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Company, Hiring, Operations, Strategy

The Employee Review Process

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September 16, 2019

- Company, Hiring, Operations, Strategy

Introduction

Employee reviews have been a part of the workplace forever. Most companies provide employees with a 90- day review and then an annual review. Companies vary on how reviews are done, but the main objective is to provide employees with real and specific feedback surrounding their work performance. Reviews can be burdensome for managers and Human Resources, as they require a lot of time and effort to complete. The truth of the matter is that employee reviews are a critical part of employee morale and success at work. The employee review process should be a significant part of your company in order to achieve amazing results.

From the perspective of the employee

Employees who are invested in their work crave feedback. In addition, positive feedback is almost as important to an employee as a paycheck. It reinforces their purpose, and they feel good. Of course, not all feedback is positive, but even negative feedback, if given in the spirit of growth and development, can have a lasting impact. For instance, if an employee continues to fall short in their presentation skills, hearing that from their manager with tools and a plan to improve will motivate that worker to focus on that area. In addition, it fuels further discussion and gives the employee something more to work towards.

Reviews and Raises

If nothing else is taken from this article, heed this one piece advice. Make it very clear from the onset of employement and onward, that reviews do not necessarily guarantee or coincide with pay increases. The discussion of money needs to be its own discussion. If the two are tied together, it creates a roadblock for transparency and motivation. Does it make sense to constructively criticize work performance in one or more areas and then give a raise? Likewise, does it make sense to set the standard that each review that yields positive results also yields a raise? Separate reviews from raises. Both are important, but not tied together as one.

Bringing it all together

Employee reviews are important for many reasons. They are living and breathing documents that record an employees performance. They serve as motivational literature, and put sub-performaning employees on notice that improvement is necessary. Finally, they serve as a reminder to everyone what the company’s vision, goals, core values, and mission are. All companies, regardless of size, should have a standardized review process in place. It will make all the difference in the world. For more information or help with implementing a review process, contact Link1 Healthcare Solutions at Link1healthcaresolutions.com.

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Customer Service, Operations, Strategy

Patient Testimonials and Reviews– What Every Provider Should Know

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July 16, 2019

- Customer Service, Operations, Strategy

Patient testimonials and reviews can help build and solidify your name:

Healthcare providers must always find ways to attract new patients. That is the only way to grow and become a thriving health care organization. This is true for a single provider or a large practice. The way people shop for services is directly through online searches and reading reviews and testimonials. That being said, it is critical that providers have a vibrant and engaging online presence. Testimonials, which typically are seen on the provider’s website, and reviews, which may be seen on sites like Yelp or Google go a very long way to building and solidifying a name.

Easy access:

Your expertise, care, and client-centered service should speak for itself. In other words, make it easy for a patient to leave a review or testimonial. Happy customers or patients are generally excited to share how great their experience was. Provide easy to use tools and technology to help somebody leave a review. Send them a link or text at the end of a visit. The less work somebody has to do, the more likely they will help.

Providers may want to thank people for leaving a review or testimonial with some kind of reward, such as a gift card. Stay away from this type of practice. In addition, stay away from offering patients’ entries into raffles or discounts on current or future services. The Federal Trade Commission has guidelines that prohibit this type of reward system. To sum it up, the FTC wants there to be a disclosure next to the review that some kind of reward was given in exchange for the review. That may not be the case, but that is how the guidelines are currently constructed. Providers don’t want that that disclosure, nor do they want to be in violation of any rules. There is no guarantee that the FTC would ever learn about or investigate a practice, but you never want to take any chances.

In addition to the FTC, the government prohibits any type of activity that resembles a “kickback”. A kickback refers to any type of payment or reward in exchange for a referral. Although the spirit of the law is to prevent doctors from paying other doctors for referrals, it still applies when it comes to paying for a review or testimonial. The bottom line is to remain ethical and law-abiding to avoid any problems. Stay away from directly rewarding patients for individual reviews, testimonials, or referrals.

What can providers do to show appreciation?

Providers do appreciate any help in acquiring new patients and should express that gratitude. Showing appreciation also reinforces the referral behavior. Here are two things that can be done legally and ethically.

  1. Send a thank you note any time an online testimonial, review or other referral is given. Although there isn’t a monetary prize given, it shows consideration and recognizes that the provider is appreciative.
  2. Keep track of who writes reviews and who makes referrals. One time per year, send a thank you note along with a gift card. The card can read something like this, ‘ We appreciate your confidence in our services, and allowing us to continue to grow.’ This one time per year gift can be given because it encompasses a concept, not a reward for a specific thing. In other words, there is no direct link between that gift card and a single referral or testimonial.

To wrap it up:

While providers should not directly ask or reward an online testimonial or review, it is important to have easy ways for patients to leave them. Positive reviews and testimonials will increase online traffic and ultimately lead to new patients. A provider’s name and reputation are the most important thing that they have. Future patients should have every opportunity to read about how great a provider is.

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Company, Operations, Process Management, Strategy, Training

Change Management | The How and Why

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August 15, 2017

- Company, Operations, Process Management, Strategy, Training

Your organization is growing. You see more patients, you have more staff.  The processes you followed up until this point are old and outdated. Your software needs to be updated. New policies will be implemented.  Change is coming. This is good news. This is your organization evolving and staying on the cutting edge of your industry.

The idea of change does not come easy for many people. We become accustomed to our routines. We feel comfortable using the software we’ve always used, no matter how slow or inefficient it is.  This is human nature.  As leaders, we must not only communicate to our staff of an impending change, but we must make them part of the process.  This is known as change management.


Change ManagementWhat is Change Management

Change management is a widely used term referring to everything that is done to prepare, coach, and support our teams in making any type of change.

How uncomfortable would an employee feel if they received a memo at work saying ‘effective immediately, we will now be using our brand new EMR. Please refer to the user manual for any questions’? That is a nightmare scenario for most people, and it happens all the time.

Proper change management will eliminate those situations.  The concept is pretty simple, the execution is the hard part.  There are many models of change management. Most of them have the same fundamental components.


4 Steps of Change Management:

1. Identify the need for a change
2. Plan and prepare for the change
3. Implement the change
4. Monitor the change, and look for opportunities for more change

What is often left out of these models is the perspective of your employees. To make a change, and make the change effective, your employees need to be part of this process from start to finish. They must be communicated to every step of the way, but more importantly, they need to buy in to what you are doing.  They have to understand why something is being done. When they understand the why, it makes the how that much easier.  A communication plan, timeline, and written procedures must be put in place before something new is implemented. If not, your new whatever may be flawed from the start.

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