Prepare a packet for each applicant ahead of time. Each packet should include a job application, a hiring questionnaire, a goals sheet, and an Authorization for Release of Information form.

When applicants arrive, welcome them and deliver a structured 5-minute talk. Keep it tight — one clear sentence per point, read directly and without elaboration. The goal is to make it easy for applicants to absorb and recall exactly what you said, because you’ll be testing that shortly.

Cover these points in order:

1 ) The practice

• A basic overview of what the practice does
• The purpose of the practice — one sentence, stated plainly
• One unique feature that sets your practice apart

2) The position

• A clear one-sentence description of the role being advertised

3) Three positives and three honest negatives about this position or working at the office (this is very important)

Examples of honest negatives:

• The practice can be very busy and hectic at times
• Patients can be anxious, scared, or difficult to work with
• Staying on top of administrative tasks and paperwork requires constant attention and follow-through

Examples of real positives:

• The work is genuinely fulfilling — knowing your work helps patients feel better every single day
• No two days are the same — the variety of patients, cases, and interactions keeps the work interesting and engaging
• We a strong sense of community — staff tend to feel known as individuals and genuinely connected to the team around them

Read each point clearly and directly, without elaboration. The simpler your delivery, the more accurately the written essay will reflect each applicant’s ability to listen and retain what was said. Once finished, say: “We will now ask you to write a short essay on what we have covered.” Hand out the pre-prepared essay sheet, worded exactly as follows:

• What is the purpose of this practice?
• What is unique about this practice?
• What are the negative and positive aspects of this position?

As applicants complete their forms, note their appearance and professionalism (rate on a scale of 1–5), then take each one briefly into a private office for a five-minute conversation. This gives you a feel for the person before you’ve invested hours.

Have the Office Manager with you on the interview, to take notes and rate them while you ask the questions. The additional viewpoint is helpful.

The questions used are:

• What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to confront?
• If you were the boss and you had an employee who wasn’t doing their job, how would you handle it?
• What do you think of the changes occurring in town?

Take note of the following items:

• What is their communication lag?
• Did they answer your question?
• Observe, are they really there or not paying attention?
• Is appearance satisfactory?
• Do they have a sense of humor?

4) Have each applicant sign and date an Authorization for Release of Information form, allowing you to verify their employment history at a later stage

Before dismissing them, thank each applicant for their time and let them know they will hear from you within a couple of days. As a goodwill gesture, consider offering each person a card for a complimentary exam — you may gain a new patient in the process, regardless of whether they are hired.

Evaluating what you’ve learned

After everyone leaves, go through the materials and rate each applicant across four areas:

The Application:

• Is it neat and legible?
• Is it thorough?
• Does this person “job hop?”
• Are there unexplained lapses in employment history?

The Employment Goals:

• Is the spelling, punctuation, grammar and composition correct?
• What do this person’s goals tell you about him/her?
• Do his/her goals indicate that he/she is looking for a long-term position?

The Collections Letter:

• Is the spelling, punctuation, grammar and composition correct?
• Is this letter friendly yet firm?
• Does this letter actually communicate well?

Their Written Version of the Purpose of your Practice:

• Is the person’s basic understanding of the purpose of the practice correct?
• Does the person’s articulate and communicate effectively?
• Does the statement convey the attitude you are looking for in the position you are filling?
• Does the person focus on the negative or the positive aspects of the position/practice? (note: focusing mainly on the negatives is a big red flag)

Moving to the second interview

Based on your evaluation, determine who you want to bring back for an in-depth individual interview. Phone your finalists to schedule separately — this second interview will take longer and deserves its own time slot. Send reference request forms to former employers of your top candidates, and send professional rejection letters to those who didn’t make the cut.

Based on what you know at this point, you will be able to determine whom you wish to have back for a second interview.

Phone those applicants and schedule them for their second interview, which you will schedule separately (since it will take longer than the first interview).

• Send reference letter request forms to former employers of your final applicants.
• Send rejection letters to those applicants who did not qualify for the second interview.

A smarter hiring system starts here

Hiring doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right screening system in place, you can identify the right person faster — and with far less stress on you and your existing team. The group interview approach is one of the most efficient tools available to practice managers, and once you’ve run it once, you’ll never go back to scheduling individual first interviews again.

Hiring is only half the battle. Once you’ve selected your new team member, the real work begins. Do you have a structured onboarding process ready to go? A clear policies and procedures manual? A system that gets new staff up to speed quickly and confidently — without pulling your existing team away from their work?

Most practices don’t. And that gap between hiring and fully functioning is where new employees struggle, make mistakes, or quietly decide the job isn’t for them.

Whether your onboarding process needs a tune-up, your hiring system needs work, or you’re looking for better practice management overall, our free one-hour guidance call can help you get there. Fill out the short form at the top of this page to get started — it takes less than a minute.