Advanced Preparation is the KEY in the Hiring Process

These past couple months, we’ve looked at the DISC Combinations that each role in an office needs. As we learned through using this process over many years in our orthodontic office, this is the KEY to minimize turnover, which is a constant challenge in any office!

For the next few weeks, let’s look at the Hiring Process (or Applying Process, depending on which side of the employment coin you are on).

First, let’s set the scene: You have a busy office, a full day of patients, possibly a family waiting for your time and attention when you get home. But you also need to hire a new staff person… desperately. As tempting as it is to just throw an ad together and get that extra “hands on deck”, any time spent on Advanced Preparation will pay off in multiplied results.

Or let’s say you are in great need of a job, any job! So you peruse the Want Ads, scroll online and perhaps access other Job Offer websites, looking for anything that might have potential.

But both of these approaches could end in a disastrous hire. It pays to take the time to do Phase One of the process.

Phase One of the Hiring Process: Advanced Preparation 

Step 1: List the roles and functions needed for the new staff

For example, will this person be in the lab, working alone on a detailed task (High C) or will they be at the Front Desk, welcoming patients and chatting with them (High I). As much as possible, list all the responsibilities they will have as specifically as you can. Or if you are job-hunting, list the types of tasks and roles you are most looking for.

Step 2: What qualities will these roles require?

As I’ve blogged about in the past, the qualities of the High C who loves details, systems and procedures and is satisfied to work alone is vastly different from the High I who thrives on people interaction and adding fun to their role. As you list the responsibilities in Step 1, make a note of what specific qualities each of these responsibilities would need to function the best.

Step 3: What DISC Styles have these qualities? Which needs to be the strongest?

It might help to review the basics of the DISC Styles:

• D-Style: Gets things done, is decisive and authoritative, prefers to be in charge
• I-Style: Is enthusiastic, outgoing, positive and persuasive, a “party looking for a place to happen”
• S-Style: Is steady, dependable, cooperative and patient, a great team player
• C-Style: Likes procedures, is systematic, precise and conscientious, focuses on the details

As you review your new hire’s responsibilities, or the details of the job you are applying for, which quality represented will need to be the strongest? Which Styles will also need to be represented, but perhaps not as strongly?

We learned over many years of experience that any time spent doing these 3 Steps significantly paid off in the other stages of the Hiring Process.

Next Week – Design the Ad!

It truly is possible to create strong teams who want to stay!

QUESTION: Have you ever put together a detailed list of the responsibilities and qualities required for a new hire or for a new job? Can you see how the time spent on this process would pay off? I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations. Please share with me in the comment section below.