Step 1: Set up a one-on-one “behavioral interview” via phone between your office manager and the candidate.

 

The behavioral interview is a must for ANY interview process. The best analogy for this interview is a blind date. You and candidate need to get a feel for each other on a personal level before deciding whether or not to take the partnership to the next level.

The behavioral interview SHOULD NOT contain any technical questions—this is information that will be gleaned should the candidate be worth the second date. A few MUST ASK behavioral questions are below:

 

1. Why are you considering changing jobs?
2. Give me an example of how you have imparted complicated clinical information to a patient or their loved ones?
3. Describe a time when you anticipated a problem and developed measures to avoid the problem.

 

Question 1: This question is, of course, not applicable to physical therapists entering the workforce. But, for all other candidates, this question is incredibly valuable. Through their answer, the candidate is basically telling you, “My current employer is failing me in these ways. Do not do these things and I will be a happy employee”. . . so listen up! For example, the candidate may feel he or she is not receiving enough mentorship in their current job. Thus, it is imperative to stress how great YOUR mentorship is. Conversely, the candidate may be leaving their current job because the employer does not offer health insurance. If you do not offer health insurance and have no plans to, then at least you know early on that it is time to move on to the next prospect.

 

Question 2: This question allows you to evaluate bedside manner—an incredibly important aspect of patient care. You want to make sure your employees communicate well with patients both so that they feel valued and so that they understand how to best take care of their condition outside the walls of your organization. Happy patients lead to a happy business.

 

Question 3: As an employer you want employees that make your life easier, not harder. Thus, it is important to hire people with top-notch problem-prediction and problem-solving skills. This question allows you to evaluate both.

 

For more great examples of behavioral questions take a look at this link.

 

Since the behavioral interview is not technical in nature it can and should be conducted by your office manager. Sit with him or her before the interview to create a list of questions. Have the office manager ask a few of them and take detailed notes during each behavioral interview. Touch base after each interview and discuss the candidate’s answers.

Step 2: Set up a one-on-one “technical interview” via phone between the lead physical therapist (i.e. you, probably) and the candidate.

 

Now that the candidate has advanced past the behavioral interview it is time to set up the second date—the technical interview. The technical interview is your chance to ask the hard questions and assess the candidate’s technical prowess.

 

Has the candidate ever worked on a knee replacement? How would they progress a 60-year-old avid male golfer with a rotator cuff injury vs a major-league baseball player with a rotator cuff injury? What clinical rotations have they done in school? Where is the Humeral Radial fossa? All these questions, and more, are fair game.

 

Whatever questions you ask, tailor them to what is most relevant to your organization. For example, if you do not have access to a pool, it might not be most important that the candidate know each specific benefit of aquatic therapy.

Step 3: Set up an on-site tour of your facility/facilities between yourself, the candidate, and the office manager.

 

Things must be getting serious now that the candidate has advanced past the first couple of rounds! The next logical step is to set aside a day and tour each of your facilities with both the candidate and your office manager. This is like moving in with a partner—you need to see how you interact face-to-face under the same roof.

 

The two primary goals of this round are two make the candidate feel special and to further assess their technical ability.

 

Making the candidate feel special: Humans, it turns out, like to feel special. They tend to make friends with people who make them feel special. They tend to pursue careers that make them feel special. Similarly, they tend to pick employers who make them feel special.

To this end, it is important to pull out all the stops for candidates during their tour. For example, if the candidate would have to re-locate, pay for their flight and hotel when they visit. Offer to put them in touch with the best real estate agent in town. If they have young kids, put them in touch with your old nanny or babysitter.

 

Next, show the candidate each of your local facilities, even if they will not be working there. The size of your organization will reflect positively and the candidate will feel special that they are being considered for a position with such a successful company.

 

After the tour, take both your office manager and the candidate out for dinner at a snazzy local restaurant. Get a bottle of wine for the table. Ask them how the day has been? What are their impressions of your practice? How would the area work for their family?

 

If all goes well, the candidate will increasingly feel as if they can see themselves living in your town and working alongside you and your office manager.

 

Assessing their technical ability: Part of the tour should involve a few hours shadowing the lead physical therapist. Have them in the room while treating patients. Walk them through the patient’s history with their condition and their progression. Ask a few relevant questions. Have they seen a patient with a similar condition? How was it similar? How was it different? What treatment methods did they use?

Take note of how the candidate is acting. Are they asking good questions? Do they seem confused?

 

After the tour and dinner, thank the candidate and let them know that you were very impressed. Tell them you will use the next few days to determine whether or not you will be extending an offer of employment.