Attracting and Retaining Staff

We all know that your staff are the most valuable asset in your practice, so it is important that we know how to not only retain the best people, but also how to attract the best people.

Attracting staff begins with your job ad, as it includes an outline of your practice and not only what you require from a potential candidate, but also highlights what your practice can offer potential candidates. How are you attracting potential candidates to your practice?

It is imperative that the practice also sells itself to potential candidates. Highlight all the positive aspects in your job ad. This will attract potential candidates to your page and will provide them, immediately, of some of the benefits in working with you.

Similarly, you will also outline what you require from any potential candidate. It is important to state this in your ad, so there is no confusion in relation to what the job entails.

Your Job Advertisement:

The Opportunity:

This section explains the role and any requirements the employer is looking for. It will also provide information such as whether the role is full time, part time or casual and what skillsets the candidate must possess.

About the Practice:

This section provides information on the practice, where it is situated and any relevant information you think will be attractive to potential candidates.

About the Role:

This section explains in detail what the role entails and what the key responsibilities are.

Your experience and attributes:

This section provides information on what is expected from the candidate in terms of experience, both desired and required.

What we offer:

This section outlines in more detail what the practice will provide to the candidate such as whether there is parking on site, or a uniform is provided, etc. This section should provide as much information to potential candidates as possible, so they are aware of what is being offered at a glance.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter clearly addressing the above selection criteria to (insert contact details) or reply via this ad.

This section outlines what is required for the candidate’s application and who to contact should they have any questions.

Once you have your staff in place, it is important to ensure you retain those staff, as continuity in your practice is what you are wanting to achieve. Retaining staff is not only providing benefits, the culture in your practice also plays a particularly important part in retaining staff. A positive culture will attract and have staff wanting to stay.

Building rapport in a supportive environment is very important to ensuring your staff feel they can discuss any issues that may come up. If staff do not feel that management is approachable, issues will begin to manifest, and staff morale will be low. This can spread quickly through the entire practice if gone unnoticed.

Also, be aware of the information on your website. Are you being inclusive in terms of acknowledging not only your GPs and Allied practitioners but are you also acknowledging your staff. In addition, having a strong brand and presence on the website and social media will ensure patients are clear on your services, and be sure to include positive testimonials or reviews that have been received by the practice. This is very valuable in terms of promotion of your practice to the wider community, as there may be people that are new to your area and looking for a GP, so advertising your attributes is critical.

Developing your Values:

To ensure you have the best culture you can achieve within your practice, it is important to develop company values. These values are something your staff and GPs will be living every day. It provides guidance to your staff and GPs on what the expectation of the practice is.

• Make the development of your values a fun team workshop. Involve everyone in the practice to ensure there is ‘buy in’.
• Have the values as part of your staff mid-year and annual performance appraisal process, they can go alongside the behaviours area in your staff appraisal form.
• Make sure you have your values displayed within your practice. It is important for patients to know what they consider valuable.
• Have a plan of social and workplace activities, this will raise the energy.
• Ensuring you have the best training and induction for new staff will set them off on a good grounding. Ensuring staff feel supported and having regular reviews and development planning plays a part in retaining your staff.

It is one thing to create and have practice values, but how do you keep them alive? How do you maintain their importance in your daily work?

Values are not just something to create and put in a desk drawer. Values need to live in the words and actions of everyone in the practice. Print the values out and have them laminated so they can be placed throughout the practice, including the waiting room.

Also, values should be a part of staff mid-year and annual performance reviews. Reviewing and discussing behaviours is important as part of a performance appraisal, however, including values as part of staff performance reviews is equally important as they go hand in hand.

Ensure your values are on the practice website and any other social media you are using, as this shows any potential or existing patient/s what values you hold in your practice. Values are something that are very important to people and if patients have the same values, this will be something that may draw them to your practice.

In short, having a positive culture, a sound induction, regular appraisal, and development planning with supportive of management and GPs will go a long way to ensuring your staff are happy and want to remain with your practice.

Tips:

1. Arrange a workshop that all staff and GPs can attend to work through and develop your practice values. Developing values can take some time, so make sure you allow a day, with lunch and snacks provided. This will make it a more fun filled exercise for everyone.

2. Display your values throughout your practice and on your website.