HUNTER MEDICAL AESTHETIC CONSULTING

The key to staff productivity and retention is dedicated time for one-on-one systematic staff assessments that go well beyond casual conversations.

The assessment’s goals are two-fold: While managers or providers aim to assess and measure staff performance based on established expectations and goals, they also strive to listen to individual staff member’s perceptions about their jobs and if they think they have what they need to excel in their roles.

“We take those together to map out how we’re doing and how we improve to move forward,” explained Ms. Hunter.

Managers have to approach the process with the realization that not everybody is equal.“Someone who brings in more clients and is more actively engaged in your business[who] is helping you grow it and is partnering with you, is more valuable than someone who isn’t,” she emphasized.

The good news is that everybody has the opportunity to grow. It is up to both the practice and individual (50-50) to make that happen.

First, managers need to create an outline of clear and detailed core competencies, including roles and responsibilities, for each position in the practice. This spans hard and soft skills, from expertise and proficiency at doing required job functions to how empathetic or attentive a person is to client and staff needs.

Core competencies for a front desk person are different from those of a nurse injector, for example.

“This is someone who needs to be front and center for communication and customer service. Their main dedication should be to engage with the customer,” Ms. Hunter emphasized. “That skill set includes people skills – the really personable skills. Are you relatable instantly? Can you build rapport within five seconds? Do people enjoy you? Do you have empathy and a warm, welcoming persona?”

On the other hand, nurses by trade are caregivers, she said. But the nurse injector in the aesthetic clinic needs more skills than those necessary in the acute care setting.

“In terms of their level of expertise and knowledge about anatomy and more, that is all the same. But are they able to educate clients on clients’ needs and solve problems by providing solutions? That’s the difference,”according to Ms. Hunter.

With the outline in place, practices can then determine how they will measure those metrics. They need to be transparent about what they expect and how they measure expectations with individual employees.