It turns out that hiring managers in other industries, from social media giants, like Facebook and Google, to the United States Army and beyond, realize this, too. That’s why they’re changing the way they recruit. You can read about some of their innovative recruiting methods in this article.

And if you’d like an expert recruitment firm to help you identify and select some of the country’s top health IT talent for your organization, contact us today.

In working with candidates from all over the country, we get a chance to hear what employees really want and need in order to stay loyal to their employer. And it turns out, it takes much more than a handsome compensation package. Following are a few things candidates have told us you can do to not just recruit–but keep top talent:

Give new hires proper training and orientation. Nothing is more demoralizing for a new employee than feeling that he or she was not given all the information or tools they need to succeed. Make sure to train new hires in company policies, procedures and protocol. This might seem like common sense, but many new employees complain about not being given the tools they need to be successful early on. Knowing what’s expected of them up front gives employees the confidence to do their job well.

Pay employees what they’re worth. While money isn’t everything for most candidates, being underpaid is definitely a deal breaker. Make sure to pay your employees a competitive salary, and offer a retention bonus incentive, as well as other perks and benefits. There are a variety of onlines tools to help research what salaries are appropriate for what skill. Use these tools regularly to gauge your compensation packages.

Provide opportunities for professional growth and development. Without these two elements, the sharpest, most ambitious employees will stagnate, get bored and start looking for other opportunities. Solicit employee feedback on important projects; appoint them to sit on special boards or committees; assign them challenging, high-profile projects; and of course, promote them once they’ve demonstrated leadership and mastery in their current position.

Encourage and support employees’ work/life balance. You know the old saying about all work and no play? If you want your employees to be productive, efficient and happy at work, take actions to respect their work and home lives. For example, you might offer employees the option to occasionally telecommute, or give them time off for birthdays, anniversaries, personal emergencies, or community involvement.

Let employees know they’re valued and appreciated. It’s a well-known fact that employees who feel valued are more loyal. Express your thanks for their hard work through monetary rewards like raises, as well as gifts, promotions, and more.

With health care organizations scrambling to convert from paper to electronic health records (EHR), the demand for qualified, talented HIT professionals is at an all-time high. While there’s no guarantee your top talent won’t look for opportunities elsewhere, you can be sure that implementing these simple tactics will give you a better shot at retaining the best of the best for your organization.

So, how can you make a stellar first impression during an interview? Read on to see our list of interview do’s and don’ts.

Interview Do’s

Arrive early. Arriving 10 to 15 minutes before the interview is ideal. Arrive any earlier, and you might be perceived as over-eager. These extra few minutes should give you ample time to check your attire, hair and makeup, and gain your composure before the interview.

Ask informed questions about the position, job responsibilities and expectations. You’d be surprised how few candidates actually do this. However, when you ask thoughtful questions about the job for which you’re interviewing, you show the hiring manager that you’ve done your research on the company beforehand, a definite positive impression booster. Be sure to think of the questions in advance and write them down so you don’t forget.

Listen more than you speak. No one likes a know-it-all. Pay attention to what the interviewer is saying so you can answer questions thoughtfully and efficiently. If you don’t know how to answer the question, don’t pretend. Managers can see right through that game. It’s better to admit that you don’t know the answer but share how you would go about getting it.

Bring extra copies of your resume. Don’t assume the hiring manager has a copy. They may also bring in additional people to interview you, so it’s best to be prepared. Also, have a list of references and their contact information available in the case the interviewer asks for it.

Know the unique value you bring to the company. When you do, you won’t be thrown of by questions like, “So, why should we hire you?” Clearly articulate your skill sets, strengths and abilities. Be ready and able to share an anecdote of how those abilities benefited previous employers and how they will benefit your prospective employer. Always have examples in your mind of tangible, demonstrated ways that you’ve made a difference.

Ask for the job. This is Sales 101. Yes, your interview is a sales pitch. After you’ve made a stellar first impression and made the case for why you’re the best person for the job, ask for it. Confidence is highly attractive.

Interview Don’ts

Arrive late. It’s really not possible to rebound from this faux pas. Leave extra early if you must. There are absolutely no excuses. Just show up on time.

Lie. Lying is unacceptable, and it’s always found out. Tell the truth, and be careful not to overstate your qualifications. Speaking a few words of Spanish is a far cry from being fluent. Tell the whole, unadulterated truth. End of story.

Interrupt the Interviewer. Listen intently, and answer only when prompted to speak. Cutting off the interviewer mid-sentence is rude and almost always makes a bad impression.

Avoid derogatory comments about past jobs or previous employers. The worst thing you can do to a prospective employer is debase a previous employer. Even if you despise your last job or manager, keep your comments professional and complimentary.

Ask about perks, benefits, bonuses, etc. While you should always ask questions during your interview, make sure they’re about the company’s needs, not your own. Perks and benefits are discussed once a hiring manager has extended an offer, not before.

Follow these simple interview tips and you’ll make a great first impression and hopefully, one step closer to landing a great, new job.

A virtual office visit is just what it sounds like: a patient visit that takes place via email or a secure, web-based portal. It offers patients a way to consult with their healthcare provider for non-emergency or routine conditions, saving both the paitent and physician valuable time. While the patient generally pays out-of-pocket for these visits, several insurance companies are beginning to reimburse for service.

Here’s how it works: a patient logs on to your website and is transferred to a secure portal that’s designated for virtual visits. There, the patient enters information regarding allergies, medications and payment information and viola, they’re finished.

The physician is alerted via email that a patient has initiated a virtual visit. After accessing the portal, the healthcare provider reviews the patient’s information and any attached files and can either offer advice via email or chat session, or request an in-office visit. The physician can also prescribe medications and send those prescriptions directly to the pharmacy electronically.

That’s all there is to it. Virtual office visits are a great way to save time, cut overhead costs and increase intraoffice efficiency. For more information on implementing virtual office visits in your practice, visit DocIn Touch (https://fcnintouch.com/), Medem (http://healthcare.intuit.com/portal/), or Relay Health (https://www.relayhealth.com).

With healthcare organizations, hospitals and practices nationwide scrambling to meet the EMR conversion deadline, health IT professionals are in high demand. Even more in demand are the clinicians–nurses, physicians, physician assistants, therapists, lab technicians, and more–who know firsthand how the internal operations at hospitals and other healthcare outlets work.

That’s good news for clinicians looking to break into another arena; and it’s something to think about for clinicians who, until now, never realized their job skills are transferable. Below, we’ve outlined a few jobs where you can turn your clinical skills into health IT expertise.

Clinician/Practitioner Consultants

An ideal transition for licensed clinical or public health professionals, the Clinician/Practitioner Consultant acts as a liaison between users, IT staff and vendors in the EHR deployment. These consultants use their knowledge to help select EHR hardware/software and work to ensure clinical goals are met. They also serve as advocates for system users and make sure the concerns of patients and consumers are addressed along the way.

Redesign Specialists

Similar to Clinician/Practitioner Consultants, Redesign Specialists help to reorganize the provider’s workload to maximize EHR effectiveness in improving patient care. They also design processes that facilitate quality improvement and reporting. Unlike Clinician/Practitioner Consultants, Redesign Specialists are not necessarily licensed clinical professionals.

Clinical Analysts and Informaticists

These clinicians analyze, configure, test, or troubleshoot any application or system within the hospital. Their responsibilities could also extend to training staff on computer systems or applications, project management, or setting up applications used in doctors’ offices. Informaticists, in particular, help to analyze clinical data to produce predictive modeling and outcomes in order to improve patient care.

Where Can You Get the Additional Health IT Training?

You’ll likely have to look no further than your local community college. Thanks to a federal grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), more than 70 community colleges in all 50 states participate in the Community College Consortia to Educate Health Information Professionals. The Consortia is a free, non-degree health IT training program for providers, clinicians, and office staff who want to learn how to incorporate health IT into their practices.

Since its inception in 2009, the Consortia has given grants to community colleges in each state to develop or improve non-degree health IT training programs, all of which can be completed in six months or less.

For more information or to find a program near you, visit the ONC website.