How To Excel at Optometrist Recruiting: Tips for Practice Owners

Struggling to find new optometrists to add to your practice’s customer success team? You’re far from alone. Practices nationwide are essentially fighting over scraps to get potential candidates through their doors. That’s partly because optometry is an in-demand field, and doctors have their pick of the litter when it comes to which particular practice to work for.

If you have little to no experience recruiting ophthalmologists and optometrists, this handy guide will set you up for success. Check out our optometrist recruiting tips, and you’ll have job seekers flocking to your eye group in no time.

Understanding the Optometrist Recruiting Landscape

You’ve posted career opportunities on job boards for months but have received so few applications that you can count them on one hand. That may be because optometrists and ophthalmologists are spoiled for choice. According to the 2019 New Graduate Optometrist Report from Eyes on Eyecare, 51% of doctors said they found a job before graduating, and 49% were hired in just three and a half weeks post-graduation.

With such a limited number of doctors to choose from, recruiting the best candidate for your hiring needs is very challenging. That’s why a proper recruitment strategy is a must if you want to fill that eye care job promptly.

Effective Strategies for Optometrist Recruiting

You’re sure there’s a perfect fit for your open position out there somewhere; you only have to find them. Here’s how.

Utilizing Online Job Platforms and Professional Networks

Most optometry practices nationwide first head to job boards to find qualified candidates for their roles. Job boards like LinkedIn are popular, as are the career sections of eye care industry forums. You can post your job listing and search for candidates who have uploaded their resumes. This lets you easily determine if potential optometry employees have the required skill set. For example, you may want an optometrist with good communication skills who excels at treating glaucoma.

Joining professional career networks and attending conferences can also put you in contact with the right candidate for your company. Many promising optometrists and ophthalmologists attend conferences to listen to professionals speak and gain knowledge about the future of vision care. Odds are good that at least some of those ophthalmologists are looking for employment and are ripe for recruiting.

Crafting an Attractive Job Offer and Benefits Package

Once your optometry clinic has some applicants, you’ll need to sell them on why your practice is a great place to work. Salary is important, of course, but benefits and extra resources are just as important. For example, you might offer continuing education to help an employee develop their career.

Many job candidates value work-life balance. When interviewing for an optometry position, mention the average number of patients the candidate will see each day and the number of paid days off your ophthalmologists get each year.

Leveraging Social Media and Eyecare Recruiting Events

If you haven’t considered social media for recruiting knowledgeable optometrists and ophthalmologists, your eye group could be missing out big time. Sites like Facebook and X are excellent for showcasing your company and searching for talent. Be sure to use good SEO for the best results!

You could also try checking out recruitment events near your practice’s location. Another option is to work with a recruiter or search firms. Search firms, as the name implies, assist you by finding candidates. When a recruiter finds one, they’ll contact you. Recruiter services aren’t free, but they do make recruiting ophthalmologists much easier.

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Improving the Optometrist Hiring Process

Your optometrist recruiting efforts have paid off, and you finally have a handful of applications from ophthalmologists. Now, it’s time to seal the deal and get a candidate or two to join your optometry team.

Before you begin interviewing, arrange your applications so they’re easy to search for and reference. Consider using resources like digital platforms to help the interview team stay organized.

Prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview process. For example, your optometry practice could ask about the doctor’s approach to working with clients, their communication style, and their experiences with other employers. Knowing which questions you want to ask in advance will make the hiring process go much more smoothly.

Retaining Top Talent: Building a Positive Work Environment

Your job isn’t over once you’ve finished hiring new ophthalmologists and optometrists for your team. You’ll have to search for ways to keep them engaged and interested in your practice. Fail to do that, and they might leave your eye group for greener pastures.

Lay out a clear path for advancement at your vision practice to keep employees motivated. You could also connect ophthalmologists with continuing education services, such as optometry seminars and training programs.

Additionally, your eye group should have an open-door policy that encourages optometrists to come to you with questions or complaints. This policy will help your vision team feel heard and supported.

Utilizing Technology To Enhance Recruiting and Practice Management

Managing the hiring process can feel like a job in itself, but your vision care practice will find it a whole lot easier with Weave. Weave makes it a snap to stay in touch with job candidates and automatically schedule interviews. Whether you’re working with a recruiter or handling the whole recruitment process yourself, you’ll find Weave to be the perfect partner for your optometry clinic.

Weave is also fantastic for connecting with optometry patients. Use it to automatically schedule appointments, request payment, ask for reviews, and so much more.

Simplify Your Recruiting Efforts With Weave

By following the above optometry recruiting tips, you’ll snag the best optometrists and ophthalmologists in the industry and keep them invested in your vision business for the long haul. If you’re looking for the right tool to help you with job interviewing, consider your search over with Weave!

You’ll find that Weave pairs beautifully with your optometry services and makes every day easier for your crew of ophthalmologists. Ready to optimize your optometry practice and optometrist recruiting process? Get a demo of Weave today.