In the dynamic field of behavioral health, the success of your practice depends on the strength and effectiveness of your provider team. If you want to meet growing patient demand and enhance your service capabilities, you’ll need to hire top-shelf clinicians. But adding to a behavioral health team isn’t always easy; it demands strategic recruitment methods and a strong integration process for your new hires.

The impact of hiring new providers goes beyond filling vacancies. It shapes your practice’s ability to deliver quality care and achieve long-term growth objectives. Here, we explore strategies and considerations to aid you in choosing the right providers and helping them thrive at your practice.

Identifying the Need for New Providers

How do you know when it’s time to expand your roster of clinicians? Ask yourself the following questions about your practice:

• Are you turning away potential clients due to lack of bandwidth?
• Do your providers often run out of time for daily tasks like clinical notes and billing-related work?
• Do patients struggle to schedule timely appointments and/or contact their provider when needed?
• Would you like to expand the services you offer?
• Do you hope to open another location?
• Do you have the budget to support more employees?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to think about adding new providers.

Recruitment Strategies

Effective recruitment strategies lay the foundation for attracting top talent. From the moment you write out the job description, you are making decisions that will either help or hurt your chances of drawing ideal candidates, so keep a few best practices in mind.

Craft the right message

Write a job description that gives an accurate picture of what the job and your workplace are like. Explain the rewards of the job, such as the impact it has on patients; people crave meaningful daily work that creates a sense of accomplishment. How does your practice help clients, and how will a new hire’s skillset enhance that work? The expectations for providers at your practice and the qualifications required to thrive in the role should be clearly stated in the description.

Lay out the benefits your providers receive beyond just wages. This might consist of a benefits package, flex work opportunities, professional development, recognition programs within the organization, and anything that makes your organization a unique place to work for. Pull in details: positive quotes from current clinicians, videos of the work environment, etc.

Connect with the right people

Once you’ve crafted the message, you’ll want to deliver it to the most promising candidates. Generic job boards won’t cut it. Spread the word through channels where highly-skilled behavioral health providers spend time, such as:

• Specialized healthcare job boards
• Behavioral health professional organizations and associations, especially those with which your practice is affiliated
• Recruitment agencies with proven experience recruiting for behavioral health positions
• Your existing network–providers, physicians, and existing staff at your practice
• Colleges and universities with strong behavioral health training programs, if you are open to hiring an early-career provider
• Your social media channels

Interview thoroughly

Plan out your interview process and questions carefully. Interviews are about more than assessing whether a candidate’s qualifications match the job description. They also indicate whether a candidate is a good fit for your work culture. Are they comfortable working in a practice of this size? Do their goals for flexibility and work load align with yours? How does their general personality come across?

Before you begin interviewing, spend some time identifying what you want in an employee, and design questions that will help you assess those qualities. Also consider how best to communicate your practice’s atmosphere and mission to the interviewee.

Onboarding and Orientation

If you’ve curated a list of top talent, and invested time evaluating each one, you’ll want to support whoever you select to ensure that they reach their full potential at your practice. A strong onboarding system is foundational to that support.

1. Create a checklist of all forms your new hire needs to fill out, and deliver them in an organized fashion right away.
2. The onboarding process should communicate your policies, procedures, systems, and expectations, so new hires can hit the ground running.
3. Make a plan for training new providers on your practice management software and any other software solutions you use.
4. Help your new staff member make positive connections with existing staff and practitioners. If you are hiring early-career providers, they may benefit from a mentor relationship with a more experienced colleague.

Empowering New Providers

Continue to champion the success of your new providers. They, and your existing clinicians, will benefit from access to training and professional development resources, mentor programs, conferences, and more. Every clinician, no matter how experienced, must stay up-to-date with emerging knowledge in the field.

Check in with providers regularly. They will appreciate the opportunity to ask questions or get your assistance with anything they might need as they settle into their new role. You should also begin providing positive and constructive feedback, signaling to your new employee that you value their contributions and also believe in their growth potential. Help build their motivation for the next stage in their career. Public and private recognition for good work can also go a long way toward motivating employees.

Invest in Everyone’s Success

Hiring and supporting new providers in your behavioral health practice requires strategic planning, comprehensive onboarding, and ongoing encouragement. By investing in these crucial steps, practices not only meet immediate staffing needs but also lay the groundwork for sustainable growth and excellence in patient care. Remember, the success of your practice hinges on the strength of your provider team—make sure to invest in their success to achieve yours.