One of the most important elements of any business, especially a healthcare business, is the staff. Whether they are the doctor or the receptionist, the employees are a direct reflection of the facility and factor greatly into whether a patient will return or refer others to your clinic. To ensure as much success as possible, you should focus your early efforts on how to staff an urgent care center.
Create an Organizational Chart
The first step in how to staff an urgent care center is to create an organizational chart. This will clearly define every job function needed to operate your clinic. You won’t just need a doctor or two on staff, you will need physicians’ assistants, nurses, and other employees with medical training. You will also need the front desk and other administrative staff to handle the day-to-day operation of the urgent care and back-office duties.
It can be challenging to determine how to staff urgent care adequately if you plan to operate as a stand-alone clinic. A franchise such as American Family Care (AFC) already has the employee metrics worked out based on the size and location of the urgent care, so no guesswork could lead to a mistake that might leave you under or overstaff.
Develop and Post Job Listings
Once you have outlined clear roles and responsibilities, you can create a job posting. You want to provide a clear description of the qualifications you require in a candidate. This tactic will help you attract potential staff who have a clear understanding of the role you want to fill.
Another advantage of a franchise is that the job descriptions for any position you may need to fill are likely already created and available for use. AFC has a network of experienced franchise owners who are happy to share job posting materials that deliver an excellent applicant response.
Recruitment and Selection Efforts
There are plenty of places to advertise for employees, such as Monster, Indeed, and CareerBuilder. You should also take advantage of social media for your applicant search. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have a job posting template associated with their platforms.
Unlike independent urgent care owners, AFC franchisees have the luxury of leveraging the power of the brand’s large and well-established online presence for recruitment and selection of job applicants – whether on company social media sites or the career page of the AFC website.
Interview and Screen Candidates
The hiring process is not complete without a job interview. After reviewing the applications, choose several interview-worthy candidates. Set aside at least 30 minutes for each interview. After the first round, narrow down your selection for a second interview. After you pinpoint a candidate, conduct a background check to identify any red flags about the person before you bring them onto your team.
The Importance of Onboarding
The first few weeks of your business are critical for long-term success. Proper onboarding of every employee is important. This is your opportunity to win over your employees. Onboarding acclimates the staff to their role, engages them, and builds a sense of community so they are more likely to be committed to the company’s success.
According to Harvard Business Review, organizations with a standardized onboarding process experience 62% greater new hire productivity, along with 50% greater new hire retention.
How to Staff an Urgent Care Center
One of the greatest tips on how to staff an urgent care center is to partner with AFC. We provide comprehensive training on all aspects of how to run urgent care, and that includes staffing. As an independent urgent care owner, you would be on your own and untrained in how to fulfill one of the most important facets of your medical business.
If you are interested in an opportunity with a powerhouse brand in the healthcare industry, get started on your journey to becoming an AFC franchise owner today!
