In this episode of "Coffee Talk with Jill," Jill, the owner, and CEO of Jill Allen & Associates, will be talking about hiring! And more specifically, when you should be making additional hires if you are a small or start-up practice.
There is a lot of pressure on start-up doctors, especially when it comes to making sound business decisions. When it comes to hiring, many doctors find it hard to know when the practice will support a new employee. And it is especially hard to know that in conjunction with the growth and evolution of the practice, and knowing what role the next hire should fill. Because if you are working in a small practice, you know, all the roles are growing... and every position in the practice could use a body (at least when you are busy), but the busy feeling is not all the time. Right?
That is why Jill will be covering hiring in this week's episode of Coffee Talk with Jill. Watch below as Jill shares a few tips for determining the right time to hire in a small practice!
How much should I be producing per month?
When thinking about hiring, one of the first things you want to consider is whether or not the practice can support an additional employee's salary. As a general benchmark, Jill recommends the practice is producing $20,000-$25,000 per month per employee. If you think of that in increments of $5000 starts, it is about 4-5 full starts, per employee per month.
How many hours is full-time in a small practice?
You will also want to consider how many hours worked you need for an employee to be considered full-time. Although a traditional definition of full-time is generally 40 hrs per week, there is not always that much work for an employee in a start-up practice. Although you should always check with your state's employment guidelines, Jill usually recommends a full-time position in an ortho office, ranging from about 32-40 hours. A typical Jill Allen & Associates schedule is four days per week and 8 hours per day.
What if I feel the growth coming, but my production is not there?
In a growing practice, there is always a balancing act between maintaining high customer service levels and having the right number of team members to do so. It is good for the team to be busy, but we don't want them to be so busy that the customer service starts to slip.
When you are on the fence about hiring, consider the following questions.
- Am I missing new patients because there is no one to answer the phone while we are in new patient consultations?
- Is the practice heading into busier months?
- Do I have patients willing/ready to start but not enough spaces to start them?
If you are answering yes to these questions and starting to feel the pressure of growth, it may be time to take the leap and make your next hire.
What employee do I add next?
When it comes to hiring, it is always a good idea to think outside the box!
If it is time to hire, you probably need to fill more than one position, especially if you are in a small or start-up practice. Jill suggests hiring part-time employees if you can find them as a way to bridge the gap.
If you would like to find out more about Jill Allen & Associates or ways we may be able to help your practice, use the contact us page to schedule a complimentary consultation with Jill!
Don't forget to tune in next week for another episode of "Coffee Talk with Jill"! Jill will be sharing insight into schedule templates and the most effective ways to build your schedule.