7 Tips for Hiring Psychologist

You probably know this all too well as someone looking to hire a psychologist for your company or practice. The hiring process can seem daunting as you seek to attract the most qualified and effective professional for your team. If this sounds familiar, take a look at the following tips for hiring a psychologist.

The job outlook for psychology professionals remains positive. Positions will steadily increase just as they have over the last decade. Filling these positions depends heavily on the specialty, experience, and level of education.

1

Are you ready?

You must first consider if your organization or practice is ready to hire a psychologist or add a new psychologist to your existing team. If you find that your patient base continues to grow, it’s probably time, especially if it’s becoming increasingly difficult to schedule all of your patients promptly.

If you’re the hiring manager for an educational organization, you’ll want to consider the number and needs of potential clients. Also, examine your space. Do you have ample room for additional space to meet with clients? Will there need to be a rotating schedule? These are all excellent elements to think about to gauge your readiness.

2

Map your expectations.

Once you’ve determined that you’re ready to hire a psychologist, you’ll need to map out your expectations for the role. One risk is sacrificing a few critical characteristics for a likable candidate. Before you consider interviewing any candidates, know what you want the position to accomplish.

You may need someone that can work specific hours or serve a particular demographic or trauma. Perhaps the right person needs a very niche specialty or in-demand licensure. Be careful that you don’t lose sight of that guiding criteria during the hiring process. You don’t have to rush into offering employment. The right person is out there; just keep looking.

3

Develop a well-written job posting.

Now that you recognize your needs and requirements, it’s time to work on the job posting. An effective posting needs to attract qualified candidates and prompt them to apply.

Relias offers the following tips for an engaging job ad:

  • Connect the role to how it impacts clients or patients
  • Mention any unique or appealing benefits you offer
  • Include day-to-day duties specific to the role
  • Insert positive comments from existing employees
  • Describe any continuing education training opportunities you cover
  • Detail the work environment
  • Emphasize the company’s guiding mission or purpose statement

Theranest underscores the need to accurately and realistically describe the job and its responsibilities. Ensure job seekers and applicants understand what’s expected. You might also consider providing a “day in the life” that’s specific to the job. Accuracy is vital because you want to attract candidates but not give them an unrealistic portrayal.

4

Offer competitive compensation.

A critical element of finding the right employee is offering the proper compensation. With a position as important as a psychologist, don’t rely too heavily on your budget expectations. It’s not the time to cut costs and corners. If you have the funds to allocate to the new position, then do so. Besides, if your job listing doesn’t include a competitive salary, you’ll fail to attract a qualified candidate.

5

Tap into specialty job boards.

Many employers advertise on the same job boards and websites repeatedly, and they’re often disappointed with the applicant pool. To attract top-notch professionals, you’ll need to think outside the norm, like using online specialty job boards.

These boards are where employers can post positions geared toward specific roles or specialties. Qualified applicants can also upload resumes and specifically search for field-related openings. This setup allows you to tap into a high-quality candidate list. It also enables those candidates to access your well-written job postings. Psychologyjobs.com is one such site with a comprehensive jobs database and special employer packages to post openings and view resumes.

6

Use several points of contact.

Don’t rush into the interview once you’ve identified a few potential professionals to join your practice. It’s good practice to include several other points of contact, such as

  • Sending candidates a survey of important questions about licensure and why they want to work in your practice
  • Brief phone interviews to gauge personality and determine if an interview is needed
  • Peer or group interviews to get others’ perspectives on the potential hire
  • Checking references
7

Ask probing questions in the interview.

One of the last steps before officially hiring someone is the interview. As a final step, it’s imperative to ask the right questions. You likely know the person’s credentials and experience from their resume. However, you can learn even more from having the person describe their background and long-term goals in person. While you want someone who blends well with your staff, you also want someone who benefits your clients. Aim for a balance of the two.

With these tips, you’re well on your way to hiring a well-qualified psychologist for your practice or company. Psychologyjobs.com could very well be the tool that simplifies the process and narrows your search to the best of the best. Take a look at products and pricing and make a decision that will benefit you and your clients well into the future.