The Struggles of Staffing

By Dr. Jessica Wu
Residen

Finding, hiring and keeping dependable workers is a sizable challenge for medical practices of any size.  Why is this the case, and what can be done to alleviate the problem?

When it comes to finding reliable staff, smaller companies, startups and doctors’ offices have been the hardest hit. In fact, ninety percent of small businesses seeking to hire new employees are finding it difficult to recruit qualified candidates for their open positions.

It’s a frustrating issue as society has plenty of eligible workers…so what’s the problem?

First, doctor’s offices must compete with bigger businesses that have the ability to offer higher wages and better benefits.  Wages must be high enough to entice workers, even if the quality of candidates isn’t the best.  This is especially true when searching for medical staff with training in a particular specialty or technique.

Then there’s the issue of unemployment insurance benefits. In California, unemployment insurance pays up to $450 per week. For some, collecting that benefit and not working outweighs the alternative: working for not much more pay. 

As a result, there are fewer applicants for available positions. Or job seekers may apply, but then don’t bother to show up for the actual interviews. Just like in the dating world, it’s called “getting ghosted” even in the job market.   

And when an applicant is finally hired, there’s an additional problem with retention. After all the time it takes to screen applicants, interview qualified candidates, do background checks, hire a trustworthy employee, spend the time and resources to train that person, there’s no guarantee the new hire will stay on the job for any extended period of time. As a result, medical offices must now must expect turnover to likely be a problem for any new hires. 

Small businesses and doctors’ offices must find ways to cope with these ongoing staffing shortages. One way is to utilize new and innovative technology to manage patient flow through the office, from check-in to check-out—lessening the need to find, pay and retain employees. Such a system would streamline operations and also reduce costly office overhead.

This might just be the solution small businesses and medical practices need.