Often the first touchpoint for patients at urgent care clinics is the front desk staff. Front desk staff help ensure smooth clinic operations and a positive patient experience. However, given the current state of the industry—with staffing shortages, and high turnover—finding and retaining the right staff has become a challenging task. Here is a quick guide to hiring and interviewing front desk staff, to improve overall patient experience.
Front Desk Staff and Patient Experience
Front desk staff are more than just the first interaction with patients they also influence overall clinic culture, operational efficiencies, and they respond to patient feedback. By optimizing efficiency, fostering warmth, navigating challenges adeptly, and creating positive first impressions, front desk operations contribute profoundly to an organization's reputation and success.
A recent survey from the Beryl Institute on The State of Human Experience 2023, found that most organizations value engaged staff as the second most important factor for a positive patient experience. However, in order to have engaged staff the first step is to hire the right fit. Because of the challenges of the current staffing environment, by recognizing and prioritizing the significance of the front desk, and being strategic in how you hire front desk staff, you can elevate patient experience in the long run.
Crafting an Effective Job Description
When crafting a job description, you want to focus on how you can make the experience more streamlined for both the applicant and yourself. An effective job description can help attract qualified candidates, and weed out those that may not be a good fit. Your job posting should include:
- The key responsibilities: including the importance of customer service, communication, and multitasking abilities
- Preferred experience: to start you may want to emphasize experience in healthcare, urgent care, or medical office.
- Proficiency in software (such as EHR’s, patient engagement software, etc) and tools used in urgent care operations—make sure you specify whether training will be provided and how your business supports continuous learning and development
- Other skills needed: Highlight communication and handling patients in stressful situations
Utilizing Recruitment Channels
Maximize your outreach to potential candidates by tapping into a variety of recruitment channels. Consider incorporating the following recommended options:
- Online job boards (e.g., Indeed): Post your job openings on widely-used online platforms to reach a broad audience actively seeking opportunities.
- Social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn): Leverage social media platforms to showcase your front desk job opportunities, engaging with candidates who demonstrate an interest in administrative roles.
- Company website: Make your front desk job vacancies easily accessible on your company's website to capture the attention of candidates who are already interested in your organization.
- Collaboration with local vocational schools: Establish partnerships with nearby vocational schools and institutions offering administrative training programs to tap into a pool of potential candidates eager to start their careers.
By harnessing these diverse recruitment channels, you can broaden your reach and attract a wide range of candidates with the skills and passion your organization is looking for.
Effective Resume Screening
When reviewing resumes of potential front desk applicants, prioritize candidates who showcase relevant experience in healthcare, customer service, or administrative roles. This experience not only aligns with the core responsibilities of the position but also influences the extent of training required during the onboarding phase.
However, it's essential not to confine your search solely to this criterion. Individuals who have held customer-facing roles in industries such as restaurants, banks, or hotels may possess adaptable skills that translate well to patient interactions.
Moreover, pay attention to their attention to detail and organizational prowess—qualities essential for efficiently managing paperwork and maintaining data accuracy.
While proficiency in healthcare software applications is an advantageous attribute, it shouldn't be a dealbreaker. Such skills can be taught during training. Consider applicants who may not be familiar with your clinic's specific applications but exhibit general software competency.
Conducting Structured Interviews
Before conducting interviews, design a set of standardized questions. These will ensure fairness and consistency during interviews and help you compare different candidates more easily. Your questions should help:
- Assess the candidate’s customer service skills. You can ask how they handle difficult situations (e.g. patients frustrated with long wait times) or how they deal with diverse patient populations.
- Evaluate their multitasking and problem-solving abilities. You can ask about their approach to hypothetical, work-related scenarios or how they prioritize different front desk tasks.
- Gauge their stress management and decision-making skills. You can ask if they have encountered any high-pressure situations in the past and if yes, how they resolved them.
To attract top talents, make sure you explain how your clinic stands out from others. Emphasize the growth and development opportunities available to front desk staff. Prepare answers to these questions:
- How will they be trained?
- Who will their manager be and what kind of guidance or support will the manager provide them?
- What career development opportunities will they have?/What are potential career advancement pathways for this job in your clinic?
- What benefits and PTO policies does your clinic offer?
- Does your clinic pay for required certifications like BLS (Basic Life Support)?
In addition, you should clearly communicate your clinic’s mission and how the front desk staff’s contributions align with it. All these will help you find the right staff whose skills are the right fit for the job and whose values align well with your company.
Hiring the Right Front Desk Receptionists:
Once you have interviewed, consider evaluating each candidate on the following criteria—
Empathy and Compassion
When hiring front desk staff, prioritize candidates who demonstrate a genuine sense of empathy and compassion. Patients often visit urgent care centers during times of distress, so having a receptionist who can empathize and provide comfort is crucial.
Excellent Communication Skills
Look for candidates who possess strong verbal and written communication skills. A receptionist should be able to convey information clearly, listen attentively to patients, and effectively communicate with healthcare providers and other staff members.
Strong Organizational Abilities
A front desk receptionist juggles multiple tasks simultaneously, such as scheduling appointments, managing patient records, and addressing inquiries. Seek candidates who exhibit exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail to ensure smooth operations and minimize errors.
Adaptability and Problem-Solving Skills
Urgent care environment can be unpredictable, so hiring receptionists who can adapt quickly to changing circumstances is essential. Look for individuals who can think on their feet, handle stressful situations calmly, and find effective solutions to unexpected challenges.
Tech-Savviness
It’s crucial for front desk staff to be comfortable with technology. Seek candidates with basic computer skills and a willingness to learn new software and electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
Key Takeaways
Hiring the right front desk staff for an urgent care clinic is a vital process that requires careful consideration of essential skills, qualifications, and personal attributes. Front desk staff serves as the face of the clinic, playing a pivotal role in creating a positive patient experience and ensuring smooth operations—and how a clinic goes about interviewing and hiring front desk staff is the first step in this process.
Want to learn more about how Solv can save your front desk staff time? Contact us!
