Hiring the right people

Hiring the right people

Finding an employee that is qualified, competent, and a good fit for your practice can be tricky.

Planning upfront to recruit the right people can save you time and money down the track.

Here are some simple tips and things to consider before you dive in. 

Right people, right roles

Before you begin, ask yourself a series of questions.

• What is it you want the person to do?
• What tasks will they undertake?
• What will be their key responsibilities?
• What qualifications or experience will they need?

The answers to these questions will form the basis of the position description and you will need this before you start recruiting. 

Once you have decided what roles you need, you need to think about the ‘when’. 

• What type of employment do you need?  
• Will you need the employee to work full time, part time or on a casual basis?
• What hours and days will you need the employee to work? 
• Do you need them to work on an ongoing, temporary, or as needed basis?

Before you advertise the position, consider what you are prepared to pay. Schedule A in both the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 and Nurses Award 2020 set out the minimum rates of pay. Selecting the correct classification and meeting the minimum rate of pay is ultimately your (the employer’s) responsibility. 

Attracting the right candidates 

Advertising can be done on one of the online employment sites, such as Seek, LinkedIn, Indeed or CareerOne. These sites allow you to upload your own text for a digital advertisement and in some cases manage responses from candidates. You may also like to utilise personal referrals using your own network, or advertising in the local paper or community notice boards, or industry magazines such as The NSW Doctor. As an alternative, you may engage a recruitment agency to source suitable candidates for you. 

When advertising your role, use the position description that you have drafted to outline the requirements of the role including your expectations of previous experience and the type of employment (full time, part time or casual).

Interviewing Candidates and Reference Checking 

Once you have identified a shortlist of three to four potential candidates, you will need to interview them to assess their suitability, skills and experience. We recommend you develop a set of behavioural interview questions to ask each candidate, which focus on the requirements of the role. Do not ask questions that may be considered discriminatory.  

After selecting your preferred candidate/s, we recommend conducting a reference check. A verbal reference check is better than a written one. It allows you to ask questions that specifically relate to the type of work the employee will be doing as well as providing you with the opportunity to drill down on any concerns that you may have. Again, it is a good idea to develop a standard set of questions that you can ask the referee, to ensure an equitable process.  

When looking for good staff, it is important to act and respond quickly. Good candidates get snapped up quickly and if you find the right person you don’t want to lose them to a competitor.

Employment offer and documentation

Although there is no legal requirement to have a written employment contract in place, having a document that clearly outlines the terms and conditions of the employment offer is likely to minimise any future disagreement between you and the employee. A contract can help protect both you and the employee. AMA (NSW) provides template contracts of employment for members, which are available on our website – amansw.com.au. Make sure your employee returns a signed copy of the contract, ideally before their commencement date, and keep the copy on file for future reference. 

All new employees must be provided with a Fair Work Information Statement, or if a casual employee, they should be provided with a Fair Work Information statement and a Casual Employment Information Statement. Ideally this should be provided to new employees before they commence work or as soon as possible after they start their new job. Both statements are available on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

Inducting new staff and reviewing their progress

Set your new employee up for success by providing them with a thorough induction. Make sure they have access to systems and equipment from day one. Develop an induction checklist and/or training schedule which you can share with the new employee. Make sure you include a tour of the office, introductions to staff, as well as ensuring you meet your WHS obligations, by explaining emergency and first aid procedures. 

Once the employee starts work, check in with them on a regular basis to see how they are going. Consider if they need any additional training or resources. Are they meeting expectations in terms of the role? If you have any concerns, raise them early, don’t wait, as they are best dealt with during the probation or minimum employment period. Getting on top of workplace issues early can save you a lot of time and effort down the track. 

The Workplace Relations has resources to assist you including draft position descriptions, wages guides and template contracts. Please contact the Workplace Relations Team at  workplace@amansw.com.au or (02) 9439 8822.   

Contributed by Lisa Bennell and Jessica Rankin