It’s not uncommon for employers to think that, when they find themselves needing additional staff, they can simply place an ad or list their job online. Then, as applications come rolling in, they’ll sort through to determine which candidates they may be interested in interviewing and begin the interview process. From there, they’ll hire the candidate who most suits their needs and get them to work.

Sounds simple, right? While this may work for a few businesses here and there, most business owners won’t find the hiring process to be quite this smooth. Why? Well, unbeknownst to them, they’re missing out on a few preparation steps other businesses already have in place.

What Does It Mean to Be Prepared to Hire?

So, what does it truly mean to be prepared to hire? It goes far beyond just knowing you need to hire a physical therapist, or a dentist. To be truly prepared to hire, you need to:

Determine the exact position and job description for the individual you want to hire. For example, do you need a general dentist, a pediatric dentist or are you in need of an associate dentist who also has a strong background in periodontics? Are you willing to hire a newly graduated physical therapist or do you need a more experienced PT? Do you need a PT trained in pelvic floor or other therapeutic modalities? Knowing exactly what you want can help you weed out unqualified applicants during the hiring process and allow you to narrow your search to those best suited for your office.

Clearly lay out the hours, compensation, benefits, mentorship opportunities, continuing education and advancement potential you are willing to offer. If you haven’t done this already, take the time to do this BEFORE you begin the hiring process. This way you’ll know what you can and can’t offer a candidate and whether you’ve got any room to negotiate.

Decide who will be responsible for reviewing resumes, conducting job interviews, assessing fitness and compatibility, and ultimately making the final decision to hire. Neglecting to determine this ahead of time will add unnecessary delays, which could put your ability to hire quality candidates at risk. It’s essential to streamline your entire interview process from beginning to end.

Ensure the person(s) reviewing resumes and conducting interviews has sufficient time allocated to do this task. Are they available to review resumes when a new one comes in? Do they have the flexibility to conduct interviews with qualified applicants at a time workable for them? Ideally the person you choose should be able to respond to any applicant-related communication within 24 hours.

Have offer letters, employment agreements, final contracts and other key documents ready to present to a potential hire. This is a step you must do ahead of time. Having these documents in place not only reduces the time necessary to make an offer and bring a new employee on board, but it could also mean the difference between you being able to make an offer on the spot and you losing out on your ideal candidate because another company made them an offer before you were able to do so.

Additional Steps to Consider for Certain Types of Hires

When it comes to dentists, is the contract you’ve prepared for the new hire to sign reasonably short and fairly comprehensive or is it longer and more complex needing a lawyer to decipher?

In many cases, particularly when hiring dentists, a longer contract will not only need to be reviewed and vetted by your attorney, but by your candidate’s attorney as well. So, you may want to consider a shorter, more concise contract to streamline the process of bringing your new hire on board. If you do decide to opt for a more in-depth employment contract, get it approved by your attorney ahead of time.

Then, at the very least, you can give your candidate an offer letter to review and sign on the spot signifying their acceptance of your offer. Afterwards, they can take the in-depth employment contract to thoroughly review at home or with their attorney.

Regardless of which option you choose, keep in mind that concise and direct contracts are better suited to hiring. You can still have all the legal details covering terms of employment, but the time between interview and hiring will be significantly reduced.

Another thing to consider is are you willing to hire a foreign-trained dentist or therapist? Can you bring on a new employee in need of an H1B VISA? These are questions you need to answer before you begin the hiring process. Make sure you are clear on this ahead of time, so you don’t waste your time or an applicant’s time unnecessarily.

Time Is Not on Your Side During the Hiring Process

One of the things employers don’t always realize is job applicants are not available indefinitely. The majority of those actively looking for work are doing so because they want to get hired now. That is why, once an individual applies for a position, you’ve got a relatively short window to review their resume, get them interviewed and hire them.

This window gets even smaller after you conduct your job interview. If you’re interested in hiring a candidate, you must be prepared to make them an offer right away. Most candidates will move on to other job opportunities within days. In 99% of cases, companies will lose out on candidates if the hiring process drags out longer than a week or two.

Being Prepared Gives You a Step Up on Your Competition

Those companies who are truly prepared dramatically improve their chances of being able to hire their ideal candidate(s). If you do this, you’ll be able to fill your positions much more rapidly, even if your business is located in an area where applicants may be few and far between.

Why? Well, being prepared also makes you a more optimal employer in the eyes of your candidates than other employers who may not be so well-organized. Put yourself in their shoes and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Employees want to know their skills and services are needed and wanted. They want to know they will be valued. Employers who make the extra effort to ensure candidates know these things will rarely, if ever, have qualified candidates pass them by.

So, take the time and make sure you are truly prepared to hire. You’ll be glad you did!

The People Link works with employers in both the Dental and Allied Healthcare industries. In fact, we have been dedicated to helping companies fulfill their hiring needs for more than two decades. Our focus is on finding qualified applicants to fill open positions to the benefit of all and we have an extremely high success rate.

We look forward to doing what we can to help get your open positions filled. To inquire about our employer services and learn more about how we can help you with your hiring needs, visit The People Link online or call Mya directly at 818-890-9998.