5 Green Flags to Consider When Hiring for Your Clinic
Oh hello, it's Denzil here, Editor-in-Chief of Front Desk magazine.
I’m the one tapping away at the keyboard and hoping these words find you well.
I want to pull back the curtain on a topic close to my heart and crucial to any business: making decisions about people.
When I joined Jane, I started by building out Jane University — a training program on how to use the software (which eventually became what is known as Jane’s guide today).
During this period of building things from scratch, it became glaringly obvious that people were… well, very human.
Some people resisted any form of guidance like it was their job, while others seemed to thrive under a helping hand. And then some thought they could rewrite the entire DNA of the place from day one.
Spoiler alert: resistance rarely worked to graduate our program.
But what fascinated me the most was seeing how different people responded to hitting a wall.
Would they pull up their sleeves and work harder? Would they reach out for help? Would they collapse under the pressure?
I started to notice what separated the people who succeeded from the people who didn’t, bottled that knowledge up, and used it as the ‘secret sauce’ in my own little framework for hiring.
The “green flags” framework to build out your dream team
When I’m hiring for my team, I go beyond whether or not the candidate can follow instructions (although, following directions is important — no cover letter, no interview). I even go beyond whether or not I think they are qualified to do the job itself.
Instead, I try to actually understand the person in front of me, and whether their character matches up with my ‘green flags.’
You know, those things that make you think “Yep. This could be the one” and draw a little star next to their name.
Everyone has their own green flags — the traits and qualities that excite them — but here are a few of mine.
Green flag #1: There’s good banter
Some people may believe that the first few minutes of the interview are casual or perfunctory — just a bit of small talk before we “get into it” — but I couldn’t disagree more!
To me, those moments are super telling. If you’re paying attention, they can reveal a surprising amount about the person in front of you. So, I always make sure to stay observant.
Bonus points if they make me crack a genuine smile — I’ll be sure to remember that person.
Green flag #2: They teach me something
Humility and curiosity are definitely qualities I look for, but at the same time, I equally appreciate when someone has the confidence to explain to me something I don’t yet know. And there’s a lot I don’t know!
Not only is it impressive, but as someone who loves learning, it’s a sweet little bonus treat for my brain.
Green flag #3: They will fit into the environment
In some cases, asking people direct questions doesn’t work. For example, if you ask someone a question, like, “Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment?” they will likely say yes because they think that’s the right answer.
As psychotherapist Matt Lundquist mentions in Volume 3 of Front Desk magazine, sometimes you have to go beyond asking someone to self-report who they are and give them a problem to solve in front of you. That way, you’re seeing how their brain works in real time!
Just the other day I was interviewing a candidate, and I asked their thoughts on a piece of work related to the position. You can see the nerves, but what I’m looking for is whether they push through the nerves and play along. Better yet, do they express great ideas or something I didn’t think of myself?
Green flag #4: They can stay positive
When I ask, “Tell me about a challenging time,” I’m not just listening to the outcome of the story. I’m listening for any negative undertones in how they describe the situation, the people they worked with, and their manager.
I want to know: How does this person handle adversity? Can they be humble? Can they talk about something difficult and still see the light at the end of the tunnel?
Green flag #5: They demonstrate a real excitement for the work
Don’t just try to sell yourself (although I’m sure you’re great!).
What I really want to see is what gets you jazzed about this role, our culture, and our people. Partly this is because I’ve read your resume — I know what you’ve done. What I want to understand is how you can apply that here.
Also, I firmly believe that the best work gets done when you’re not just clocking in and out, but when you actively enjoy what you’re doing every day.
Be kind to yourself when making big hiring decisions
You might even feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information you have at your disposal, or the many options you have. And that’s okay — you’re only human!
But when it comes to hiring, peeling back the layers to understand the person in front of you can help make the decision a lot clearer.
So, that’s a quick sketch of my framework for decision-making in interviews, but tell me about yours!
What are the green flags that get you excited about an interviewee? Drop me a line at [email protected] 📨
This is an adapted version of the Front Desk editor newsletter, sent biweekly to magazine subscribers.
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