Center in San Diego. "They're literally working with me doing an internship for a few months, and then if we like them, we hire them." Charles Crutchfi eld III, MD, notes that recruiting stu- dents to work at his practice, Crutchfi eld Dermatology in Eagan, Minnesota, is not only convenient for hiring but creates great employees. "Relationships with nursing schools and medical assistant schools are very benefi cial in this regard. We've had a number of excellent externs complete their schooling at the same time we have had a personnel need," he says. "Since we already know each other from the externship, they quickly become outstanding employees." Referrals from existing staff members are another valu- able in-offi ce resource when it comes to hiring. "Prob- ably 50% of my employees are hired through existing employees," says Dr. Goldman. Since staff members already know how the practice runs, they will be unlikely to suggest someone who won't fi t in. Sometimes, word of mouth and a well-known practice are all it takes to get applicants in the door and simplify the recruitment process. "Our clinic is recognized as an excellent medical facility that provides top quality care, and we are known in our medical community as a terrifi c work-life environment," says Dr. Crutchfi eld. "As a result, we continually receive inquiries from strong employment candidates for all of our operational areas: nursing staff, medspa, patient relations and administration—we have not had to actively recruit for some time." Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS, of the Center for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, California, agrees that "word of mouth is No. 1 when it comes to fi nding clinical nurses. Industry sales reps are also a great resource," he says. "They often know great people that have worked at other aesthetic practices." Ad Listings Monster.com and craigslist.org are two of the top websites that practitioners and managers may use when looking for new employees. While fi nding an ideal ap- plicant can be more diffi cult due to the sheer number of responses, it is certainly not impossible. Dr. Azizzadeh's strategy is to be specifi c and actu- ally oversell the job responsibilities, which weeds out those who may not be as qualifi ed or committed. "We include very detailed information about experience, expertise and demands on the job," he says. "We always overestimate the demands so that only very motivated individuals apply." Chicago-based plastic surgeon Steven H. Dayan, MD, FACS, agrees that being realistic about the diffi culty level of the position and amount of duties is critical to attracting the right candidates. "We defi nitely say it's going to be a challenge," he says. "We let applicants know that it's hard work and long hours. Being honest like that has really worked best for us." Dr. Goldman includes specifi c, direct job descrip- tions in his help wanted ads. "For instance, 'Looking for receptionist that works this hour to this hour, with this previous experience,'" he says. He doesn't limit the applicant pool to those who have worked in a medi- cal environment. Instead, he looks at how an applicant might fi t in at his practice. "One of my best receptionists used to work at Best Buy—he got fed up with customer service there and he came here, and he's phenomenal," says Dr. Goldman. "You can teach people how to do medical things, so they don't have to come from that environment when I hire them. The No. 1 skill I look at is their personality and how they interact with people." © GETTY IMAGES Being realistic about the diffi culty level of the position and amount of duties is critical to attracting the right candidates. Having multiple people interview candidates helps ensure a good fi t.