When you hire, you are looking for people who will be successful within your organization, people with the skills necessary to move your facility forward. Hard skills are an essential part of that – the firsthand technical and medical ability that providers need daily. But soft skills are equally important. Let’s look at seven essential skills that you should be on the lookout for in your candidates.

#1: Problem-solving

When a problem or roadblock comes up, what will a candidate do? Are they able to think objectively about the issue and break it down, coming up with multiple solutions and then choosing the best one? Or do they let the problem throw them completely off balance? Having good critical thinking skills is essential in almost any field, the medical world included.

#2: Communication

Strong communicators consistently thrive. When a candidate can accurately convey information – verbally and through other modes of communication like email – promptly, they’ll get things done on time and correctly. And it works the other way around, too. Candidates need to be active listeners and be able to absorb what they’re told by others in order to be their best at work.

#3: Innovation

Many of the most successful people at work are those who innovate. That doesn’t mean you need people who can invent a new technology or a new workflow – they just need to be able to conceptualize what could be done better or innovate creative solutions to problems.

#4: Decision-making

In the medical field, leaving a decision up to someone else, or making no decision at all, isn’t always possible. The most successful professionals are strong decision-makers, willing to pick the best solution and stick with it.

#5: Stress Management

There’s no question that at some point or another, your medical staff will face stressful situations. Whether they can manage that stress successfully is what puts some people ahead of others. Being able to keep cool under pressure and navigate one’s way through stressful situations is a career-defining skill and one that you should be thinking about during your interview process.

#6: Multitasking

Professionals will need to juggle multiple responsibilities at once during many points of their careers. Doing so tactfully and smartly is a great skill to have – it sets certain candidates apart from the competition because they can do more in a faster timeframe.

#7: Empathy

Any medical professional should be empathetic. Try to get a sense of your candidates’ empathy while you are evaluating them – it makes all the difference in how your patients will be treated.

Ensure Your Success with Medical Talent

Searching for medical professionals who own the hard and soft skills you’re looking for? We can help. Contact Medical Talent to find the people you need.