Specialized Optometry Recruiting Is Key to Staffing Success

Over two-thirds of people believe sight is their most valuable sense. Clear vision enables us to navigate, interact with, and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. Approximately 80% of the information we take in from the environment is through our eyes.

Unfortunately, six million Americans have vision loss. Optometrists play a crucial role in eye care and the quality of life for patients. Not only do optometrists diagnose and treat vision disorders, but they also help detect systemic diseases that can impact overall health.

As demand for high-quality eye care rises, optometry practices struggle to keep up. Currently, there are only 41,390 optometrists in the United States, with forecasts predicting an increase of just 4,300 by 2033.

Luckily, help is a phone call away. Optometry recruiting firms provide the guidance, strategies, and tools to help practices obtain and retain qualified professionals who enhance how we see the world, one patient at a time.

Top Challenges in Optometry Recruiting

The optometry industry faces a myriad of recruitment challenges, impacting practices’ efficiency and patient care.

Nearly 60% of optometry practices lack sufficient staff to operate at their full potential. A dwindling supply of qualified practitioners, increased demand for specialized care, and an aging workforce are all to blame.

Additionally, the high cost of optometry education has made it difficult for students to pursue their career path. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is only a 6% increase in the number of optometry school graduates. With more eye care professionals retiring than those entering the field, the staffing shortage is expected to worsen.

New grads are spoiled for choice, with 49% of optometrists finding jobs within just three and a half weeks post-graduation. This demonstrates the highly competitive nature of the optometry recruitment landscape.

Another significant challenge for optometry practices is finding the right fit. Cultural and personality clashes can lead to increased employee turnover. Beyond qualifications, it’s crucial to ensure new hires align with a practice’s unique culture, mission, and values.

Partnering with a seasoned optometry recruiting firm is a practice’s best bet for finding exceptional candidates before the competition.

Why Specialized Optometry Recruiting Works

Partnering with a specialized optometry recruitment agency is effective because it aligns with the industry’s current hiring challenges and helps practices meet the evolving needs of their patients. By targeting optometrists with specific skill sets, practices can find candidates who best match their unique requirements and build stronger, more specialized care teams.

Specialized optometry sets practices up for success because it:

Meets Shifting Patient Demands: Today’s patients are seeking more specialized eye care for conditions like pediatric optometry, low vision rehabilitation, and ocular disease management. Specialized recruiters can identify candidates with niche skills to address these needs better, thereby enhancing patient care, loyalty, and satisfaction.

Attracts Talent Who Align with Practice Culture: Practices must hire candidates who embody their culture and values. Top optometry recruiters understand this and work closely with practices to secure talent who align with their culture and role requirements while getting along with current team members. This improves employee satisfaction and retention.

Improves Patient Outcomes: Specialized recruiters can identify optometrists who are best equipped to diagnose and treat complex eye conditions, enhancing patient outcomes and a practice’s reputation.

Guarantees Compliance: Practices must hire practitioners with the proper licensing and credentials to meet compliance regulations. Additionally, practices must handle licensing and certification renewals, as well as maintain records of continuing education for practitioners. Recruiters help practices navigate complicated compliance laws and ensure they hire qualified professionals.

Fills Specific Skill Gaps: Hyper-targeted recruitment strategies ensure that optometry practices secure the expertise needed to address the unique needs of their patient base.

Builds Stronger Teams: Optometry recruiters identify candidates with the necessary knowledge, skills, and personality, resulting in more effective and efficient teams.

What to Look for in an Optometrist

When hiring an optometrist, it’s essential to look beyond the resume. Yes, board certification, state licensure, and a clean work history are crucial. But several other qualities define a successful hire:

Clinical Competence: Does the candidate stay current with advancements in optometric care? Are they skilled in managing diverse patient populations?

Patient-Centered Approach: Great optometrists don’t just treat conditions. They build rapport with patients and foster trust.

Communication Skills: Can the optometrist explain complex eye health issues in a way that patients understand? Are they comfortable collaborating with staff and other providers?

Cultural Fit: Will the new hire mesh with your existing team? Do they understand and support your practice’s vision and values?

Growth Mindset: Are they interested in continuing education, new technologies, and business development?

How the Right Optometrist Contributes to Practice Growth

A well-matched optometrist doesn’t just maintain the status quo. They raise the bar. Here’s how:

Enhanced Patient Satisfaction: Patients appreciate continuity of care, excellent communication, and short wait times. A committed optometrist helps improve all three.

Increased Revenue: From expanding service offerings to improving patient retention, a high-performing optometrist directly contributes to bottom-line growth.

Improved Team Morale: When the team is confident in the provider's abilities and communication, workflows improve, and turnover decreases.

Practice Reputation: Word-of-mouth and online reviews are powerful. A great optometrist strengthens your brand in the community.

Operational Efficiency: Experienced optometrists often bring workflow insights and best practices that boost operational performance.

The benefits of hiring the right person extend far beyond simply having someone in the chair. It’s an investment in your practice’s future. 

Specialized Optometry Recruiting Makes the Difference

Recruiting top-notch candidates can feel like a full-time job within itself. Fortunately, partnering with an optometry recruiting firm with specialized expertise makes the hiring process a whole lot easier.

Hire Health is uniquely positioned to find best-in-class candidates. We partner with optometry practices nationwide and pair them with practitioners who reflect their needs and culture.

We recently collaborated with a leading eye care services company to quickly fill numerous retail, clinical, administrative, and management positions. Our team developed a comprehensive Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) strategy that included multichannel marketing tactics, streamlined hiring workflows, and job description analysis and development.

As a direct result of our solutions, Hire Health reduced time-to-offer to 17 days, 15% faster than the internal team, and achieved an average time-to-fill of just 26 days. This was almost 50% faster than the industry average.

Want to achieve similar results? Contact Hire Health today to learn how.