The Ideal Candidate

The first thing you need to do when looking to recruit a new team member is outline exactly what you need and want that person to be like. First, outline the minimum skill-set you need them to have to be able to do the role. Then, think about the qualities they would need to have to fit well culturally within your existing team. This should be easier if you have already outlined your key values for your business. Clearly outlining the person you need should help to ensure that you attract more of the right applicants, and will also help you to sift through applications when you get them, as you’ll have a set of criteria to judge against.

Planning for the Interview

The next stage of the process would be the interview stage. It’s key that before you interview any candidates, you have a structured interview plan in place, to ensure that you ask all the relevant questions that will help you decide if the person is right for your practice. We’d recommend asking questions on at least 3 different areas:

Practical Questions – is it going to be practical for this person to work in your practice? 

• Does the candidate live within a commutable distance to the practice and will they be able to commute? Do they drive? If not, are there good public transport links?
• Is the candidate eligible to work in the UK?
• What is the candidate’s salary expectation?

Cultural Questions – is this person going to fit with your business values and the rest of your team? 

• How does this candidate interact with team members?
• How does this candidate interact with patients?
• What behaviours does this candidate display in a work setting, and do these behaviours align with or detract from your business values?

Skill Questions – does this person have the necessary skills to be able to deliver the service you need from the role?

• What qualifications does the candidate have?
• What previous experience does the candidate have?
• Where has the candidate previously worked?

Making Your Decision

Once you’ve interviewed a candidate, it’s vitally important that you make your selection based on the person fitting as many of your criteria as possible, rather than just selecting the first candidate that comes your way. It can be very tempting to do this, particularly at the moment when there is such a lack of candidates, but it’s important to remember that the more compromises you make, the more difficulties you may be faced with. Plus, hiring someone who isn’t a good fit culturally or practically could mean that in a few months time you’re having to go through the whole process again.