One major change for private practices in 2016 will be in the area of employees. Employees can be the source of huge expense and headache for many businesses in the U.S. Learn more.
Physical therapy (and OT) private practices are a service-based business, we require people to make our business work. Employees are a necessity. It’s no surprise that the best businesses are ones who are capable of creating a team of strong employees.
Here’s how to start your way to a better team:
1. It’s not just about the pay.
You can no longer clock them in, work them, pay them, and think it’s going to be okay. Practice owners who cannot instill a more sense of purpose and meaning will not be successful in creating a strong, loyal and motivated team. And they will suffer greatly in 2016.
“Just offering a good pay is not enough. You have to be more than a paycheck to me.” –Jonathan B., Physical Therapist
The world is changing. The young and old alike are prioritizing less and less on monetary incentives and more toward meaning and purpose in life.
In 2016, instead of offering a $50 bonus for hitting numbers, try launching an “Employee Appreciation” program. Acknowledge good work, kindness, and going-the-extra-mile efforts (maybe gift a massage or fitness session) and it will go much further than having them chase money and bonuses.
2. Train
You cannot afford to have low productivity employees in 2016. Productivity is controlled more by employer initiative than by employee attitude. So what that means is that if your employees are not productive it’s most likely your fault (the owner/manager) and not the employee’s.
“Most practice owners don’t give their employees enough to do. The typical clinic wastes 2.1 hours of employee productivity every day. That equates to around $200 per day, or $4,000 every month. That’s not to mention the loss in revenue that might have been gained if properly trained.” –James Ko, Founder of IndeFree
In 2016, create a better Job Description for your employees (download a sample here), and cross train your staff. Get them involved in more roles, especially marketing, collections, and PR, and watch your business grow. Find more information on employee training here.
3. Have fun.
Teams that have fun together typically perform better and have more successful organizations. “Patients can feel the energy created by the clinic’s staff. They will either want to be a part of it or not.” Have more fun together in 2016 and watch your patient loyalty and numbers grow. 🙂
James, as always good stuff.
Dan Fee