The need for ophthalmic technicians has never been greater. Those who have been in the field since its inception are beginning to retire, the pandemic has forced others to either remain home or relocate closer to family, and ophthalmic assisting remains allied health care’s hidden jewel.

Depending on your perspective, an analysis of the statistics can be either grim or present an opportunity:

• With age come increased vision problems. The youngest of the baby boomers will turn 65 in 2029.
• There are currently 59,500 ophthalmic technicians.
• The projected growth rate is 14% through 2028, with projected job openings to be 8,500 in that same time period.¹
• The pandemic has left people in all fields, including health care, unemployed.

Along with this great need for technicians, practices are also best served by hiring and training “the right people.” In 2019, Gallup determined that “the cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary — and that’s a conservative estimate.”²

Although it takes time and effort to hire and train for any position, the benefits can be very satisfying. And while some companies recruit technicians, the pool from which to choose is somewhat slim.

With proper coaching, team empowerment and appreciation, you can provide the new hires with a career path — not just a job.

THE HIRING PROCESS

Find the right ophthalmic tech

The “right” people have excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and are self-driven to learn and succeed. Most applicants claim they possess these characteristics, but it is up to you to find which ones actually do.

Behavioral interview questions may provide an indication of those qualities as will having the candidate shadow the people who would be their coworkers. These questions provide the opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their problem solving skills, even if the questions are outside of health care. For instance, you may ask them to provide a situation with an angry customer or coworker and how they settled it. You can also give them a hypothetical situation that may occur once they are hired.

Determine the fit

Returning to shadow others in the position provides the candidate with a realistic picture of the job and allows them to determine if it is really for them.

Also, this process gives the employer an opportunity for many staff members to evaluate the candidate. When not in conversation with the person who may be their boss, people tend to let their hair down and share more about their personal situation. Your staff can determine how observant and interested the candidate really is and may notice some nuances that others miss. The decision can be made as a team, and the staff can help to determine who their future coworkers will be.

THE TRAINING PROCESS

Empower the employee

According to an article in Inc. Magazine, the top reason people look for a new job is that they are not challenged.³

Once you have hired the “right” people, you will be investing in their career. That means not only training them to do the job, but empowering them to learn additional skills or take on a project, once they excel at their job. In order to build loyalty and longevity, you must justify their training as you would capital equipment.

Take the necessary time

There are two schools of thought when it comes to training new employees. Transplanted talent is hiring someone experienced in the skills required for the open position, while the nursery method is training from the ground up, much like planting and growing a garden from seed.

When hiring experienced staff, you may be setting the practice up for comparison to the former employer. Change may be difficult for the transplant, and their knowledge and adaptability may not be as promised. On the other hand, they may be a perfect fit, willing to learn.

The nursery method takes time and effort, no matter the position. Technicians and scribes need to understand ocular anatomy and physiology and the disease process before they can become critical thinkers when with patients. Technicians must understand what an abnormal finding may indicate and that getting a second opinion from a senior technician is part of the learning process.

If they are being trained as a receptionist or member of the call center, they must understand why there are different appointment types and how these affect the workflow so they will be prudent not to override the schedule. In fact, once they are comfortable with their job, consider having them stay with a patient for a comprehensive exam. We cannot assume any employees possess a basic understanding of eye care.

A common objection to the nursery method is that there is not enough time to train during a full clinic. However, training can be done when the office is closed without incurring a lot of overtime expenses. The trainee(s) can begin work from early afternoon into the evening or Saturday instead of a weekday. That way the only person needing to be paid overtime is the trainer.

Consider outside help

Alternatively, there are benefits to hiring a trainer for a few days, either to provide the foundational skills or one specific skill. Pat Bourgault, vice president of operations at Concord Eye Center (Concord, N.H.) told me the following:

“In the past, our practice trained our staff in house, with more qualified technicians training newer staff. We found this to be counterproductive at the beginning, because it took experienced technicians out of our clinic or slowed the process down due to the need to explain and teach during clinic. We decided to outsource our training to experienced professionals who would come into our practice and train a group of four to six technicians together. This not only relieved us of the interruptions (taking experienced techs out of the clinic floor rotation), but it also gave our new trainees the opportunity to have one-on-one time with the trainer and utilize each other as training partners, which resulted in some bonding time with our newer staff.”

Being in house with a trainer offered many opportunities and support to the staff. They were able to learn more skills and techniques in a shorter period of time, focus on their own strengths and weaknesses and feel less intimidated by others around them as they were all at the same level. A trainer offered more to the technician then a “colleague” may, as they are very objective and forthcoming.

CONCLUSION

No matter which way you go with training, provide new employees with reading material and videos that are easy to understand. Check in frequently to offer and accept feedback. Ultimately you will find that the time invested at their beginning will reap the rewards of a loyal employee. OM

REFERENCES

1. U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/data-for-occupations-not-covered-in-detail.htm#Healthcare%20practitioners%20and%20technical%20occupations . Accessed September 24, 2020.
2. McFeeley S, Wigert B. This fixable problem costs U.S. businesses $1 Trillion. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247391/fixable-problem-costs-businesses-trillion.aspx. Accessed September 24, 2020.
3. Schwantes M. According to this employment study, the top reason for people switching jobs in 2018 will make you laugh. Inc. https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/study-top-reason-for-whats-really-driving-employees-to-switch-jobs-in-2018-is-surprising.html. Accessed September 24, 2020.

About the Author

Ms. Shuman, president of Eyetechs, is a nationally recognized authority on clinical flow, scheduling and technician education. Prior to founding Eyetechs, she worked for over 15 years as an ophthalmic technician and clinical manager.