ALLIED HEALTH RECRUITMENT & TRAINING TOOL KIT I.  NEW WAYS TO THINK ABOUT RECRUITMENT

 Recruitment Options

A.   Hire part-time staff — Hiring several part-time staff instead of one full-time person can provide you with increased flexibility and "back-up" for covering vacations and sick days. It also provides a pool of employees who could become full-time staff, as your practice grows. Job shadowing experiences offer potential employees an opportunity to gain a better understanding of job responsibilities.

B.  Hire students currently enrolled in an ophthalmic training program — Hire for part-time employment and offer students an increase in pay when they successfully finish the program. A list of programs is available from CoA-OMP

C.  "Home Grow' your own staff  — “Home growing” your own staff can greatly decrease the amount of time it takes to fill a job opening, although time and resources are necessary to facilitate initial training. Assign a trained staff member to “mentor” the new hire and consider the following:

• Hire high school students part-time as front-office staff and as a potential ‘employee pool’ for the future. If they have established a good work record with you while attending high school, inform them of the formal ophthalmic training programs available or on-the-job-training and promise them a job if they complete the training program.
• Hire displaced workers or semi-retired individuals who have years of prior work experience. You will benefit from their previous employment experience and maturity level, adding stability to your practice.
• Hire medical assistants who have prior work experience within a medical setting. They will already be familiar with medical terminology and processes within the practice environment.

D.  Make presentations locally — Participation in local job fairs and offering to give talks at area high schools will provide networking opportunities for future employees.

E.  Offer scholarships — Individuals who seek additional training while they continue to work for you may be great candidates for scholarships. 

F.  Provide “On-The-Job Training" — Individuals without professional ophthalmic education or experience who are seeking an allied health position are great candidates for On-The Job Training and long-term employment. This strategic effort to prepare ophthalmic medical personnel to take advantage of new and increasing job opportunities builds a committed and dedicated staff. Suggested Training Materials (PDF 107K)

G.  Supplement On-The-Job training at your clinic with the AAO Independent Study course, Learning Systems CD or Distance Education Opportunities (Additional details in 'Ophthalmic Educational Training Resources' Section):