How to Hire the Best ABA and BCBA Therapists

How to Hire the Best ABA and BCBA Therapists

Here at Amvik Solutions, we recognize that one of the most vital components of running a successful ABA therapy clinic is hiring the best ABA and BCBA therapists to help provide quality services to your patients.
When a family recognizes the quality of staff your clinic offers, word is sure to spread, and the potential for growth becomes evident.
However, in order to get to this point, it is essential that you recruit and hire the brightest and most dedicated ABA therapists in the field. But simply waiting for top-tier talent to submit their resumes to your ABA therapy practice is not an effective measure to ensure you get the right people on your team.
Instead, consider the following 7 essential tips for recruiting and hiring outstanding ABA providers and therapists.

1. What can YOU offer?

Naturally, as an employer, you are going to be primarily concerned with the skills, education, and training of a potential candidate. Often times, clinics might approach this situation from the perspective of what the applicant will bring to the table. While this is a necessary aspect of the recruiting/hiring process, by considering what it is that your clinic can offer to the hopeful employee, you should be able to better entice a high-quality applicant.
Of course, this doesn’t happen without some analysis. You need to be honest about what you are able to offer and the type of environment your practice provides. What types of benefits are you able to include? As continuing education (CE) is such a relevant aspect of the medical world, consider if you are willing to enhance compensation by paying for education and training programs for the potential employee. Is your clinic utilizing up-to-date methodologies and technologies to provide services? How much time will your new staff member be able to actually spend providing ABA therapy services versus handling paperwork? These details can prove to be pivotal (or harmful) when recruiting top quality ABA therapists.

2. Consider more than just their education.

Understandably, education, training, and experience should play a healthy role when deciding to make a hire. But because ABA therapy is such a personal service, there are some soft skills that need to be accounted for as well.
A new therapist in your work system is going to require a bit of training, but a positive attitude, willingness to learn, and a healthy energy level are a few characteristics that cannot be taught. While interviewing with a potential candidate pay attention to cues that they are patient and caring –  absolute necessities when working with special needs children and adults.
Ultimately, remember that while an applicant with a degree from a top-tier college and program is ideal, it won’t account for all their abilities.

3. Target from outside your area when necessary.

While recruiting individuals who are already living in the city where your clinic is located can be an efficient way to hire quickly, you should be aware that you are limiting your options. By spreading a wider net, you are likely to run across better-qualified candidates.
Just bare in mind that you might have to provide a moving stipend. You should also encourage a face-to-face meeting prior to hiring so that the potential employee can have a first-hand experience with the city they will be moving to.

4. Actively recruit.

Recruiting the best and brightest is NOT a waiting game. You (or your HR department) need to take charge and begin networking to begin finding the right fit. This can include partnering with local universities and colleges to meet with soon-to-be-graduates, utilizing employment Facebook groups, speaking at conferences to showcase your clinic and recruit, and just outright advertising through traditional and social media channels to get your clinic’s name out there.
Honestly advocating for your own practice and discussing the unique benefits staff members will enjoy at your practice is sure to draw attention and interest from quality applicants.

5. Be prepared.

We all know that applicants should be on their “A” game when interviewing, but how often have you heard that the interviewer should be just as prepared?
Because interviews are often short-lived events – lasting about an hour or so – it’s important that you are able to uncover the true professional abilities, attitudes, and skills of the interviewee efficiently. This is especially true when trying to uncover a candidate’s true attitude and motivations; while on paper a candidate might seem like the perfect choice, their in-person demeanor can speak volumes on how well they will mesh with the work culture you have already established at your office and whether or not they are truly interested in the field or simply looking for a job.
Spend some time developing questions that are important to your particular practice and make sure to have job expectations, schedule, pay rate, and daily job responsibilities all laid out and available in writing. Attempting to wing this information during an interview can seem unprofessional and off-putting to a more experienced therapist.
Last, but not least, be honest and upfront out about job performance expectations. Being honest from the get-go will help to establish a relationship of trust and help you to avoid wasted time and resources down the road if things don’t work out.

6. Distinguish your practice.

New ABA and BCBA therapists, as well experienced providers, are always eager to join an organization “worth their salt”. One of these measures is the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence Accreditation which is “a trusted source for recognizing top-performing behavioral health providers… [by offering] a third party measurement system that differentiates top service providers from exceptional service providers.”
Measuring agency clinical leadership, staff qualifications and satisfaction surveys, and consumer satisfactions surveys, this accreditation can help you to distinguish your practice and draw attention from top-quality ABA therapists and providers.
Bear in mind that new graduates are looking for an established – and recognized – practice where they can learn the ropes and develop some meaningful connections.

7. Get your team involved.

One of the best tools when seeking out a top-tier therapist is using referrals from your current staff members.
Referrals are a great tool as they can help decrease turnover. Plus, the quality of candidate tends to be of higher standing, as current staff members will want to avoid recommending an inadequate person in order to not tarnish their own reputation.
Additionally, because current team members will have a thorough understanding of the system they work in, they will be able to effectively understand whether or not their recommendation can handle the environment and work.
Beyond these recommended tips for recruiting and hiring, consider the following qualifications when looking for an ABA therapist.
Education:

• BA degree in: Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Child Development, Education and other related fields.
• ABA or BCABA coursework.

Experience:

• Previous experience in the ABA field or working with patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Additional considerations:

• Capable of working independently.
• Reliable means of transportation.
• High-energy level.
• Able to learn from constructive criticism.

Make the job easier for your ABA therapists with WebABA Practice Management Software from Amvik Solution.

Give your new recruit the opportunity to flourish in what they do best by utilizing our WebABA support system that can help your practice with client intake, billing, payroll, day to day operations, and more.
If you haven’t implemented a practice management software in your practice yet, now is the time. Contact Amvik Solutions today at (805) 277-3392 to find out more about our WebABA services, billing services, credentialing services, and other options we provide.