Ask small business owners and they’ll usually say that hiring and training are their biggest headaches. Both challenges are being exacerbated by turnover rates that, according to the Work Institute, doubled between 2011 and 2021.

How big of a problem is this exactly? A recent survey conducted by Goldman Sachs found that while 59% of small businesses are hiring, the vast majority (82%) are finding it hard to recruit candidates.

What about staff training? LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Trends reported that 94% of employees would stay longer in companies that are willing to invest in their professional development.

To help address the challenges of hiring and training, EB invited three well-respected eyecare professionals to share their tips for overcoming obstacles in both areas:

TOP TIPS ON HIRING

When it comes to interviewing and hiring new staffers, these knowledgeable ECPs recommend the following practice procedures.

Tip #1
Zoom + Video

“I have started scheduling a Zoom interview versus a phone or in-person one. It saves time and energy, plus you don’t disrupt the office. We also have candidates watch an indoctrination video before we conduct an interview. My husband and I made it to talk to candidates about our company culture and to share our core values.

“It has attracted a lot more candidates that are engaged and congruent with what we do and [almost immediately eliminated] people who are just looking for a paycheck.” —Dr. Canto-Sims

Tip #2
Magic Question

“Keep an open mind and ask the magic question, ‘Why did your last employer fail to keep you?’ This gives you clues about their expectations [and] desires, [in addition to their] mode of communication.

“Understand and be ready to accept trade-offs between hiring someone with ‘the right qualifications’ versus someone with 80% of the minimum qualifications needed. Identify the position requirements that they must have on day one versus those that can be trained.” —Mr. Walker

Tip #3
Check Backgrounds

“Require a background check for every new hire—even your neighbor or the sweet old lady from church. We’ve seen crazy stuff…employees with a history of embezzlement, multiple drug charges, even one who had a warrant out for her arrest. You are responsible for the well-being of your patients and your practice. Taking an extra step and spending a few dollars to make sure your new hire doesn’t have a negative history is well worth it.” —Dr. Fishbein

TRAINING STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

From training new hires to maintaining ongoing programs, here are some top training tips from these three eyecare professionals.

Tip #1
Procedures + Processes

“We approach training with manuals, videos, and weekly sessions. Knowing what the processes, procedures, and operations are for everyday tasks is essential. Everyone is taught to do them the same way.

“If anyone has questions about a process or procedure, it’s answered in that manual. We also have a lot of information [packed into] short, three-to-five-minute videos, so if trainees have questions about a process that was previously explained, they can rewatch the video versus having a staff member explain this procedure again.

“We’ve also started to incorporate 15-minute ‘hands-on’ trainings into our weekly staff meetings. We have so many new staff [members] that used to say, ‘No one taught me how to do X, Y, Z.’ Now, they can’t say this.” —Dr. Canto-Sims

Tip #2
Use Every Opportunity

“Invest in training, put it in writing, and then take care of that investment. Ensure everyone understands your written business objectives. Each should include a clear, concise strategy with tactics to support it. Most importantly, everyone on the team needs to understand ‘the why.’ Then they can work on ‘the how.’

“As a manager or owner, take advantage of every opportunity to learn what is lacking. If your practice has a revolving door of team members, for example, always conduct an exit interview, and then create and complete a simple online form to gather and keep the information.” —Mr. Walker

Tip #3
Live + Press Repeat

“My favorite tool lately for training is Loom (loom.com ), a program that allows simultaneous recording of voice and screen. You can train [by]…doing a task [once] and…a new hire can watch [the recording] over and over again. This has almost completely replaced manuals with screenshots for us. They take a long time to make and become obsolete as soon as a company’s website changes.” —Dr. Fishbein

Whether it’s hiring or training, these eyecare professionals underscore the importance of doing three important things.

First, apply consistent, repeatable procedures. Second, keep an eye on the latest trends, technologies, and processes. Third, be willing and open to change.

Why? Because, as another expert, a teacher named Plato, put it, “The only thing that doesn’t change is change itself.”