RECRUITMENT TIPS

How to Conduct an Effective Interview

Interviewing is a skill that improves with practice and preparation. Yet too often we neglect to put in the work necessary to identify great candidates. We instead make decisions based on 'gut feelings', while focussing on technical skills over cultural fit.

Remember, you can always train technical skills - but if you hire a candidate who doesn’t fit your practice culture, live your values or get on with your team, you’ll soon be managing a difficult and disruptive employee.

Here are some tips to get the most from employee interviews:

Walk into every interview with the expectation that you are about to meet your next great team member - make them comfortable and actively listen
Don't make inappropriate small talk
Don't hold the conversation hostage
Do make notes
Do seek to understand how the candidate matches the culture of your practice

The interview is your chance to really engage with a prospective team member. With a well-structured interview, you'll be perfectly placed to make an informed hiring decision!

A Guide to Behavioural Interviews

Behavioural-based interviewing seeks to discover how an interviewee has acted in past employment-related situations. The logic is simple: how one has behaved in the past may indicate how they will behave in the future.

Click below for a guide to the STAR method of behavioural interviewing. We also recommend these ProLearn courses on behavioural interviewing and unconscious biases.

Guide to Behavioural Interviews

Guide to Hiring for Cultural Fit

One of the great debates is the importance of skill set versus cultural fit; a new employee with the ideal skill set, but no cultural, fit could be disruptive to both your team and practice.

Download this guide to improve your chances of a great hire and long-term team member.

Guide to Hiring for Cultural Fit

PROSUPPLY

Frame Supplier Stock Levels

Be advised that there is currently significant pressure on the optical supply chain, particularly frame suppliers. For the past twelve months, frame suppliers have had to find a balance between maintaining adequate cash flow (during extended lockdowns) and ordering enough stock to meet the demand of practices.

With a lead time of months and unforeseen lockdowns, this has not been an easy task.

The current situation is dynamic and changing each week, with many influencing factors at play: Chinese New Year and the Winter Olympics mean closed factories (for a few weeks) and reduced factory production (due to staff shortages from COVID-19). Combined with increased demand from the US and Europe on re-opening and the volatile nature of freight carriers, we unfortunately have the perfect storm.

ProVision frame suppliers are generally well-placed in terms of overall stock levels, but some are experiencing intermittent supply issues such as short-shipping and non-delivery. It is inevitable, however, that there will be times in the coming months that individual SKU’s will be out of stock. Our advice is to check in with key suppliers around key brands to identify any known problems on the horizon. Remember that the situation is fluid, and a supplier who may be 20% out of stock this week could be 2% out the next.

You cannot control supplier availability but you can take steps to minimise the impact on your practice. Try to use Supply & Fitt to ensure key SK’s remain on display, increase display cover for those brands that you are confident you can sell through longer-term where necessary, and be disciplined around stockpiling to avoid creating a future stock problem. Stay in close contact with key suppliers and make informed decisions in the weeks ahead – there are many frame suppliers who have very good stock cover and will be able to meet your needs in the coming months.

PROVISION REFERRAL PARTNER

Getting the Right Cover

Insurance is often an area that we only review when a claim needs to be made - and at that time it's too late to make a change to your underlying policy.

Your practice insurance needs may change over time - so when your insurance policy is next due for renewal, take some time to make sure you have the right cover. Click below to learn how our referral partner McLardy McShane can assist in this area.