Posted on 02/01/2006 5:25:17 PM PST by doctora
My first vanity post and hope it's not an imposition. I'd really appreciate the suggestions from fellow freepers and I suspect others may benefit from this discussion.
I'm a doctor about to hire an associate for my practice. A few years ago I realized I was politically conservative which explained why very often a common thread among people I didn't respect was their liberal politcs. Their values were totally opposite mine. I've had some bad employees in the past - turned out they were all liberals (not that being conservative on its own makes one a good employee, to be fair). So it occurs to me a likely predictor of a bad employee (for me) is a liberal.
I hired an associate doctor two months ago who interviewed great but turned south fast. I fired him one month later. He was whiny, complained, treated my staff poorly, brought his personal junk to the office, felt entitled to running the place as he saw fit, etc. You guessed it - turns out he's a liberal. I even caught him Bush-bashing with a patient which I put an end to fast.
I've decided a liberal would be a very poor fit in an associate and I won't make this mistake again. (Also, there's a strong faith component to my practice: we're here to serve God, our bodies are God's Temple designed with the power to heal).
Politics isn't something one can raise in an interview and I'm seeking some ideas on probing for liberal traits. My office is in Western MA so I'm already playing against the odds.
Before I hire the next associate, I'm going to take him/her out to dinner with my husband. Hopefully, during a 3 hour dinner outside the office more will be revealed.
Any ideas on interviewing strategies to avoid hiring a whiny liberal?
Some thoughts that crossed my mind, especially to bring up during the dinner:
1) If has school-aged kids, ask how they feel about their school system. What they like and dislike about it.
2) What kinds of volunteer work they've done.
Any and all ideas very much appreciated.
With my cameras, I discovered she was stealing me blind.
Prosecuted AND got restitution from her father.
She wasn't even selling the merchandise...she was just getting back at "the man"...me.
In my experience, military brats are the best employees by far.
I think it is almost impossible to work with people like this, and since it is YOUR practice, you can pick and choose as you like.
If you are religious, I think advertising in a conservative magazine or even web site may be a good start. If you attend church, you could advertise in your church bulletin.
Perhaps display a Bible or a conservative book in your office and see if it gets any reaction. Our relatives prominently display both Clinton books and their Clinton Christmas card (which Hil and Bill sign separately) in their home office, and you immediately get a sense of the kind of folk they are.
Asking how they feel about the American health care system is a great idea. Going out to a lengthy dinner is also a good idea -- a couple glasses of wine always gets the truth out!
Ask what they think about Brokeback Mountain and similar crap coming out of hollywood.
#1, my husband is Uncledave. Look up his profile.
#2, I'm a chiropractor and tell all my patients exactly what you wrote.
I want to meet you!
And the lawyers will win. Don't forget, in the Boston Area, there is one lawyer for every 33 human beings...
No, no, no. Reagan. Picture of Reagan.
Where do you practice? I need a good conservative Doctor....
Ask them if they plan to "first do no harm...."
I think that you should consult with an employment attorney in your own state about this. Even though "political persuasion" is not a constitutionally protected class as one poster said, employment law is very complicated and varies from State to State. You have to deal with laws, case law, regulations and interpretations of regulations.
I consult with an employment attorney for my firm on a regular basis. Though I am an attorney, there is no way I can keep up with all the laws, regulations and interpretations of same. Some of the things I have learned from my own attorney (about asking personal-type questions) have shocked me and seemed very counterintuitive.
A lot of them are still sporting their Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers, strangely on SUVs. I see them all the time in my neck of the woods.
1. Look at their bumper stickers.
2. Google their name -- it`s amazing what you can find.
3. Do an online search to see if they`ve donated to your state`s officeholders. I don`t know how to do that, but read of FReepers doing it often.
A person's political persuasion has no affect on the profitability of the company or practice. If you want to find that out about a candidate, just leave them unattended in the samples closet and then check to see what is missing later. That should give you a good clue.
Just in case anyone out there was wondering, it's not a protected class for jury selection, either. You can fire off every one of your peremptories at libs, and if you get challenged on it and say that you were discriminating on the basis of political affiliation and not gender or race, then there's nothing anyone can do.
Ignore all those people who say to display a picture of Bush, or a Bible, or in any way make it obvious what views you hold in the hope that the interviewee would react. They aren't going to let something like that bother them if they really want the money. You have to use pointed questions.
Your failure to previously note the most common chat subject amongst docs is remarkable. Can you auscultate flutter?
"Politics isn't something one can raise in an interview and I'm seeking some ideas on probing for liberal traits."
Actually, I didn't know it was out of bounds, legally.
If I was in your situation, I would frankly put it on the table, if you felt the candidate looked good, otherwise.
"Doctor xxxxx, I have found people work best when they are confortable in the workplace environment. For example, if your views were liberal politically and mine were conservative, we might not get along well, after awhile. How do you feel about that?
There are dialogs that ask open ended questions, and prompt good exchange of ideas.
I would note what they drive; if they tip the guy who brings the car; how they dress; if they are fussy about the wine; do they eat meat; their manners and how they treat the wait person.
As a salesman and sales manager since the 70's I would never hire someone without going to dinner with them and their spouse.
Great info, thanks George.
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