First Impression Checklist

Hint: A great tool for interviewing job applicants

by Susan Keane Baker

1.	Do you speak first when you see a patient, visitor, family member?	YES	NO
2.	Are you quick to smile at patients, visitors, family members?	YES	NO
3.	Do you introduce yourself, giving your first and last name clearly?	YES	NO
4.	Do you explain your role in an understandable way?	YES	NO
5.	Do you orient the patient to what will happen next?	YES	NO
6.	Do you make eye contact with the patient?	YES	NO
7.	Do you wear a visible and legible identification badge at chest or collar level?	YES	NO
8.	Is your clothing neat and professional in appearance?	YES	NO
9.	Do patients see you following standard precautions?	YES	NO
10.	Are you conscientious about protecting patient confidentiality?	YES	NO
11.	Do you try to speak with the patient on the same physical level?	YES	NO
12.	Do you use the patient’s name at least once?	YES	NO
13.	Do you listen to the patient’s initial statement without interrupting?	YES	NO
14.	Is your clothing & work area free of flip or inappropriate messages?	YES	NO
15.	Do you stop any personal conversations when a patient approaches you?	YES	NO
16.	Do you respond to requests with kindness?	YES	NO
17.	Do you give your undivided attention for the first 60 seconds?	YES	NO
18.	Do you find out what the patient needs before addressing your needs?	YES	NO
19.	Do you use courtesy words - please, thank you, you’re welcome?	YES	NO
20.	Do you ask your patient how he/she would like to be addressed?	YES	NO
21.	Do you speak your name slowly and clearly when you answer the telephone?	YES	NO
22.	Do you listen for the caller’s name at the outset of the call?	YES	NO
23.	Do you use the caller’s name at least once during the call?	YES	NO
24.	Do you refrain from making negative remarks about co-workers?	YES	NO
25.	Do you appear happy in your position?	YES	NO
Give yourself 4 points for every "YES" answer. Scoring: 92-100 Impossible to score this high. 76-88 WOW! 60-72 Some fine tuning and you’re exceptional Below 60 - Ouch!
How To Use The First Impression Checklist: Ask job applicants to complete it, sign and date. Where an applicant has answered "no" and the question is a standard in your organization, you know the training will be needed. If an applicant answers "yes", but doesn’t demonstrate the behavior(s) on the job, you can pull the checklist from the personnel record and ask him/her for an explanation. Use as a staff meeting exercise. Follow with a discussion about which questions are the most important for your organization. Build some consensus around a short list of behaviors that everyone in the organization will use to create positive first impressions.

You Are Welcome To Reprint This Article

Please include the following text on your reprint:

Copied with permission of the author, Susan Keane Baker.
Source: www.susanbaker.com.

If You Are Going To Publish This Article at Your Website

Please use the following html code for the reference to our website:

Copied with permission of the author: Susan K. Baker - <a href="http://www.susanbaker.com">Speaker on Patient Satisfaction and Handling Patient Complaints</a>