109: Your Guide to Headache-Free Hiring

In this episode of The Super Clinic Project Podcast, hosts Rory Morgan, Jennifer Gligoric, and Tracey Sundkvist deliver an in-depth guide to hiring the right team members for your clinic. From crafting a professional hiring process to conducting meaningful interviews, they outline actionable strategies to attract and retain top talent. Learn how to avoid hiring pitfalls, use practical tools to assess candidates and create a structured onboarding experience that sets your team up for success.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to use test tasks and role-specific assessments to filter candidates effectively.
• Why it’s essential to balance screening for skills with creating a positive candidate experience.
• Questions to ask during interviews to uncover candidates’ problem-solving abilities, growth mindset, and cultural fit.
• How to sell your clinic’s vision and culture to attract top-tier candidates.
• The importance of a structured in-person interview and onboarding process.

Key Takeaways:

1. Test Tasks as a Filtering Tool:

• Assign simple, role-specific tasks to evaluate candidates’ ability to prioritize and perform under realistic conditions.
• Examples:
  • For admin roles: Organize data in a spreadsheet or set up a project in a management tool.
  • For front desk or sales roles: Provide a script and conduct a role-play to assess how well they can follow instructions.
• Keep tasks concise and focused to quickly gauge candidates’ thinking and work quality.

Create a Positive Candidate Experience:

• Remember, candidates are evaluating your clinic as much as you are evaluating them.
• Use the first Zoom interview to impress candidates with your vivid vision, culture, and professionalism.
• Avoid overloading candidates with unnecessary challenges or creating a negative experience that could deter top talent.

Insightful Interview Questions:

• “Describe a project or team environment where you had a specific goal to achieve. What was your role, and how did you overcome challenges to reach the outcome?”
• “What would your dream job look like, and how does this role align with your career goals?”
• “What excites you most about the role and our clinic? What unique strengths would you bring to the position?”
• “How would you approach solving [specific challenge your clinic is facing]?”

Final In-Person Interview:

• Make this interview thorough and engaging.
• Provide candidates with a physical copy of the RRRE document (Role, Results, Responsibilities, and Expectations) and walk them through the job’s daily tasks and goals.
• Showcase your clinic’s culture by including them in activities like a morning huddle or introducing them to your testimonial wall.
• Reiterate your clinic’s vision and explain how their role contributes to achieving it.

Balancing Professionalism and Culture:

• Avoid clichés like “we’re a family here,” which can signal dysfunction.
• Focus on creating a professional and structured environment where employees feel safe, valued, and motivated to grow.

Encourage Candidates to Picture Themselves in the Role:

• Share challenges