The Benefits of Hiring Candidates With Empathy
Behavioral health professionals provide support to patients in distress. Holding jobs such as nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, and social workers, they help patients manage serious conditions, including depression, mental health, and addiction.
These patients have bravely recognized the serious issues they face and are seeking treatment for them. Doing so can be very scary, intimidating and painful, so they need the support of an empathetic behavioral health professional.
Find out why empathy should always be a requirement when hiring behavioral health professionals.
Patients Feel More Comfortable
It’s hard to open up to a cold, gruff behavioral health professional. When patients are uneasy, they keep their feelings and symptoms bottled up inside, which serves as a barrier to treatment.
An emotional connection is needed to get patients to trust the person treating them. The kind and caring nature of professionals with empathy makes patients feel safe, allowing them to relax, so they can get the quality treatment they need and deserve.
They Want to Make a Positive Change
Empathetic people are on a mission to do good. They hate to see patients in pain, so they’ll do anything in their power to help. Expect them to put 110 percent effort into their jobs each day, because they recognize the importance of their work and don’t want to let their patients down. Their job satisfaction comes from watching patients take control of their health, so they can become the best version of themselves.
They’re Better Team Players
Behavioral health professionals work as a team. Sometimes this necessitates going above and beyond one’s job duties for the sake of a patient. Workers with empathy don’t think twice about this, because they truly have the patient’s best interests at heart. If they need to stay late to cover for a colleague or take on an extra shift, they’ll do it with a smile, because they realize their work truly makes a difference.
They’re More Self-Aware
Most people don’t have trouble owning their strengths, but many find it difficult to admit their weaknesses. Empathetic people are the exception to the norm, because they’re highly aware of their own capabilities. They know they’re not miracle workers, so they won’t promise something unless they know they can deliver. This helps to better manage patient expectations, as it can be frustrating for everyone if progress doesn’t happen as quickly as predicted.
They Have More Self-Control
Working in a behavioral health setting can be trying. Sometimes patients behave erratically and loved ones displace their frustration on staff. Clapping back is both unprofessional and unhelpful, but you can count on empathetic workers to keep their cool. They know outbursts in their direction aren’t really about them, so they’re able to brush these incidents off with ease.
Instead of becoming angry and defensive, they feel for people suffering through a rough time.
Proper training can turn anyone into a behavioral health professional, but only those with empathy will truly exceed in this field. To learn more about how we can help you find top behavioral health talent, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].