Being on a job hunt is a stressful and often an awkward process. Much of the support you can find online isn’t Therapy related. Plus, let’s be honest interviewing for a Therapy job is not the same as other fields. We are not in a position at this moment to be demanding large pay increases. So, what can we do during the conversation, to advocate for ourselves without turning away your potential employer? While also making sure that we ask all the questions necessary to make sure you are not blindsided by high expectations.
Knowing what you are stepping into:
Be it a new grad, or a seasoned veteran you should be doing as much research as you possibly can before you enter the door. Talk to colleagues, and friends. Go online to varying sites, many have ratings like job search engines, but take that with a grain of salt. You may also want to look into DOH ratings, or red flags.
Once in the door it is time to ask questions. In this day and age of higher and higher expectations placed on Therapists, you are going to want to know what is coming for you. Here are a few highlights:
- Productivity expectations, obviously a major one.
- SNF: Cotreat, and concurrent expectations depending on where you are going.
- Outpatient: Patients scheduled per hour, and are there PTA’s there for support or do they run their own caseload?
- Homecare: Patients per day or week? Where and how big is your territory? Mileage reimbursement?
- Work week expectations?
- Some employers might expect weekend or later night hours.
- Outpatient: there may be 12-hour days, to accommodate early and late appointments.
- Homecare: Always known for its “flexible schedules” how flexible are they truly?
- Hospitals and other: Possible opportunities for 4-10 hours days, or “30 for 40” where you work the weekend but get paid for full 40 hours.
- Are you hourly or salaried? Both of course come with their ups and downs. For instance, changes in how you accrue time off, how and if you will be reimbursed if you work over 40 hours.
- Documentation systems and expectations
- This one varies wildly between facilities and could mean being buried in your computer depending on what EMR is used and what the expectations are.
- Will you be supervising an assistant? Who writes the progress notes in this facility?
- Covid/personal health expectations:
- Booster or masking expectations?
- Possibly lifting expectations if this is a concern for you?
Ok, now you’ve asked the right questions…
Time to Advocate for Yourself:
Before you jump in and sign on the dotted line, I urge you to take a breath. Before you do accept the job, you should consider doing some of the following.
Ask to shadow: Spend a day with a Therapist. Expect them to be on their best behavior so ask them questions, but again take it with a grain of salt. One thing to ask is how long everyone has been there. If you are surrounded by 5 Therapists all who have been hired in the last year, you may want to run. Unless that is due to immense growth in the company. Conversely if you note multiple Therapists who have been around many years this is a great sign. This (may also possibly) be true if you notice while hunting for jobs the same facility keeps coming back open every 4-5 months (steer clear).
Otherwise, what you do want to do is keep your eyes open. Does everyone in the room look miserable, or are they friendly? Check out the quality of the facility, and the general overall happiness of the patients. Ask to look over their shoulder while they document. SNF’s: Do they have someone transporting, or are you rushing off to get your own patients? Outpatient: how much overlapping is there? Hospitals: How supportive are the non-Therapy staff? Red flag: If the interviewer said one thing at the table, but you are seeing something very different in the trenches, not a good sign.
Ask about the Benefits: In this case we are referring to the basics, health benefits etc. If this is your first or maybe second job, you may not yet realize how a change in job could drastically affect your health benefits. This could mean for instance significantly higher premiums, which ultimately leads to significantly lower paychecks. If for instance you are going from a large hospital to a small mom and pop outpatient clinic, expect a sticker shock. This goes for retirement matching as well. These can be big perks that might make a lower paying job seem more attractive.
Time off is another big point of variability in our profession. Not only how many days off are you getting, but also how fast you can utilize this is important. Does your vacation time carry over onto next year? Often the interviewer will spat off much of the benefit information. So don’t hesitate to ask for literature on all the above, as you are likely not going to remember every number.
Ask about the “Other” Benefits: One major question you should be asking is regarding continuing education. This should be important to you, as it will drive your professional progress. During your interview be weary of noncommittal or overgeneralized answers from your soon to be boss. They must learn this trick in “leadership class” so be ready for it. Now is the time to ultimately “write your contract” with your new employer. So, if you start hearing answers like: “oh yes we have coffers of money for that.” Smile politely and ask for hard numbers or better clarity.
If you expect your employer to pay for your professional organization’s membership, now is the time to do this. Understand however, that these types of benefits seem to be disappearing. This is also the time to make note of anything you want on the record. Can you not work after 6pm for instance, make it known now. This way you are being completely upfront from the beginning.
Ask about support: Especially if this is a new career for you, it’s important to ask about mentorship and support. You should ask how they handle the ramping up process to your caseload. Who and how do they want your questions. When and how will they be giving you feedback on how you are doing? If they don’t have great answers for this, it may be a red flag regarding organization or leadership in the facility.
Best of luck in your interview. You likely have already been offered the job or might be possibly on a second interview. So, it’s time to advocate for yourself and get started with clear expectations on both sides of the table.
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