A Look Inside

Three Optical Case Studies Showcase Successful Staffing Strategies for Large and Small offices

CASE STUDY #1
The Optical Shoppe
(at The Princeton eye group)

Number of Locations: Three offices in New Jersey
Office Size: Ranging from 500 to 1,100 square feet
Number of Patients: Optical Manager Sam Morgenstern, FNAO, FOAA, says, "We easily see 50 to 60 people per day and have about 20 to 25 sales."
Number of Doctors: Up to five ophthalmologists in the Princeton office, plus one OD
Size of Staff: The small but very busy Princeton office boasts five licensed dispensers, one shop worker, plus Morgenstern.
Management Philosophy: "Our doctors like to have everything running smoothly, so I am involved with all aspects of the business," says Morgenstern. He also empowers each store's manager to make their own decisions, do their own product buying, and manage their staff.
Finding Talent: Morgenstern first looks to existing employees and product reps for referrals and then to opticianry schools and newspaper ads.
Hiring Focus: "We focus on candidates who have excellent customer service skills and a good attitude. Still, they do have to know what they're doing—quality work is imperative."
Training Tips: "Since we are so busy, our training system is more ‘on the job’ where experienced staff guides new employees," says Morgenstern, who notes that they also pay for six hours of CE credit for each employee every year.

CASE STUDY #2
Family Vision Center

Number of Locations: One office in Cedarburg, Wis.
Number of Doctors: One—Susan Orvis, OD
Size of Staff: Two co-office managers, two opticians, and three part-time receptionists
Locating Candidates: "We have found all of our employees through word of mouth or other employees," says co-office manager Jan Sprink. "Most job sites and newspapers do not help us find what we're looking for. We are in a small town, so word of mouth works very well."
Hiring Focus: "While good work experience and skills are great, we focus on personality—we feel we can train people to do most anything," says Sprink, who notes that Family Vision Center has a 90-day trial period for new employees.
Training Tips: "It's all very hands on but they don't work without supervision for the first three months," she says. Ongoing training is also offered in the form of "lunch-and-learn" meetings, which include reps offering product information.

CASE STUDY #3
Eye Care Specialists

Number of Locations: Eight in Northern Pennsylvania
Dispensary Size: From 450 to 900 frames
Number of Patients: 16,000-plus "encounters" last year
Number of Doctors: 15 optometrists and 11 ophthalmologists
Size of Staff: Approximately 200 people
Management Philosophy: "I am very hands on but I do appreciate my staff and give them certain freedoms, especially with ordering product," says Bob Dessoye, optical manager. "I also give them a structure for day-to-day operations, but each office has variations."
Hiring Focus: Potential candidates are asked to complete a personality assessment. "We usually e-mail it out and call people back in from positive results," says Dessoye. "We've found it helpful in weeding out inappropriate people."
Training tips: "When training new employees we rely heavily on our more experienced people. It could be well over a year until they feel really comfortable with the processes here," says Dessoye.

Expert's Corner

A 30-year industry veteran, Rene Soltis is the Senior Director of Meetings and Education with The Vision Council. Here, she offers her insights on the featured case studies. SMARTEST STRATEGY: Actively recruiting the staff of your dreams. Consider any extraordinary service experience an opportunity to source staff members. Having current staff recommend potential hires is brilliant because they are highly likely to suggest those that fit your business' culture. BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Getting the right people in the right positions, training new hires, and retaining top talent. Personality profiling is a great way to identify strengths and match someone's passion with a role that makes sense. When training new hires, there's a lot to be said for tapping the brilliance of veterans. Great employees can be retained with a personalized management style that is fair and clearly communicated to everyone. FOCAL POINT: Never lose sight of the importance of your role in developing and leading a great team. You are selecting and cultivating the next generation of eyecare professionals.