The Secret to Success Begins with the Right People
How to Build a High-Performance Team in Your Clinic
In managing a clinic, whether medical or dental, one of the pillars for achieving excellence in service and consistent financial results is the team.
Bringing together professionals aligned with the company’s values, qualified, and motivated to grow alongside the business is essential.
This article will explore how to hire and select talent to form a high-performance team, providing practical tips and examples that can be applied in different contexts.
1. Planning: The Foundation for a Good Hire
Before starting the selection process, it is crucial to know exactly what you are looking for in each position. This requires structured planning, which can be divided into the following steps:
Define Roles and ResponsibilitiesCreate a clear job description for each role. Include:
Main responsibilities
Desired technical and behavioral skills
Required experience
Performance expectations
For example, for a receptionist, behavioral skills might include empathy and organization, while for a specialist dentist, the focus might be on technical certifications and practical experience.
Establish the Ideal ProfileBased on the clinic’s culture, define which characteristics are essential in a candidate. For example:
Value teamwork
Commitment to excellence in patient care
Ease in handling technology, such as scheduling or management systems
2. Attracting Talent: How to Find the Best Professionals
A common hiring mistake is limiting job postings to a few channels. Broaden your network to attract a diverse range of talent.
Recruitment Channels
Professional social networks: Platforms like LinkedIn are ideal for finding qualified candidates.
Partnerships with educational institutions: Universities or technical schools can be excellent sources for recruiting early-career professionals.
Internal referrals: Encourage your current team to recommend candidates by creating a referral program.
Market Your Clinic as an EmployerShow why your clinic is a great place to work. Share employee testimonials on social media, highlight company values, and mention benefits that make the clinic attractive, such as continuous training and a collaborative environment.
3. Selection Process: Identifying the Best Candidates
To build a high-performance team, the selection process must go beyond resumes.
Evaluating both technical and behavioral skills is essential to predict the candidate’s real-world performance.
Recommended Steps
Resume screening: Identify candidates who meet basic requirements.
Initial interviews: Focus on open-ended questions to assess motivation and cultural fit. Example: “How do you handle feedback in high-pressure situations?”
Practical tests: Simulate real scenarios. For instance, a front desk employee could be evaluated on their ability to reschedule patients with conflicting appointments.
Group dynamics: Test teamwork skills. Propose a hypothetical scenario where participants must find a joint solution.
Technological ToolsUse recruitment software to streamline screening and video conferencing platforms for remote interviews. Tools like psychometric tests can also help identify personality traits and cultural fit.
4. Onboarding: The First Step to High Performance
Hiring doesn’t end with signing the contract. An efficient onboarding process is essential for new employees to feel welcomed and prepared to perform their roles.
Onboarding Best Practices
Initial training: Introduce the clinic’s systems and processes.
Mentorship: Pair new employees with experienced mentors.
Continuous feedback: In the first few months, hold regular meetings to identify challenges and offer support.
Example: A new dental assistant could shadow a senior colleague for the first few weeks to learn the clinic’s service standards.
5. Retention and Motivation: Keeping the Team Engaged
Hiring well isn’t enough; retaining talent and creating an environment where everyone can grow is crucial.
Invest in DevelopmentProvide continuous learning opportunities such as courses, workshops, or conferences. A nurse technician, for example, could attend training on new sterilization practices.
Recognition and Rewards
Develop performance-based bonus programs, such as the number of consultations or patient satisfaction rates.
Celebrate team achievements, such as reaching monthly goals.
Feedback CultureImplementing a continuous feedback policy helps identify improvement points and reinforce positive behaviors.
Tip: Hold quarterly meetings with each employee to discuss performance and growth opportunities.
6. Monitoring: Ongoing Team Evaluation
Maintaining a high-performance team requires regular monitoring. Define performance indicators (KPIs) for each role and periodically review the results.
Common KPIs for Clinics
Average patient wait time (receptionists)
Number of completed treatments (dentists or doctors)
Patient return rate (entire team)
Use this data to make strategic decisions, such as investing in more training or reallocating professionals to roles better suited to their skills.
Conclusion
Building a high-performance team in your clinic requires strategy and dedication. From planning and attracting talent to continuous development and retention, each step contributes to creating an environment where professionals can deliver their best.
Remember: the clinic’s success is directly linked to the team’s success. Invest in people and reap exceptional results.
For more information about our work and how we can help your clinic or practice, get in touch!