The Art of Hiring: Finding the Right Candidate in O&P

When it comes to hiring, the O&P profession isn’t any different than others in the healthcare field—or any industry for that matter—everyone wants the best person for the job. Whether it’s a clinician, technician, or someone in administration, having the right team members is at the heart of every successful practice. That’s why it’s important to find and recruit the best potential employees. But with competition for skilled O&P practitioners, technicians, and experienced administrative staff at a premium, finding the right personnel to fill those needs can often be a challenge. We turned to experts to get their advice on hiring strategies for this demanding market. A Tough, Tough Market There are numerous reasons why it is difficult to find and hire the right candidate in today’s market, our experts agree. “There are many factors, but the simple answer is supply and demand,” says Riley Phillips, director of recruiting, orthotics/prosthetics, The Newell Group. “There are more openings than qualified workers [practitioners, for example], and candidates looking for new opportunities have more choices than ever before,” says Phillips. Phillips also says that many candidates are reluctant to change jobs and prefer to stay with their current positions. “There is hesitation from candidates due to the scariness of change. Relocation might be intimidating due to rising home costs and economic factors. Inefficient hiring practices also contribute to the difficulty, as a slow or outdated process can deter candidates and lead them to accept offers from more agile competitors.” Chad Kay, CPO/L, is the director for prosthetics and orthotics recruiting for Lloyd Healthcare, a position he has held since 2023. He has been providing clinical O&P care for 20-plus years in a variety of clinical roles and settings. “Our industry is facing a high demand and limited talent supply,” he says. “The last few years have changed the job seeker’s mindset and different generations want different things.” For example, Kay says he has noticed that the job seekers in their 20s are looking more for flexibility and remote options, while older candidates place more value on comprehensive benefits. “Salaries are also a major factor for candidates, and O&P organizations have not kept up with other healthcare practice areas,” says Kay, who stresses that in O&P, “companies need to be more aggressive about offering higher salaries, benefits, and aligning their corporate culture with the candidates whom they want to attract.” Dana Glover, COO, O&P Insight, began her O&P career in 1997 as an office manager of a small independent patient care facility. She hired her first employee, an office assistant, in 1999. Glover says hiring for O&P is difficult because it is a niche profession that requires specific skill sets. “As a profession, we have not mastered the art of attracting qualified candidates to our field because it is hard for us to compete with other sectors of the healthcare industry,” she says. “Candidates are looking for higher pay, more flexibility, and more opportunities for growth and advancement, all of which are challenges for smaller businesses.” Erin Cammarata, president, CBS Medical Billing & Consulting, began her career 30 years ago as an O&P technician and started CBS Medical in 2009. “I saw a huge need for medium-size O&P practices to optimize their medical billing and compliance issues,” she says. “I found a business model that allowed me to work with clients like I was sitting in the chair next to them. We now find a similar need for O&P human resource issues.” Erica Leavis joined CBS Medical in 2016 as its director of human resources, and brought with her nearly a decade of executive-level experience in HR. Cammarata and Leavis say that the labor shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic led many companies to offer unsustainable wages and perks to attract talent. “As the unemployment rate stabilizes, however, employers are regaining leverage in employment decisions and scaling back on these additional incentives, even though candidates continue to seek them,” say Cammarata and Leavis. They add that lacking a robust recruiting process can significantly undermine a company’s ability to effectively attract and retain talent. “An organized and thorough recruitment approach is crucial for companies striving to make informed hiring decisions and maintain a competitive edge in the employment market,” they say. The Right Fit There could be any number of explanations why it’s a challenge to find the right candidate for a position in O&P, our experts agree. Phillips says that challenge can be narrowed down to three factors: cultural fit with the company, a competitive market, and the interview process. “It is important that new hires fit well with company values and work styles, and skilled candidates will have multiple job offers and opportunities at their disposal,” he says. “And the interview process must be effective and efficient. If not effective, hiring the wrong person is much more likely, and if not efficient, the company may lose the candidate to an outdated and overly long hiring process.” Cammarata and Leavis say that companies tend to advertise and recruit for positions only after they become vacant—rather than proactively identifying exemplary candidates in advance. “Consequently, there is often pressure to expedite the hiring process to quickly fill the role, leading to decisions that may just settle for candidates who are deemed ‘good enough.’” This approach can compromise thorough recruiting and vetting, and often result in overlooked or justified red flags during the hiring process, they say. “The prevailing mindset often treats recruitment as a reactive rather than proactive endeavor, which limits the candidates across diverse scenarios.” Finding the right candidate does not have to be a chore, according to Kay. “It all goes back to the challenge of having a small talent pool,” he says. “Employers who rely on passive methods for hiring such as print/online postings often report a six- to 12-month time-to-hire. That’s a very long process.” As a result, Kay says, companies tell him they hire too quickly out of desperation, which may lead to higher turnover. “I encourage employers to partner with a staffing firm that will understand their hiring needs and anticipate future openings,” he says. Managers responsible for hiring need to be sure they have accurate descriptions of employee roles. “Often, hiring managers do not have clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and expectations for the position they seek to fill,” Glover says. “Without a clear understanding of your company’s unique needs and culture, you cannot successfully find the right person.” Zoom, Zoom, Zoom One of the biggest tasks in the hiring process comes with the inclusion of technology and automation in the hiring landscape, say our experts. “Ten years ago, no one had heard of Zoom,” Phillips says. “Now just about everyone is familiar with some type of virtual meeting platform. Being recruiters for the O&P industry, we use just about everything to source and vet candidates.” That means every platform including Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and ZoomInfo, among others. “Practices and recruiters have all these tools at their disposal to try and identify quality candidates, and in many cases, it’s a resumé race to see who can get theirs first,” Phillips says. While these platforms are great tools, they only encompass part of the mix used to identify and screen candidates, Phillips says. “Being in the industry for over 14 years, we get the greatest number of qualified candidates through referrals from within the industry.” Cammarata and Leavis say they actively source qualified candidates from multiple job boards. “Effectively engaging passive candidates is crucial, and LinkedIn proves to be a valuable resource for this purpose,” they say. Kay says Lloyd Healthcare doesn’t rely solely on a single platform to vet talent. “We use a variety of resources to identify and source candidates and present them to our hiring client based on their job description,” Kay says. Although online boards, directories, and professional networking sites are part of the mix, “We tend to leverage personal relationships and connections over the rest,” Kay says, which helps him to target passive talent—people who are not actively looking. “I know a great number of people in this industry, and they know me. This enables me to speak with candidates who are presently employed who I can contact when an opportunity for advancement presents itself.” When Glover worked in the patient care setting, she relied on Indeed and LinkedIn for viable administrative candidates and depended upon O&P recruiting services for clinical needs. Now with O&P Insight, “We rely on our extensive professional network and reputation to attract quality candidates,” she says. The Hiring Process What characteristics do employers look for in a potential candidate? Each employer is different, says Kay, but companies will usually look at relevant skills and specialization; years of experience; and how a candidate could be a resource for new business, improved performance, or helping the organization grow and/or achieve its mission. “One of the questions I really like to explore with both the employer and the talent is the culture fit,” Kay says. “This match is critical for a hire to be a success for both parties.” Cammarata and Leavis seek candidates who possess relevant experience and a genuine enthusiasm for the position. “Our ideal candidate demonstrates self-motivation and a strong drive to excel,” Cammarata and Leavis say. “They exhibit curiosity, a thirst for continuous learning, and a proactive approach to personal and professional development.” And while teamwork is valued within the CBS Medical organization, it may not be universally mandatory, Cammarata and Leavis say. For Glover, the three main factors she looks for in a potential candidate include skill set (Do they possess the necessary skills for the position?), communication skills (Are they professional yet personable?), and initiative (Will they take responsibility for driving their success within the company?). Phillips says employers are interested in a prospective employee’s relevant skill set, qualifications, experience, cultural fit, and professionalism. He advises candidates to remember that the sum of the whole is always greater than the sum of the parts. “You don’t need to have ten out of ten to be the right candidate,” he says. “If you have some relevant experience and a good attitude, you may be surprised how well you fit in roles that you consider yourself underqualified for.” Bringing in Current Employees When it comes to finding that right person, other employees in the office should be part of the hiring process, our experts say. “Involving multiple employees in the hiring process is essential,” Kay says. “I advise my clients to have candidates interview with local office managers, corporate level managers, and the HR team, even successful prospective colleagues when possible.” This approach provides valuable feedback to the hiring manager, and it can help candidates get a better understanding of the company and their role within it, he says. The recruitment strategy for CBS Medical requires candidates to interview with its director of billing operations and the client services manager. “These additional interviews play a crucial role in the process by offering candidates a chance to further acclimate and gain comfort as they advance through our selection process,” Cammarata and Leavis say. At O&P Insight, candidates go through two to three rounds of interviews, says Glover, starting with key leadership members and then speaking with their prospective team members. “Watching the interactions between the various personalities and assessing whether the candidate has a true interest in the company and its current team is essential,” says Glover, who added that asking candidates open-ended and introspective questions also offers insight into their ability to communicate effectively under pressure. Phillips agrees. “Companies and hiring managers must ask the right questions and put candidates in real-world scenarios,” he says. One of the best ways to do this in an interview is through behavioral-based interviewing. “Instead of asking an interview question that can be answered yes or no, ask open-ended questions where they must explain how they have handled certain situations.” First Day on the Job The first day of employment can be intimidating for just about everyone—perhaps even a little more so in O&P. “Starting a new job, particularly in O&P, can be challenging beyond just fitting in with the work culture and colleagues,” says Kay, noting that one has to quickly adapt to a new workflow, access to preferred componentry, and electronic medical records—while attempting to build trust and a rapport with patients. And since a new employee could be managing a heavy and diverse caseload, “it is essential to familiarize oneself with specific workplace protocols and procedures in advance,” he says. It is natural for new hires to be eager to excel, but they can experience nervousness on their first day due to the influx of information. To help alleviate this, CBS Medical structures its orientation over multiple days, an approach that includes a blend of virtual and in-person meetings, prerecorded and hands-on training sessions, as well as independent reading material. The format also introduces the new employee to other team members. “By spreading out the orientation, we enable new hires to learn at their own pace and absorb information more effectively,” Cammarata and Leavis say. One of the biggest challenges, Glover says, is to ensure the employee understands the company’s expectations, which need to be clearly defined. She adds, “It is often difficult [for the new employee] to understand the true team culture and cultivate their part of that ecosystem.” Helping Employees Choose You Cammarata and Leavis say that a positive employee experience should begin with the initial encounter with the job posting. During recruitment, every interaction with potential candidates serves as an opportunity to establish connections and enhance the company’s brand. “The experience that new hires undergo throughout the recruitment and hiring process significantly influences their overall perception of the organization,” they say. “It is imperative that our recruiting process consistently meets high standards. Each phase should reflect our commitment to professionalism, clear communication, and respect for candidates’ time and interest in our company. “This approach not only attracts top talent but also lays a strong foundation for a successful and satisfying employee journey within our organization.” Kay says it’s a misconception that O&P recruiters limit a company’s own talent search. “The best results are when we work concurrently to gain access to the largest talent pool. If not, it’s like having a treasure chest, but never asking for the key to see what’s inside.” Betta Ferrendelli can be contacted at betta@opedge.com .

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