Eyeworld

"gregarious Greg" who has a game face on during the interview and an- swers well and then doesn't perform to the talents that he extolled. Prac- tices end up with people who think they can do the work versus people who actually can, which can cripple your team. Using the personality component profile by itself is not sufficient; today smart practices are using a more sophisticated system. Consider a blend of personality with the behavior traits that clearly show the "can do and will do" of that employee. The most popular choices for the eye industry, Profiles International (Waco, Texas) and Pre- dictive Index (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), have an edge over others with their catalog of eye industry traits and skills for each position. Imagine adding one tool to your em- ployment process that takes less than 15 minutes to do, and 11 sec- onds later a very targeted predictive analysis of your future employee is generated. This new level of person- ality profiles is being used by every- one from large corporations to individual ophthalmology practices in order to create the best possible fit within the teams. As an oph- thalmic-based recruiter, I have worked with several of these profil- ing systems to best assist clients in making better decisions when adding talent to their team. I see them being used especially in the team dynamics of a practice, with managers, technicians, and opti- cians; some are considering them in the next physician recruitment as well. Essential components for hiring are usually left to managers who have either not been professionally trained or do not know the tools needed for each position. Utilization of these personality profiles has been a success within many prac- tices. One way that they are achieving success is by turning to well-devel- oped and well-validated measures of personality. With a sampling of skills and personality traits, an interview can evolve from a basic review of the job to specific questions to uncover the exact skills and traits that make that hire successful. Additionally, it will change your team for the better. These blended behavior and personality testing systems can be used for an organization or for an individual to determine the person- ality traits that fit the job scopes and culture within the team. According to Quintin Guinn, Profiles Interna- tional, "If you have a high-energy manager, there is an above-average tolerance range needed for the sec- ond in command. If you were to add a high-energy assistant manager, the social component for them would be high. If you find a candidate with at- tention to detail who can take direc- tion well, the two can be a great compliment to each other, getting the tasks done and done correctly." Behavioral traits are predicable, whereas looking at just the personal- ity factor is like a "game face"; it's easy to put on, which allows an in- terviewee to claim skills and knowl- edge that he or she may not really have. How do you know who's right for the job? Selective behavior traits are key. This will raise the level of your future hires from 50-80% suc- cess and greater with the addition of the personality-profiling compo- nent. Using the example of techni- cians, we can measure behavioral engagements versus personality. For a diagnostic testing techni- cian, a harmonious "yes person" is going to do well. Repetitive tasks are essential for this technician; reduce the exposure to the tasks where they might have to make a leap of judg- ment. Think of these as being your "black and white" reasoning em- ployees. These types of employees are considered valuable and depend- able, but they won't be looking to move into a leadership position. Look for avenues to make them an "expert" in this area, and keep them focused on the task. Productive technicians who work between the diagnostic tester and the team leader are core per- formers and future high-impact su- perstars. These are the individuals to spend your resources in education, team building, and growth factors on. Yet they are also the ones who need a clear message from the physi- cians down through the administra- tor to their leader. These are your true message makers; they follow and ask for future goals to be de- fined and paths to create success. Similar to the leader in a prac- tice, they will have a high tolerance for change, the ability to multi-task, be highly independent, will make decisions on their own, and will take risks. Their need to be liked will be lower on the personality scale, but their engagement factors will be higher. Imagine the employee who comes in early just to review charts and ready the rooms. Keep these people happy with rewards and recognition. Ready to revamp your team? Each practice has these individuals in its employ. Make sure they are in the right place for your practice's success. Start with visiting a very impor- tant component for each practice and all of your interactions outside the office: what customer service means to you and the practice. As we need to retain our patient base, the polls show time and again that building trust builds loyalty. Formula for building trust First, identify what constitutes cus- tomer service for your organization; what is the perception within the team for challenges on the job? by Charisse Toale, M.B.A. Hiring right for your practice type G ood leaders matter. They inspire, persuade, moti- vate, and energize. They develop strategies, set goals, balance priorities, and resolve conflicts. They enable or- ganizations and their employees to accomplish objectives that they never thought possible. The direction of the practice is then delivered to the staff and patients. Given today's dynamic, global, and hypercompeti- tive marketplace and the accompany- ing scarcity of talent, companies are increasingly recognizing the need to identify those with leadership quali- ties. If there was a tool to develop the message and distinguish a performer in 15 minutes and 11 seconds, would it be worth it? Using science and technology, personality or performance profiling is on the rise. It has created non- judgmental ways to discuss the be- havioral differences in individuals. Two of the most recognized models are Myers-Briggs and DISC tests, which measure the personality of in- dividuals based on their perceptions of themselves, not the behavior traits that make up a long-term pre- diction of performance. Think of the continued on page 136 EW Ophthalmology Business 134 March 2011

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