By Lisa Yackel, CVPM, PHR, SHRM-CP

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. – Henry Ford

We have all heard the experts say that employers need to see their team members as their biggest asset. However, in the hustle and bustle of a busy practice, do we slow down enough to strategically plan what action steps we take with our new hires? We must be equally committed to hiring the best fit for our needed position as we are to promoting preventive medicine. Those practices that have the most successful compliance rates for preventive care items are ones that have Standards of Care protocols in place.

Compliance consists of three parts: recommendation, acceptance, and follow-through. I believe these same parts can be applied to how we succeed with new hires. So how do these three parts play out for new hires?

 

Recommendation

First of all, we need to “recommend” clearly to the new hire what our expectations are. Give them the “pamphlets” with more information to absorb on their own time. Think of this just as we hand out a brochure to a client on heartworm disease after we recommend heartworm prevention. These informational “pamphlets” are our job descriptions, our Hospital Manuals, our Training Manuals, etc.. We know that our new hires will have different learning styles (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic). So we should use multiple ways of communicating our expectations and dispersing these brochures. One-on-one training, videos, written materials, and interactive exercises all have a place in helping the new team member absorb the necessary information.

 

Acceptance

We need to work closely with them during the “acceptance ” phase (first 90 days) to ensure that they have all the tools they need to succeed. Assign the new hire to a trainer. Then have other supervisors, the practice manager, and even the veterinarians check with them formally and informally. This should be done on a weekly basis to ensure that they feel valued and heard. Not only do we want them to be learning the techniques we are training, but we want them to feel a part of the team and to be exposed to the Mission Statement and the Core Values in a practical setting.

As a side, consider what we have learned about first impressions and how that affects whether a client will come back to us. What does the first day look like in your hospital from a new hire’s perspective? Is it all paperwork and overload on information? You might consider the new team member only coming in a ½ day for paperwork in the morning. Then the practice manager, trainer, and supervisor taking he/she out to lunch to just get to know them (and vice versa) in an informal setting. As a hospital administrator, I would be sure to clear my schedule for those first few hours for one on one time with the new member of my team. Dr. Vivian Zayas, a psychologist, observed; “Individuals make impressions and judge m en t s a bout people very quickly, very easily, and with very minimal information. And once those judgements are made, they tend to be hard to undo. They’re quite sticky.” Make that first day a warm, welcoming one.

 

Follow-Through

Finally, on the “follow-through” phase, we need to be sure that they are doing the job that we expect them to do. We know a client isn’t being compliant if they give their pet heartworm prevention sporadically. Likewise, we need to provide our new hires with checkpoints to ensure that they are consistently following our protocols and that they are engaged and becoming part of the team. Many hospitals in our industry report turnover of over 44%. Statistically, 1 in 3 new hires quit after 6 months. That same 1 in 3 new hire knows whether he or she will stay (long-term) after the first week. Remember, we know that from day one of employment, the relationship the new team member develops with their supervisor/manager will be the most important relationship they will have on the job.

Encourage the new hire to establish an accountability partner within the hospital. This will also give your hospital an edge to combat the dismal statistics above. It may initially be the trainer or supervisor. However, as he or she becomes more familiar with the dynamics of the hospital, he may establish a rapport with someone he admires and feels at ease talking with. The person chosen should be someone they are comfortable with being vulnerable and sharing their concerns. He/she should be someone who does not have ulterior motives and is an advocate for the hospital. This person also does not necessarily have to be someone on the new hire’s immediate team. For example, a technician might ask a receptionist they admire to be their accountability partner.

 

New hires are an investment. All team members need to be assured that their interests and concerns are constantly being addressed. We can protect these investments by using the compliance steps to keep new hires on the right track. If they succeed, we succeed and thrive as an organization.