Practice Culture: Your Secret Weapon For Smart Hiring

Finding and keeping great staff is a common pain point for eye care practices. If you’ve struggled with hiring or retaining top talent, you’re not alone. Professional Eye Care Associates of America (PECAA) understands this struggle and offers practical strategies to overcome this challenge so your practice can thrive. When it comes to hiring, success starts by meeting candidates where they are and demonstrating why your practice may be the right place for them.

Prepare For Success

Too often job postings are prepared hastily and include ‘just the facts’ about the open position. Avoid this trap and approach your job posting with the importance of making a first impression — the posting is your chance to introduce your practice’s unique culture and values. Candidates want to know what sets your team apart, not just see a checklist of duties. Do you offer flexible hours, competitive pay, strong benefits or a healthy work-life balance? Highlight those perks! Think of your job ad as an extension of your brand. Authentic, engaging content invites candidates to envision themselves as part of your team. This emotional connection can be the deciding factor for job seekers. Failing to make that connection means you may never even get to meet your ideal candidate!

Before you start interviewing, take steps to make the process efficient and effective:

• Involve your team: Let your staff participate in interviews to help assess cultural fit.
• Prepare meaningful interview questions: Go beyond resumes to explore candidates’ values, work styles, and problem-solving abilities.
• Clarify expectations: Have an up-to-date job description ready that clearly defines responsibilities and goals.

These preparations help streamline hiring and create a positive experience for both you and applicants. When determining if a potential candidate may be a good fit for your practice, an employee assessment can provide an objective perspective to narrow down the pool of applicants.

Getting The Job Posting Seen

Where you post your job matters. Indeed remains a popular choice due to its powerful search algorithm that matches candidates by skills and preferences. You may also boost your posting’s visibility with pay-per-click ads to reach even more qualified candidates.

LinkedIn is another valuable platform, where professionals’ network and search for jobs. Your practice can post a job listing, then staff members can share the posting to their networks. 

Job boards alone won’t catch every great candidate. Broaden your approach by:

• Speaking with vendor representatives who often know job seekers
• Connecting with your state optometric or optical association
• Posting at local colleges and optometry schools
• Asking patients, friends and family for referrals
• Social media — platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are great for showcasing your practice through photos and videos, which could attract candidates who resonate with your culture.
• Exploring other job sites like Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and local newspapers

One often-overlooked strategy is a staff referral bonus program — your current team can be your best recruiters. Offering an incentive for successful hires encourages staff engagement and can lead to candidates who fit your practice culture.

Retaining Great Employees

Hiring is just the beginning — to retain staff, you need a workplace culture that fosters growth, satisfaction and teamwork. Investing in your staff can be defined with several key actions:

Solid Onboarding: Avoid rushing this critical phase — develop a structured training schedule that lays out what new employees will learn and when. After mastering their primary duties, offer cross-training opportunities. This boosts office efficiency and supports career development.

Communication: A thriving culture depends on open, honest communication. Regular staff meetings keep everyone informed but also serve as a platform for sharing ideas to improve the work environment and patient care. Complement group meetings with regular one-on-one check-ins that provide a safe space for employees to voice concerns and feel heard, building trust and cohesion.

Show Appreciation: Never underestimate the power of recognition. Regularly acknowledging your staff’s efforts — whether through monetary bonuses, extra time off or creative incentive programs — significantly boosts morale. Incentives not only reward contributions but also motivate employees to continue growing and performing at their best.

Invest Now To Save Time Later: Hiring, training and retaining staff requires time and energy. Investing in strong onboarding, communication and appreciation early on creates a positive work environment that encourages longevity. This reduces the costly cycle of frequent job searches and turnover. The effort you put into nurturing your practice culture today will yield lasting benefits — for your team, your practice and your patients.

Hiring isn’t just about filling a vacancy; it’s about building a team that reflects your practice’s values and spirit. Share your story, highlight what makes your culture great, and be intentional at every step — that is how you attract and keep the right people who will help your practice thrive.

If you need help with business operations, including hiring challenges or office culture, PECAA’s Business Operations Advisor, Kathy Long, is here to help. As a PECAA Max member, you can receive expert advice from PECAA’s Business Advisors at no additional cost! Contact us to learn how PECAA can help your practice thrive.