Avoiding common pitfalls in hiring pharmacy technicians
Hiring a well-experienced pharmacy technician for your pharmacy comes with significant challenges. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of around 44,900 job openings for pharmacy technicians are projected each year from 2022 to 2032. Yet, many of these positions remain unfilled due to the significant staffing gaps within the industry. There are various factors contributing to this spiking demand for pharmacy technicians. Some of them include the growing baby boomer population and the increasing number of people under treatment for chronic conditions who use prescription drugs. On top of this, the retiring pharmacy technician workforce, staff burnout, and increasing turnover rates further complicate the task of recruiting pharmacy technicians.
As pharmacists ensure safe and effective use of medications, they often require support from pharmacy technicians to manage their work overload. While Pharmacists provide patient counseling and monitor medication therapy, pharmacy technicians focus on medicine dispensing and other pharmacy operations-related duties. Hence, it is essential to evaluate the common pitfalls given below when hiring pharmacy technicians for your facility.
- Advertising job openings without a well-defined job description can lead to misunderstandings regarding the duties of the pharmacy technician and might create inefficient staff.
- Unfair compensations can also lead pharmacy technicians to leave the job for better opportunities.
- Not considering important factors such as cultural fit, diversity, and inclusion when hiring pharmacy technicians
- Failing to complete a thorough compliance check can cause risk to patient safety and other legal complications.
- Improper background verification for criminal history or drug abuse can put the patients and the pharmacy’s reputation at potential risk.
- When adequate onboarding and training are not provided, most entry-level pharmacy technicians are prone to making more mistakes, which reduces a pharmacy’s efficiency in providing desired patient care.
- Improper assessment of the candidate’s soft skills can lead to the inability of the pharmacy technician to communicate or collaborate with other allied health professionals and patients.
Most of these scenarios can be avoided if you take extra care while planning your pharmacy technician recruitment process. If required, involve the existing staff, as they will be more aware of the technical requirements and patient demands of your pharmacy. Another great way is to collaborate with a pharmacy technician staffing solutions provider who will manage your end-to-end pharmacy technician staffing needs. In this blog, we will see more details on how the common pitfalls can be avoided when you hire pharmacy technicians.
Offer competitive compensation packages to attract pharmacy technicians
In a demanding job role like a pharmacy technician, it is important to offer a comprehensive compensation package in line with the market standards to retain the existing resources. Start by conducting a thorough market study to understand current job trends and the standard pay rates for pharmacy technicians. Providing salary alone as part of compensation might be insufficient. A well-rounded compensation package should include benefits such as medical insurance, paid time off, and a retirement plan to ensure employee satisfaction.
In addition to this, performance-based incentives should be implemented for staff who display exceptional commitment and contributions. Moreover, offering an all-round package will also consist of providing opportunities for professional development by upskilling, cross-training, and promoting continuing education. Finally, promoting work-life balance and flexible working arrangements can significantly enhance job satisfaction and support a positive work environment.
Balancing experience and potential when hiring pharmacy technicians
Even though some people implement the hybrid hiring strategy as a method for cost reduction, considering both the fresher candidates and the experienced professionals in the pharmacy technician recruitment process can have other long-term benefits as well. While experienced candidates have practical skills and knowledge, entry-level pharmacy technicians may offer fresh perspectives and a high capacity for growth. Having the right balance between these two factors can help you build an adaptable and dynamic team that meets both current needs and future goals. Hiring candidates with the potential to learn and develop their skill sets can contribute to the team in the long run. To balance experience and potential when you hire pharmacy technicians, foster a supportive work environment where every idea is valued, and expectations are properly communicated.
Considering the importance of cultural fit and diversity in pharmacy technician recruitment
Technical expertise and soft skills are not the only decision factors when you hire pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technician hiring for culture fit is also essential to understand whether the candidate fits your pharmacy. This helps you ensure that the pharmacy technician hired will display qualities and values that align with the values and beliefs of the pharmacy. Ensuring that the pharmacy technician hired is a good cultural fit will improve team dynamics while enhancing employee satisfaction and overall productivity. Cultural fit can be assessed during an interview with the help of behavioral assessments, team interactions, and feedback from existing employees.
Embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment not only aligns with ethical and social responsibilities but also helps meet diverse patient needs. A diverse team of allied healthcare professionals can effectively understand the needs of patients coming from diverse populations. To establish diversity and inclusion in pharmacy technician hiring, the initial step is to draft a D&I policy, which consists of policies for the recruitment of providers from diverse backgrounds and fostering an inclusive work environment. Ensuring equity in career advancement by promoting fair progression opportunities and equitable pay is also crucial to enhancing the quality of the workplace and retaining talent.
Also read: A step-by-step guide on how to hire top pharmacy technicians
Leveraging technology for pharmacy technician recruitment and management
Technology is rapidly evolving in almost all fields, including the healthcare sector. With increased automation, most of the burdensome administrative tasks pertaining to the recruitment of pharmacy technicians are no longer a headache.
Your pharmacy can use ATS (Application Tracking System) software to streamline every stage of the recruitment process. ATS software can track all the information related to hiring pharmacy technicians. You will also need robust HRIS software to manage the hired pharmacy technicians, including onboarding, time management, and performance management.
Instead of recruiting full-time pharmacy technicians and investing in all these tools, you can hire pharmacy technicians as contractors via MedSquirrels’ healthcare staffing platform. With our Orange Plan, you can get curated profiles of pharmacy technicians based on your pharmacy’s needs. Once you interview and select them, MedSquirrels will take care of credentialing, onboarding, and all the employer obligations, including payroll and benefits, with no liabilities to you. MedSquirrels’ staffing platform also comes with built-in HRIS and ATS software without additional cost.
MedSquirrels staffing platform: simplifying pharmacy technician hiring
To streamline all the complex processes of pharmacy technician hiring, you can use MedSquirrels’ staffing platform. With integrated AI technology, you can create pharmacy technician job descriptions to help potential candidates understand the role and monetary and non-monetary benefits you offer. Our platform conducts credentialing and background checks to ensure 100% compliance by deeply assessing the pharmacy technician’s qualifications, experience, licenses, certifications, and more. This will ensure no risk to your patients and keep your pharmacy away from any legal complications.
MedSquirrels operates differently from most recruitment agencies through its unique SaaS platform, which charges only a flat fee along with the payroll cost of the hired providers. This way, you do not have to pay huge markups charged by other staffing agencies and have a higher budget to hire pharmacy technicians to meet your pharmacy’s goals. To know more about our staffing platform, request a demo today.
