Consider ‘true compensation’ to retain technicians

Part two of our series of how to’s on technician recruitment

By James D. Dawes, MHA, CMPE, COE

When I ask technicians for their number one differentiator in job opportunities, it’s little surprise that they list compensation. However, a lot of factors go into this topic. Often times, candidates compare a $23 per hour job to a $26 per hour job, do the quick math and say, “Wow, that’s $6,000 per year!” So, as an employer, how do you compete?

Your practice likely has pay ranges and performance review processes that determine how and when a team member receives a raise. Unfortunately, as soon as you train up a technician, they are suddenly a valuable asset, and your competitors are happy to snatch them up and pay them a higher wage, getting the reward after all your effort.

To help retain your team members, you have to ensure that they understand the total value of their compensation package.

DEFINING A ‘TRUE WAGE’

Your employees need to be prepared to compare apples to apples when evaluating other job opportunities, and you need to give them the tools to properly understand their “true wage.” Additionally, your techs need to have an understanding of how their careers and compensation will progress over time in your system. This includes understanding the value of the benefits offered as full-time employees of the practice, such as health care, health savings accounts, 401K or profit sharing, paid time off and other options, such as life insurance, long- and short-term disability, vision and dental plans; all of these have quantifiable value to your employees.

When evaluating job opportunities, your team members should be equipped with the dollar value of the additional benefits you offer. For example, if your health insurance plan includes a $500 deductible while the competitors plan includes a $2,500 deductible, that is important in the comparison of their “true wage.” I suggest that practices review this quantifiable value during new employee orientation as well as each year during the annual review of each team member.

THE VALUE OF GOOD REPUTATION

Another factor that ranks highly for technicians is the overall reputation of the practice’s management. Technicians in a community talk, and if your practice has a reputation for poor management, high turnover and unfavorable staff relations, your practice has a significant competitive disadvantage.

Practice owners should seek out feedback about their management team’s reputation in the community and, if problematic, put actions in place to start repairing that reputation. Industry representatives and exit interviews of departing employees are good sources of this information. If the reputation is good, then consider that an asset in your recruitment toolbox.

You should examine your practice’s interviewing process to determine the message being portrayed to potential employees about the culture of the practice and ensure it is consistent with a desirable workplace.

CONSISTENCY AND STABILITY

Technicians desire consistency. Humans are creatures of habit; we like going to the same coffee shop in the morning or knowing exactly how long our commute is to pick up our kids after work. Techs desire that same level of consistency in their work and personal lives.

Due to tech shortages, practices often assign technicians multiple locations and doctor teams. So, the tech may visit multiple offices during a week or work with an ever-changing team of co-workers. This scenario creates a high level of dissatisfaction among your team members.

To the degree you can assign consistency in the doctor-team assignments and practice locations, you will achieve much higher satisfaction and create an additional advantage for your practice when being compared to others. In the event your practice requires techs to work in multiple locations, after hours or on weekends, consider rewarding those inconveniences in compensation.

LEAD WITH YOUR BEST FOOT

Lastly, develop a written list of the benefits of working for your practice and articulate those advantages during the interview process. If your practice offers high quality compensation, a good reputation and consistency, be sure to bring that up.

You are in competition for these technicians after all, so make sure to put your best foot forward.

In part three of this series, I will address effective training programs to help your practice to establish career pathways for technicians and to enhance overall quality of patient care while making you a more efficient provider in the process. OM