Bob Levoy
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Hiring employees is the single most important management task in a practice. Yet even if you take a structured, methodical
approach to interviewing job applicants, the evaluation is a subjective process. Neutralize some of that subjectivity by keeping
these don'ts in mind:
- Don't be overly impressed by a candidate's maturity and experience, or overly unimpressed by youth and inexperience.
- Don't mistake a quiet, reserved, or calm demeanor for a lack of motivation.
- Don't mistake a person's ability to play the interview game for intelligence or competence.
- Don't let a personal bias influence your evaluation of the applicant.
- Don't succumb to the halo effect—being so dazzled by one quality of a job applicant, such as appearance or computer skills—that
you lose sight of other important job requirements.
- Don't let wishful thinking cloud your judgment. In other words, desperation doesn't justify overlooking traits that under
different circumstances would disqualify the applicant. If you feel wishful thinking striking, remind yourself of the costs
and aggravation involved in a bad hire.
- Don't fail to factor in a person's motivation and eagerness to learn when you make your overall evaluation.
- Don't ignore intuition. As objective as hiring must be, listen to the tug inside that says, "Something doesn't feel right
here." Often this feeling comes from your past experience. Listen to it, and when in doubt, don't be too quick to hire.
Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Bob Levoy is a seminar speaker based in Roslyn, N.Y. At the Western Veterinary
Conference he will discuss "Branding Your Practice. The Key to Greater Profitability."
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