Company Culture: Find the Right Fit for Your Medical Practice

There are several areas to consider when hiring a new employee. You have a set of criteria that the employee must meet including education standards, a stable job history, the skill set you require, etc. Bringing someone in that just looks good on paper is only part of the hiring process. You really need to consider your practice's (or teams) culture.

A quick definition of company culture can be described as the personality of a company and defines what a company, from an employee perspective, is like to work for. Company culture includes the company mission, values, ethics, expectations, goals, and work environment.  So, before you bring someone else into the mix, take a step back and identify what your company culture is by asking yourself these six questions:

• What are the business’ core values?

• What are the objectives?

• What needs to be done to achieve them?

• What timeframe are we working toward?

• What type of environment will support these objectives?

• How can I get the most from my employees?

Once you have a clear idea and understanding of what your current culture is, decide if you want to make any shifts in these areas. Did you like what you discovered, or are there areas of improvement to be made? Bringing a new hire in that falls in line with a culture you do not like will only bring trouble down the line. However, on the flip side, if you're bringing someone in that has the potential of helping you modify this culture, then that is something to consider. Of course, once you have identified your culture and decide that you like where it is and where it's going, then you need to consider these areas when hiring:

• What are the candidate's ambitions and objectives?  Do they match yours?

• Have they met the entire team and have had time to talk with them?  Was the feedback positive?

• Are they impressed with you and your organization? It is key for the candidate to know themselves well enough to believe they will make a good fit. Transparency goes both ways.

• Are you going to have them fill out a personality questionnaire? There are several available online that can weed out anyone who is just a really good interviewer and won't end up delivering.

Company culture is as complicated as the people who are in it, the industry you are in, and what your purpose is. It is a moving, flowing, dynamic vibe that ripples throughout the organization. It is critical to the success or demise of your practice. Be sure you know and understand what your culture is, and where it is driving your business to before hiring a new staff member into it.

You will thank yourself later by doing this and not wasting everyone's time.