Do not cut corners on this step, as it is critical to your final decision. There are a number of options and firms that can provide you with the service and guide you with the appropriate legal requirements for this step of the process.

Once the top two candidates have been identified and the reports secured, either you or your team leader should schedule an appointment with the top pick.

The Employment Interview

The next step in the process is to schedule an appointment with your top pick and during this interview, review the detailed job description with the applicant and make certain they are confident they can perform the required responsibilities.

This step is best done by the doctor. You should have a very comprehensive and detailed job description for each position on your team. When you review the job description, be sure to provide the candidate with a copy in order to follow your review and clarify any tasks the candidate may have questions about.

Once you have agreement that the candidate is confident that they can perform the required duties, tasks and responsibilities, then you are ready to discuss compensation with them.

Be prepared to review the entire compensation package including all benefits (insurance, unemployment, social security, etc). In other words, review the total cost of this applicant to your office. In fact, you should do this on an annual basis with all employees.

Your compensation plan should include the incentive compensation you provide; be sure to review how they qualify. Also be sure to get agreement that they understand your benchmarks Tally up the total cost for your compensation package and then divide by the number of office hours to arrive at their true hourly compensation rate.

Remember, the base hourly rate does not include all the other costs associated with the employee. Give them the complete picture so they are not comparing other offers based solely on base compensation.

If the applicant qualifies, at this stage, then offer them the position. Do not offer or allude that they have the position until this stage.

Train Immediately

On the first day of their employment, your training system begins. You should have a structured training plan: daily, weekly, monthly and continuous. Regardless of the talent someone may have, you must train them to your standards of excellence.

Test your new employee's knowledge each week. The only acceptable score is 100 percent. Start over if they need to review the training.

After the initial probationary employment period of 90 days, they should receive continuous training. This can be done at your weekly team meeting, a quarterly team retreat / workshop or continuing educational programs available from various sources.

After the employee has been classified as a regular employee and not probationary, you should have a structured performance review at six months, 12 months and then annually thereafter.

Termination

No one likes to terminate an employee, but as the leader or CEO of your business, this may be necessary at times. In fact, you may find that you made a bad decision and realize a new employee should be fired on the first day. Hold employees accountable to their job description and be prepared to terminate when you are unable to correct a problem in a reasonable amount of time.

The most common mistakes made in building a team is taking too long to make changes that you know need to be made. Only invest in those who strive to reach the top.

As the CEO of your practice, it is your responsibility to coach each player on your team. You must have specific procedures on how you will handle an employee who is not achieving the level of performance that you expect.

Aftermath

Once you have hired one of the applicants, send letters to the rest, thanking them for submitting their applications and informing them that the position has been filled. Let them know that your practice is growing and expanding, and that you will keep their applications on file for future opportunities.

Now go peak your practice by building a great TEAM.

---

Lawton W. Howell is the founder and chief executive officer of WellnessOne Corporation, a chiropractic alliance marketing group based in Las Vegas. Direct questions and comments regarding this article to 877 WELNES1 (toll free), send an e-mail to , or visit www.growmypractice.wellnessone.net.