Hi team, Sal here. I recently went back to school to talk to the grade 10s about a career in physiotherapy. One of the students sent me some follow up questions for an assignment about Career in Physiotherapy. I thought it would be good to share with you.

How important is self belief, resilience and motivation when being a physio?

Fairly important. Like any profession these are important attributes but if you happen to be someone who is working on their self belief and improving it there is still a place for you in physiotherapy. Often team environments are supportive.

What are some lifelong skills that are beneficial in the field of health and physiology?

Passion for helping people. Thirst for working out how something works. Interest in people and how they tick.

What are some preferred employee skills and attributes that employers favour?

Communication skills. Passion for what you are doing. Believing everyone matters (taking care of the people around you not just clients).

What are some current workplace issues and how do they affect the work environment?

For me the only issue I have at the moment is that we are short staffed (we have 2 physios overseas – 1 sitting her Canadian exam and 1 running for Australia as well as the fact we in fact need another physio on the team). This affects our work environment because we have to take action to make sure the physios who are working are taken care of (not overworked).

How do you approach your employee interviews and what are some ways or tips to help obtain selection or employment?

I prepare people for what will happen. I understand that sometimes people can be nervous so not to judge too quickly. We send a values questionnaire to potential applicants before meeting them to see if our values are in alignment. We then have quite a few steps in the process to work out if we are a good match for them and they for us. Our team is the most valuable thing we have here at Barefoot.

How often do you have performance appraisals with your employees and what are some topics that you cover?

3 monthly 1:1s with me. The theam have a sheet of questions they each prepare. I make the performance appraisals all about them (they in a sense give their own appraisal and we discuss).

What is the most common issue you discuss with your employees when evaluating their performance and ways for development?

Most common issue… helping them understanding prioritisation ie: what is the most important thing for them to be doing at any one time. Although this seems straight forward it is quite a skill and interestingly as you get more senior the more responsibility you have and therefore the higher level of prioritisation skill required.

If you have any further questions or if you are interested in a career in Physiotherapy or Health feel free to email or call me – sal@barefootphysiotherapy.com.au