15 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Holistic Practitioner

Alternative medicine is a holistic approach to the care and healing of the human body on a physical, spiritual and emotional plane. Its premise is to promote good health and healing by taking care of the human as a whole. This is often in direct opposition to the more traditional venues of medicine which focus mainly on treating the symptoms of a disease.

According to NaturopathicSchools.com, only 14 states in the United States currently allow holistic practitioners. Other states may allow only non-medical procedures unless the holistic physician has additional degrees or certifications.

In your search for a holistic practitioner, you may find the field to be broad and varied. Some practitioners may totally embrace holistic practices, such as herbology, alternative diets, aromatherapy, etc. while others may consider a combination of these practices along with traditional medicine practices. In an effort to hire the type of holistic practitioner that will fit with your ideals, be sure to ask the following questions in your interviews:

1. What degrees do you currently hold or are working toward?
2. Are you available to work nights and/or weekends? (If applicable)
3. Do you work well in a fast-paced environment?
4. Are you available to work part-time or full-time?
5. What area of naturopathic medicine is your specialty?
6. What previous experience do you have?
7. How do you feel about working with children/adults/the elderly?
8. Are you available to work at several of our locations? (If applicable)
9. Do you have a license and malpractice insurance?
10. How do you feel about the use of drugs in the treatment of patients?
11. Do you work better in a team environment or alone?
12. Do you have a positive outlook and attitude?
13. Are you willing to work in a fee-sharing arrangement environment/competitive salary/etc.?
14. What do you know about our company and why do you want to work for us?
15. How can you benefit this company?

When interviewing a candidate, take into consideration his/her communication skills and note how well they relate ideas and their mannerisms. Be sure to ask for at least three professional references when choosing a holistic practitioner. Find out if he/she has an interest in the services you offer in your clinic, such as detoxification, functional medicine, acupuncture, women's health, osteopathic manipulation, digestive disorders or any other pertinent types of medicine.

I sometimes audio tape interviews as well as take notes. Doing this will allow you to review and compare each candidate's answer in his own voice. Do remember that job seekers at any level are under a certain amount of stress so take that into consideration when conducting your interview. Also, in addition to these job-specific interview questions, it helps to ask a few behavior-based questions to make sure the personality of the practitioner you hire fits with your own. According to Alison Doyle on About.com, a behavioral interview helps you discover how your candidate acted in specific employee-related situations. "Past performance predicts future performance." Ask for examples of how the practitioner handled certain situations, especially those that might or have occurred within your own practice.

Asking questions and understanding your candidate will go a long way toward helping you hire the best holistic practitioner for the job.