I hear this lament from optometrists and other professionals all the time. My response is always…"you haven't looked hard enough." Finding and recruiting good people is likely the single most important job of any leader. Recruiting is a full-time, 24/7 endeavor in my opinion. You must always be on the lookout for exceptional talent and, when you find it, you must hire. And now's the time.
This recession is producing some interesting phenomena in that a significant number of higher level individuals are seeking opportunity. At the top of this list is teachers. Indeed, in a recent New York Times article headlined "Teachers Facing Weakest Market for Jobs in Years" we learn that about 150,000 teachers could lose their jobs next year due to budget problems.
Let's see:
– Teachers are trained to communicate; they're trained to turn complex issues into simple language
– Teachers are smarter than average
– Teachers generally have a good work ethic
– Teachers care
– Teachers are often disenchanted
- Teachers don't get paid high wages (especially on a per hour basis)
Simply stated, consider hiring a teacher. This is especially the case for any position involving sales or public relations. Teachers make great salespeople (one of the truly best salesman I know is a former teacher). Teachers make good opticians (connect a science teacher to optics and watch out). Teachers make good employees.
So…no excuses. Go hire a teacher for your practice.
