last word

Hiring Hints

Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

A recent email from optometrist Elvin Fenton, OD, from Texarkana Eye Associates located in Texarkana, Texas, got me thinking about some out-of-the-box hiring solutions. He writes:

We're a very fast-growing company and we need a few key people with experience in insurance, sales, OfficeMate, accounting, and billing.

It's such a crapshoot hiring from traditional sources. If you were looking for employment, where would you turn that would help me tailor my search?

First, one person may not be able to do it all. It might be best to hire one person to manage front desk and office responsibilities and another to handle optician/dispensing/sales.

Here are a few hiring techniques that worked for me when I was managing various optical practices.

To attract quality, long-term employees vested in the profession, it pays to compensate them generously and offer benefits—ideally health, dental, and life—even if it requires a little employee buy-in. It may impact the practice bottom line, but so does the daily dollar leak of improper insurance filing and eyewear redos because of dispensing errors of an untrained, inexperienced person.

So hire someone with an office and optical track record, or at the very least, someone motivated to learn, and get them educated quickly and consistently. Many manufacturers, wholesale laboratories, and even professional organizations offer quality, non-biased training.

I always found local organizations and clubs to be effective hiring sources. Asking local businesspeople for recommendations pays dividends with hiring grassroots talent. Often those who are recommended and hired bring their clientele with them.

One of my best hires was recommended by a colleague at a leadership club. The young lady had experience in clothing retail, not optical, but was motivated to learn the industry.

She achieved her American Board of Opticianry (ABO) certification early on, and the better pay and benefits she received kept her invested in the practice.

Schools are also great resources for finding untapped talent. Check local high schools, trade schools, and colleges for motivated, nearly graduated students with a medical or optical discipline or a business management background. Hire them part-time between classes, and if they turn out to be good employees, offer them full-time employment upon graduation. EB

Senior editor Karlen McLean has been in the optical industry for 35 years. She has spent half of that time in the dispensary. In this monthly column, Karlen shares her own experiences, and hopes you'll share yours. Contact her via email at karlen.mclean@wolterskluwer.com or online at facebook.com/eyecarebusiness.