It might also be worthwhile to invest in a telephone headset for the receptionist to make telephone conversations easier. Compare the job description for the position with what the staff member really does. Determine whether the work that staff member is doing is appropriate to his or her position. For example, if the receptionist is constantly being interrupted by incoming phone calls while trying to assist arriving patients or is having to leave the reception station repeatedly to look for charts, you could ask someone else to triage incoming calls and require that file clerks retrieve the charts. This way the reception station won't be abandoned, and the receptionist can take on tasks that are more easily interrupted when patients need assistance.
Work environment plays an important role in job satisfaction.
Keeping staff turnover low begins with hiring staff members who are a good match for the practice and the position. Although the article is about hiring physicians, many of the suggestions offered in it, such as conducting thorough reference checks, finding out why a candidate left a previous job and ensuring a candidate's skill set matches the job description, can be used for hiring staff as well. You should also evaluate your training processes. Find out whether staff members are following standard procedures to accomplish tasks. It's critical that adequate time and resources are dedicated to providing proper training and enhancing the skills of new staff members.