Interviewing for aesthetic provider positions is vastly different from the normal interview process for many jobs. Aesthetics, especially injectable treatments, require high competencies in medical knowledge, artistic skill and marketing prowess and competition for the best injectors can be fierce between employers. So in a world where injectors often have their pick of positions, what should candidates be asking in the interview process to determine if a job is the best fit for them? And what should employers be asking to ensure that the candidate has the right skills and expectations to meet the demands of the position?

As the owner of TITAN Aesthetic Recruiting (www.titanaesthetic.com), I do a lot of counseling with both employers and candidates about bringing new injectors/providers into a clinic. There are key things for physicians/employers to consider as well as information that providers need to learn prior to accepting a job.  Below are lists to guide interview conversations for both Employers and Injectors.

Injector Questions

1. “What are the expectations for services that I  will provide  if hired? “  This is the time to share your current competency level and comfort with performing those treatments.

2. “What is the policy for H&Ps or Good Faith Exams and how does that work during clinic hours?”  Determine what resources are available for performing these exams and who is expected to conduct them.

3. “If there is a CME stipend, are there ways it can or cannot be used?”   Discuss training opportunities and skill development so everyone is clear on expectations.

4. “Describe the medical director involvement (if one is needed) and my ability to contact him/her when needed.”   I always recommend that injectors meet with the medical director before accepting a new job.  This should be a close relationship with clear communication about medical director involvement in the practice.

5. “Is there an annual review process in place?”  Clarity on how providers will be evaluated and how compensation will be addressed in the future can be critical to know in advance to ensure well-defined expectations for performance.

6. “Could you please walk me through the commission/bonus structure and share examples of what this looked like for previous injectors?”  Often, bonus or commission parameters are incredibly complicated, so walk through how you will be paid to be sure you understand.  This will prevent much confusion later!

7. “What is expected of me in terms of marketing and building my client base?”  Often new injectors are expected to build their own patient base through events, social media and networking.   Be sure to understand what your potential employer expects from you with marketing and business development and what they will do to support you as a new injector.

8. “What is your social media policy for posting patient pics, having your own account, etc.?”  With social media so prevalent in aesthetic marketing and awareness now, you’ll want to be sure you and your employer are in agreement about how you will use social media to build your patient base within their business. Additionally, you need to be sure that ANYTHING you post anywhere on social media will not jeopardize your brand, your employer’s brand or you ability to be promoted by the practice.

Employer Questions

1. “What services/procedures/products have you had experience with in previous positions and how do you rate your expertise with each of these treatments?”   If you ask a provider to delineate their competency in various procedures and then to rate that competency (1 = they wouldn’t treat their mom and 10 = they would treat Miss America), you can have a good understanding of how a candidate views their skills.  Those answers can lead to clarifying questions if needed.

2. “How have you worked with H&Ps or Good Faith Exam processes in the past?”  Explore if the candidate has had to complete GFEs for others previously or if they are already familiar with conducting these pre-treatment exams that are required in many states before an RN injector can treat a new patient.  This process needs to be clearly defined before an injector is hired.

3. “Have you received CME stipends from past employers and how have you used that benefit to develop your skills?”  If you provide a CME stipend, this is a very valuable benefit, so it is good to discuss how this can be used during the interview process and also opens up a good discussion about ongoing training options within the practice vs. what the candidate needs to provide on their own.

4. “Describe how you have worked with Medical Directors in previous practices and what support/direction you find most valuable from them?”  There is a wide range of involvement from medical directors across the country, so you will want to be sure that your candidate understands your relationship with this key partner and the communication process in place.  Will they support training?  Do they sign off on charts?  Are they involved in the hiring process?  

5. “What are your career goals once you begin working here?  Do you have thoughts on compensation changes as your patient base grows?  What are your goals for simply working the required hours vs. training or getting involved in the practice or the industry?”   I’m shocked at the number of candidates I speak with that tell me their goal is to get hired by a practice, work a couple of years and then leave to start their own business. You don’t want those providers in your practice either, so discuss how you support injectors as tenure grows and your expectations for retention.  

6. “Describe how you have been compensated at previous employers”   Compensation questions top the list of what I am asked at TITAN.  There is tremendous variability across practices, credentials, geography and experience levels, so this needs to be discussed EARLY on in the interview process.  Often you will gain great trust and loyalty with injectors by sitting down with them when the first check is cut and walking them through the commission/bonus structure so they know exactly how they are paid and how you get to that number.   Transparency in commission is the number one reason that I suggest paying on gross, not net revenues.  

7. “What is your plan for growing/building a patient base if we hire you for this position?”  Many practices expect the new injector to build their practice from scratch and many injectors expect their practice to do all of the marketing for them.  Having this discussion during the interview process identifies how you can work together with connections and resources to build a strong patient base for the new injector.   And NEVER hire an injector with the expectation that they will bring a “Book of Business” with them.    Happy to write more on that topic and the ethics involved if requested.

8. “What is your comfort level with social media/Instagram and is there anything out there that could compromise our promotion of you in our business?”   Once on the internet, forever on the internet.  Unfortunately, you need to ask this in the interview process (something I and others have learned the hard way) and you need to review your social media policy and expectations in the interview process so there are no surprises later.  But you also may expect a level of competency that the injector doesn’t have, so if you require social media posting, be prepared to discuss guidelines or provide training if necessary (especially for “more seasoned” injectors!).  

Remember that the interview should create a mutually satisfying partnership for both the injector and the employer, so be sure to discuss needs from both viewpoints.   Creating a strong set of goals early on in the interview process will help in finding the right person or the right job and make long term tenure in the position a much more achievable feat!

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