Blog #56 - Want to hire great physios and keep them from moving on?
Anyone find it hard to recruit recently? Harder than previous years? Even for graduates?
We know experienced physios are hard to find but recently the hunt for graduates also became harder.
Why? Smaller cohorts? Lack of interest in studying physio? or is it 'The Great Resignation', a tidal wave of people quitting their jobs in search of better opportunities.
In terms of order, I suggest that you focus first on retention and then on recruitment. If you can retain your employees, that will reduce the work you have to do to recruit new ones. But remember, too, that good recruitment also means fewer problems with retention. Getting the right people into the right jobs means they’ll stay with you longer.
Here is some strategies to try:
1. Hire for potential, not experience
“You must have a degree and 3 years of experience in private practice.” These types of requirements are standard in job postings, but researchers found that for many jobs, employees will still need to learn 10 additional skills within the next 18 months.
Instead, you should look for people who have a solid and versatile foundation and the ability and desire to learn new things.
2. Ask your employees questions
Do you know what makes your current employees happy? Do you know what makes them miserable? If you can’t, you may find yourself struggling to hold onto good people.
While you invest in training and development, you should do so by consulting your employees.
You need to know what your employees want and need before you develop your programs. Here are a few questions:
What parts of your job are most interesting and rewarding?
What areas are you finding most challenging right now?
What are you doing to reach short- and long-term career goals?
Are there any other projects, committees or additional responsibilities you would like to be a part of?
Is there anything else you’re curious about that you haven’t been able to explore yet?
Knowing the answers to these questions helps you to tailor your training and development programs to not only what will benefit your company but what will benefit your employees. You won’t retain people if they don’t see growth potential at your company, so make sure you know what they want and figure out how you can help them get it.
3. Keep an eye on your competitors
You may think that your salaries are at the proper market rate because they were last year and you could hire just fine. But it’s 2021, and there’s a labor shortage all around.
In addition to salary, people are looking for flexibility. Whether it’s working from home, a hybrid situation or shifts that fit their lives, other companies offer those. If you want to keep your employees and hire new ones, you need to keep up.
4. Study your results — and act on them
While this may not seem like a recruiting or retention technique, it will lead you to correct your processes.
You won’t improve your retention or recruiting if you don’t know what works and what fails.
And if you aren’t thinking about recruiting and retention strategies now, you need to be. Otherwise, the great resignation will hit your company, and others will snatch up your best people. Don’t let that happen to you.
Reference: Suzanne Lucas - ideas.ted.com
