As an independent pharmacy owner, your pharmacy manager has the ability to make your life easier and boost your profits. In the same light, the wrong pharmacy store manager can hurt the success of your store. When hiring a manager, look for a candidate who not only demonstrates the work experience listed on his or her resume, but someone who also has the results to back it up. For example, your candidate should be able to share examples of how he/she has contributed to the bottom line in previous positions and additionally he/she should be able to provide a list of references who can vouch for the work performed.

Here are the top 3 attributes to look for in your next pharmacy store manager:

Drives Sales And Exceeds Goals

If you want to thoroughly test candidates, share a sample of your annual business goals for your store and then ask each candidate to provide some possible solutions based on your data. This exercise is a great way to see if the candidate has the ability to problem solve and is sales oriented.

Specifically ask the candidate how he/she would lead the pharmacy team to increase sales. If the applicant truly understands the value of human capital and how to lead, answers should look like this:

Giving praise for hard work and achievements individually and as a team
Being open, honest and communicative with team members
Continually coaching team members to sharpen their skills
Supervising and influencing time management
Holding employees accountable
Increasing morale with creative and cost-effective rewards

Strong Leadership

To succeed, your store’s team needs someone who will lead by example. Anideal management candidatemust be a leader for both your team and your business. If an applicant shows signs of weakness or too much leniency, it could spell disaster for your company in the future. The manager must be able to delegate tasks appropriately while running the store effectively. These are some important examples to look for:

Ability to recruit, hire and retain top talent
Ability to multi-task under pressure in a fast-paced environment
Ability to adhere to the company’s budget
Ability to work effectively with other store managers (and you)
Ability to execute plans in a timely manner
Ability to solve problems small and large

Affinity For Customer Service

An ideal management candidate should understand the value of your existing customers along with building new customer trust and relationships. Regardless of whether a customer is a “regular” or a new patient, a good manager will lead his team to exceed expectations at every opportunity.

Your top candidate should encompass some or all of these attributes:

Gives undivided attention to customers
Is courteous and a good listener regardless if they are getting a compliment or a complaint
Is able to solve problems quickly and innovatively
Is professional, calm and patient at all times
Shows delight in helping people and making things “right”

If you find a manager who meets all or most of this criteria, you will be on the path to operating a successful independent pharmacy business, primed for growth. Hiring the right talent (and eliminating the wrong talent) will help you build a stronger reputation for yourself as a pharmacy owner. Word will quickly get out that your store is the premier pharmacy with the best customer service in town.

If you need more help with hiring the right talent or leading your team, PDS can help, simply click below to schedule a call with an expert Business Advisor.