Episode 66: How to Best Hire, Train and Retain A Veteran Therapist

As I started planning out this week’s episode, I wondered if in my 28 years of physical therapy and Practice Management experience, have I ever specifically targeted trying to hire a veteran physical therapist for any of my offices? After thinking about this for a while, not once did I actively recruit a veteran therapist. Here I am, a veteran therapist myself; there’s nothing wrong with me nor do I think there’s anything wrong with ANY veteran therapist I’ve ever met. I just never intentionally went out on the recruiting lines to attract a veteran therapist. I’m sure many of you have, in which case I would love to hear about your experience doing so. I’ve always just taken the approach of seeking to teach or train somebody something new as opposed to having to retrain somebody and something old. 

Episode at a glance:

• When recruiting a veteran therapist, recruitment ads might push flexibility in terms of days, and hours to be worked.
• Avoid hiring those with a “know-best” attitude who are unwilling to change.
• Consider targeting specialty services requiring specialized skills that only a veteran therapist might have.
• Run control in your interviews, and be clear that their experience does not grant them special privileges.
• Veteran therapists often want to live the life of an intrapreneur, versus taking on the burden of responsibility and accountability of management. 
• Retention happens when you provide a happy, flexible, headache-free environment for them to practice their craft with dignity, respect, and autonomy that they have earned over their years of experience.