Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire

Understanding Why Cultural Fit Matters in the Healthcare Field

Understanding Why Cultural Fit Matters in the Healthcare FieldRegardless of whether your office features cubes or exam rooms, it’s important to note that company culture matters. It impacts how your team members perform, how your patients (or customers) are treated, and it certainly contributes to turnover rates. If you’re doing the hiring for healthcare positions, here are some points to consider about how company culture should play in to your final hiring decision:

Understand that physicians care about company culture as much as you do

A new survey shows that 62 percent of physicians feel that cultural fit impacts their choice on whether they’ll accept a job offer. Forty-nine percent of those surveyed noted that poor cultural fit has actually caused them to leave a practice.

So how do you take this information and make it work to your advantage? When you’re moving through the hiring process, have an honest conversation about the culture found within that practice. Talk with a candidate about their values. What motivates them? When do they feel happiest and most satisfied at work? What do they think are some of the most important attributes of a successful healthcare practice? If you’re hearing answers that simply aren’t in line with what your company has to offer, it’s important to recognize this and move on.

Identify the culture within your organization

Before you can actively convey what it’s like to work for your practice, it’s important to take a step back and really analyze the culture found within your organization. Take some time to think about the kinds of physicians that thrive within your practice. Who has become a leader? What kinds of attributes do these individuals have? You may even consider talking with these people directly to see what they like about their career with your organization. Gathering this information can help you to speak more eloquently when you head into an interview with a potential hire.

Lastly, it’s important to remain honest during the hiring process. Regardless of how talented a candidate seems, if it’s clear that they’re a poor cultural fit, it’s best to make another choice. This keeps turnover rates low and ensures that everyone on your staff truly feels content when they come into work each day.

Image: Rido81/BigStock.com

Video Interviews for Healthcare Recruiting

Lauren Levine

Lauren Levine is a copywriter/blogger who contributes to a number of magazines and websites including The Frisky, USA Today, and others. She also authors her own blog called Life with Lauren. She loves cooking, anything on the E! network, and is trying to convince herself that running isn't so bad.