Over the last few months (not weeks) a common challenge raised with me by numerous Private Practice Owners, is the difficulty in finding ‘quality’ Clinicians to join their team.

Now, before anyone gets offended….

I’m not trying to insult anyone here.

This is ‘quality’ Clinicians from the perspective of the practice owner.

That is, a Clinician that is:

– the RIGHT FIT for the role
– the RIGHT FIT for the practice culture
– the RIGHT FIT for the already existing team (if relevant)

And these aren’t always that easy to find, in what is an expanding private practice industry which has now created a demand for new clinicians.

My WARNING to you is this:

DO NOT hire someone just because they applied, are registered and is willing to see your client group.

That is NOT enough.

‘Good enough’ is NEVER good enough!

‘They will do’ will NEVER do!

Instead, take the desperation (around that growing waitlist and mounting practice bills) out of the equation and ask yourself:

• Did this person WOW me in the interview?
• Was this person able to win me over early on in the interview (which indicates awesome rapport building skills)?
• What does my gut say about this person?

The above 3 questions are of course, in addition to having a ROBUST interview process where you ask structured and standardised questions around skills, but even more importantly ATTITUDE.

Hiring a clinician just because they are ‘good enough’ or just because they ‘will do’ will see you literally crying in your hands in a couple of months’ time when you realise their Drop Out rates are scarily high and their Retention Rates are horrifically low. Not only does this mean that clients are having a negative experience with your mental health service, it also means that this clinician is harming the professional reputation of a practice that you have worked years to establish.

And…!!! that after you have gone through the effort of introducing them to your referring doctors – feeling like an idiot yet?

No guesses that I’ve been there done that.

So park that desperation. Note it. Allow it. But don’t give in to it.

You are worth more.
Your practice is worth more.
Your current team is worth more – don’t mess with it!

Be patient and set the intention that only truly those that are the RIGHT FIT will be let into your practice doors, into what is and has been the creation of your blood, sweat and tears, into the fold of your reputation, into the support of your current team, and into an environment where they will be allowed to thrive, progress and see amazing personal and professional development.

The choice is yours.

Yours in Private Practice Success,

PS: If you want to learn more about Team and the other 6 Secrets to Private Practice Success, I want to invite you to join me at the final round of in-person workshops that I will be running for 2018.

This is for you if you have been in private practice for 6 months or longer. For all the details visit: http://www.private-practice-success.com