Smart hiring leads to a strong, happy team. Photos courtesy of Dr. Eric Hammond.
Six repeatable staffing strategies to hire faster, fairer and scale your growing practice
By Eric Hammond, OD
April 7, 2026
With our office growing at about 20% per year for two years in a row from 2021-2023, we were hiring about 10 people per year on average.
If you’ve ever hired that many people, or even half that, you know winging it doesn’t really work. Over time, we built a process that’s repeatable, fair and scalable. None of this is revolutionary. Most of it was borrowed, tested and refined until it worked for us.
Here’s what actually made the biggest difference when it comes to hiring.
1. Cast a Wide Net—Then Filter
When I posted a recent technician/front-desk hybrid position, we received 48 applications in just three days. That can feel very overwhelming to peruse every resume diligently. Instead of screening out anyone lacking optometry experience, I approved 35 resumes—about a 73% approval rate— and moved them on to the next round. I just look for a “well put together” resume with some customer facing positions or team-work jobs. Some previous work experiences my staff had before us include Target, fast-food cashier, truck driving, marines or college grads with 0 work experience.
The goal early on isn’t to eliminate people. It’s to cast the fishing net.
2. Craft Job Ads That Speak to Gen Z and Millennials
Research shows today’s job seekers read only the first two paragraphs—or, in the case of Gen Z, the first two sentences—before deciding to apply. To grab their attention, I designed our Indeed ad using concise bullet points instead of long paragraphs. Each bullet highlights a core benefit or day-to-day task. The more detailed “nice-to-haves” and internal-use information appears further down, where only truly interested candidates will scroll.
We always specify “training provided” after the job opportunity, which we’ve found to be an important addition for attracting Gen Z candidates. I include a brief description when necessary. For example, they may not know what an optician does, so we note that this includes sales of eyeglasses.
Tip: Lead with “What’s in it for them” to spike curiosity, then layer on responsibilities, culture points and growth opportunities.
3. Remove Unnecessary Barriers to Entry
I deliberately deleted every “must-have” requirement Indeed asks that might dissuade a candidate from applying—no mandatory years of experience, no rigid certifications. We want to be gatekeepers, not gate-closers. Candidates should apply first so we can assess their potential, not self-select out before we ever see their resume.
Caveat: Always check your state’s labor and licensure laws. My hiring practices in Texas differ from California’s regulations—especially when it comes to on-the-job training and delegation.
4. Use Objective Pre-Employment Assessments
To make hiring more scientific, every candidate completes two timed online tests before a Zoom interview: a typing test and an aptitude assessment. This is sent out to the resumes you approve of. In our most recent hiring round:
- The top performer scored in the 98th percentile on typing speed.
- Mid-range candidates fell around the 40-60th percentiles.
- Our lowest scorer was at the 15th percentile—an automatic red flag for any typing intensive position.
Always take the typing test yourself. I can type 100wpm on some tests, but the one we use is very difficult, and I could only manage 68wpm.
I set my bar at the 30th percentile for the aptitude test; anything below that rarely succeeds in our fast-paced environment. As for typing, I’m more lenient because we use software tools and speech-to-text when needed. If a candidate “cheats” by using a calculator or cheat sheet, I celebrate their resourcefulness—it means they know how to leverage available tools, which is precisely the mindset I want on the team.
5. Standardize the Zoom Interview
Interviews are notoriously subjective. To minimize bias, I ask each candidate the exact same set of five questions—no improvisations, no “gut feelings.” This way, I can compare responses side by side, score them objectively and identify the best fits based on both data and dialogue.
- When you found the job ad, what drew your attention to it?
- What about your previous job experience do you think would help in this role?
- Did you get a chance to look at our website, and do you have any questions about it?
- Do you have any questions about the job or our office?
- Do you have a reliable form of transportation?
It turns what used to be a “vibe check” into a repeatable, fair process. Choose your favorites! Always end with “Do you have any questions for me about our office or the job itself?”
6. Pilot with a Paid “Working Interview”
Before extending a permanent offer, I invite my top candidates for a paid, two-to-four-hour working interview. They sign a HIPAA confidentiality agreement, perform front-desk tasks and assist patient workups or optical sales. Almost every state requires you to pay for on-the-job evaluations, so we compensate at the same hourly rate as our trainees. It’s a win-win: we see how they interact with patients and systems, and they get a real feel for our pace and culture.
Putting It All Together
In the past five years, I’ve overseen the hiring of more than 40 employees. Our practice revenue has exceeded $10 million. Having hiring and training systems in place has allowed us to build a team that supports us on this journey of practice growth.
By treating our practice as a flexible, ever-evolving organism, we’ve built a staffing pipeline that’s fair, data-driven and scalable. From a broadly appealing ad and nearly identical approach to aptitude testing, we ensure we attract quality talent and invest our time where it counts.
Read more from Dr. Hammond here.
Read more on staff management here.
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Eric Hammond, OD, is a partner with Lakeline Vision Source in Cedar Park, Texas. To contact him: DrEric@lakelinevision.com |
