More than likely, three out of four front desk employees will end up not working out within six months.

This is generally because the person doing the hiring doesn’t always know how to effectively advertise, interview, or choose the hire correctly. He or she may not be able to efficiently process applicants and choose the person with the greatest chance of success.

As you may know, a bad hire has the potential to negatively affect your practice. Poor patient interaction, lack of insurance knowledge, substandard secretarial skills, irresponsibility, and a lack of honesty can cost you much more than that employee’s wage.

Improve your hiring skills and build a practice with stability, cohesiveness, and a culture that supports your mission. The following ideas should increase your awareness of key elements in the hiring process.

Set expectations. Hiring a front desk employee is like online dating. The hiring doctor advertises what he or she is looking for in a potential employee.

This should help you to get a more accurate idea of the necessary knowledge and abilities needed to succeed in this position.

Help-wanted advertisement. To increase your success rate, make sure the help- wanted advertisement states exactly what you are looking for and clarifies the expectations of the position.

The goal of the ad is to attract the person that fits your requirements and weed out the ones who don’t. Think of this as the beginning of the courtship, where you’ll figure out if both party’s expectations are similar.

Where you advertise should be congruent to the position you are filling. The most efficient vehicle for advertising is the Internet.

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