5 Strategies to Fill Gaps Plus Attract Top Talent
Hiring additional staff can always help when you have positions to fill, but what happens when qualified candidates just aren’t applying for your open positions? Dealing with long-term shortages can be a real challenge, but there are some things you can do to help your practice fill the gaps as well as recruit better talent.
Time Management
Addressing your current time management practices, as well as how your practice fills its schedule can help you identify what strategies are working and which ones aren’t. Can you cut back on the number of patients you see each day? Or, can you rearrange the type of appointments so you make the best use of your staff’s time? Each practice is different, so meet with your staff and talk about how you can improve your time management to meet patient needs without leading to employee burnout.
Embrace Technology
Patients already love the ease of telehealth. Embrace technology and expand access to care without increasing the burden on your staff by encouraging more virtual visits for patients that don’t need to be seen in person.
Attracting Top Talent
If your jobs are sitting open for a long period of time that means competition for top talent is fierce. Consider expanding your benefit offerings that will help attract top talent, such as flexible scheduling, more vacation time, and better insurance plans. This will also make your current staff happier!
Expand Training and Education
Speaking of offerings that attract top talent, offering leadership development and continued education opportunities will help attract top talent too. It will also help your current staff better meet the needs of patients while dealing with a staffing shortage.
Prioritize Employee Well-being
Finally, staffing shortages are stressful on everyone who works at your practice. Make sure that you are prioritizing employee well-being by encouraging your staff to take time off when needed. Keep lines of communication open and let employees know you are there to help when they feel overwhelmed. Finally, make sure that if an employee is burnt out or stressed to the point they need professional help, encourage them to seek that help.
Key Takeaways
With these tips, your practice will be able to overcome the challenge of long-term staffing shortages. Prioritizing your current staff while attracting new top talent will help you find balance when dealing with shortages. Don’t forget to manage your time better by addressing scheduling and embracing telehealth to ease staff burden.