Preparing for the New Member of Your Team

Bringing your new physician, advanced practitioner or executive up to speed as quickly as possible is a crucial first step in their success.

 Welcome your new employee – Introduce them to the team and other key colleagues.  A great way to start the day is a welcome breakfast or coffee.  Not only will it welcome your new employee, but your team will love the treats as well! Unlike House, make sure your welcome is sincere. His sarcasm was easily detectable when Martha Masters joined his team.

• Workspace – This should go without saying, but be sure that your new hire has everything ready to go in their work area including computer software, phone, email, etc.
• Assign a team member to help out – It’s a great way for a new employee to bond with a team member and put them at ease.
• Give them the low down – Go over processes, current issues, patients, and other key information that they need to do their job.  Also, be clear about your expectations of the person and this position.

 

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House Hiring Tip #7 – The Cost of a Bad Hire

Hiring the wrong person can affect not only your organization’s bottom line, but your team’s morale and productivity as well. In fact, the average hiring mistake can cost up to three-times the annual salary of the position, considering the cost of termination, replacement, and loss of productivity during training and learning curve.  Taking steps to ensure that you’re on track to hire the right person is key to prevent a bad decision, so be sure to.

Ask detailed questions during the interview process and listen for insight into why someone says they’re “dependable” or “a team player.”  Always ask for examples to support their statements. 

• Interview, interview, interview – The phone screen, a first interview and then bringing the top candidates back in for a final, or second interview to see the candidate in your setting and interact with your team is crucial. Personality and group dynamics should always be considered – strong personalities like House’s unique outlook may conflict with your team and lead to exasperated staff likeWilson.
• Check References – Be sure you get at least three references.  Former managers and co-workers are good choices.  For the more junior positions, college professors are fine as well. 
• Be confident you have the right candidate for the right job – you may interview someone and think that they “could” be a good fit for the position, but may lack some of the skills or experience.  Focus on the job description to stay on track to select the right person for the position.

 

House Hiring Tip #6 – References

“I’ve found that when you want to know the truth about someone that someone is probably the last person you should ask.” –  Dr. Greg House

Ever wary of trusting anyone, House would appreciate the next crucial step in the process, which can shed some light onto the candidate.

Speaking with a candidate’s references is not just to determine an applicant’s weaknesses, but to gain insight into the candidate’s personality, work style and ethics.  References should add to the snapshot you’re creating of the candidate.

To get the most out of your reference calls:

Speak with a variety of contacts – A peer, manager and perhaps a direct report will help you get a perspective on the candidate from different view points.

• Get the facts – Confirm dates, position title and responsibilities.  Get qualitative information to gain insight into the candidate’s work style.  How does the person work with others?  Are they a team player or lone ranger?
• Listen – People will often reveal a great deal about someone if you ask an open ended question and just listen.  Include inquiries into skill level, professionalism, strengths and weaknesses, and other points that are relevant to your position.
• Know the law – You must always get permission from the candidate to speak with their references.  Be sure you understand the EEOC guidelines for conducting a reference check as well.

The Art of the ‘Follow Up’

Working in the medicine field you know that you have to follow up with your patients. Had J.D. and Dr. Cox not followed up with frequent patient Jill Tracy, she might have died. Things are no different when interviewing for a position.

Without follow up your chances for the job could die. The ways in which you go about the follow up can either categorize you as an amateur or a pro. So, how do you follow up like a pro?

Before the interview comes to end, make sure you ask the interviewer for the next steps and for their business card.  This will come in handy when sending the thank you note. If you have used the services of a recruiter, call them immediately after the interview before sending the thank you.  Some clients prefer not to be contacted directly by candidates and getting expert advice is always better than guessing.

Following up helped J.D.’s patient and it will help you in the job hunt.

P.R.E.S.S. Yourself to Look, Act and Feel Confident.

In a job interview, you always want to conduct yourself in a manner that exudes self esteem and confidence because let’s face it; you will never land a job you don’t believe you will get.  The secret to instantly appearing confident is P.R.E.S.S., which stands for: 

• Posture Straight
• Relaxed Body
• Eye Contact
• Smiling
• Speak Clearly

 Now I know what you’re saying to yourself – “Clever acronym and we get it, but how is this image speaking clearly?”  Well friends, Dr. Cox has an abundance of confidence that shows almost everyday. He is confident and exudes positive self esteem, for himself at least. Even though he can be hard on his interns, they all look up to him and strive to be like him.

Dress your best when interviewing!

Dressing in appropriate attire is crucial for the interview. The first judgment an interviewer makes is going to be based on how you look and what you are wearing. That’s why it’s always important to dress professionally for a job interview, even if the work environment is casual. It’s better to be over dressed than under dressed. Crazy costuming like Elliot and J.D. are showcasing isn’t going to give the best impression. Rather than think you are suited for their facility, the interviewer may think you’d be better off working at a Renaissance Faire. If you’re STILL not sure on how to dress, then we recommend checking in with your recruiter.

Do your homework before the interview.

A crucial element in successful interview preparation is having significant knowledge about the hospital or company you are interviewing with so you can demonstrate your enthusiasm, as well as be able to articulate how your skills and values match those of the organization.  But these days, your research shouldn’t just come from a quick Google search or a glance at their website.  Using LinkedIn and other social media tools to review the background of the hospital and your interviewers could be just the leg up you need in this competitive job market.  Remember, you can never know “too much” about an organization and interviewers are always impressed when you can ask informed, intelligent questions.

Had Taylor Maddox done her homework maybe she would still be the Chief of Medicine at Sacred Heart. Instead, Taylor’s money-fueled tendencies were at odds with Sacred Heart’s policies. Her preference for keeping patients with Cadillac health insurance plans in longer didn’t fit with their values. With rubbing everyone the wrong way, it was no surprise that Taylor was going to get the boot.

Focus on staying focused!

An interview is not a casual chat, it’s a meeting held with the purpose of determining if you have the skills, experience, character and motivation that the hiring manager is looking for. Listening and paying attention is just as important as answering questions because if you’re not paying attention, you’re not going to be able to give a good response.  Don’t be dreaming about the next scene you will be writing in your play, like J.D. here with the script for “Dr. Acula.” Your thoughts should be focused on the interview, not on your outside hobbies. There is plenty of other time to worry about the production of your tale of a vampire doctor.