Exploring Audiology Externs: Building Your Talent Pipeline

Employment of audiologists is projected to grow 11% from 2023 to 2033. About 800 openings for Audiologists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. As the industry grows, along with your hearing healthcare practice, it’s important to keep pace with demand and position your business to be able to support your employment needs. A valuable way to do this is with audiology externships.

Externships are a great way for practices to build a long-term talent pipeline, while also giving back by facilitating an important learning experience for students.

The CQ Partners Recruiting Team has proven success hiring fourth-year externs, and is here to share that expertise with you. Let’s go over an outline for the process of bringing on an extern and discuss helpful resources to further educate yourself on the successes, challenges, and strategies behind a fourth-year extern.

How to Hire an Extern

1. Identify Your Needs Before you post an externship opening, you first want to identify the type of person that will best fit your needs and culture. The types of services that you provide at your business might also play a part in the type of person you bring on board both as it relates to their interests and how they can assist with your clinic.
2. Create an Ideal Candidate Profile Outline the ideal candidate to fill this role. What about them will make them a great fit for your practice? Think about both the personality traits and skill set. Common skills include:
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient care
   • Cochlear implants
   • Audiological evaluations
   • Videonystagmography (VNG) testing
   • Hearing loss
   • Hearing aid evaluations
   • Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) testing
   • Assistive listening devices
   • Test result interpretation
   • Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing
   • Hearing screenings
   • Diagnostic evaluations
3. Make a Budget Compensating a fourth-year audiology extern is important because they are providing valuable clinical services to patients while simultaneously going through crucial hands-on training. You are more likely to attract top talent by offering a monthly stipend or small compensation and it can also be seen as equity and fairness. These externs are then in turn more likely to provide the best patient care. Some important considerations include compliance with regulations, supervision requirements, and level of responsibility assigned to an extern.
   As of August 2024, the average hourly pay for an audiology externship in the US is $24.67, with the range being $13.22-$34.13. Here are some industry pay statistics to consider when deciding on competitive compensation:
   • ZipRecruiter – In September 2024, the average hourly rate for an audiology externship in the United States was $25, which is 30.144% higher than the national average.
   • WS Audiology – The average yearly pay for an externship at WS Audiology is around $45,000, which is 14% below the national average.
   • Thomas Jefferson University – In Philadelphia, PA, an audiology externship at Thomas Jefferson University offers a stipend of around $35,000.
   • VA medical centers – VA medical centers are often more likely to offer salaried positions than unpaid ones.
4. Create a Job Description A job description for an audiology externship role includes a summary of the job’s main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply. Your team at CQ Partners has templates and expertise to help you with this specific task.
5. Post Your Job Once you’ve decided on the specifics of the role, it’s time to get the word out. Common and effective ways to promote your extern opening include:
   • Posting on audiology specific job boards
   • Utilizing social media platforms such as LinkedIn
   • Attending university job fairs
   • Conducting outreach to their audiology programs
   • Using word of mouth between colleagues
6. Interview, Send Offer, Onboard Now that the applications have started to come in, you’re ready to start making you selection for the candidate that will best fit your practice. Interviews usually consist of a phone/zoom initial interview followed by an in-person interview. Making sure that the candidates skill set, and personality attributes align with business goals and culture are crucial, regardless of the externship only lasting a year. CQ Partners’ Recruiting Team can guide you on interview questions, offer templates, and onboarding procedures.

Audiology Externship Resources

Supervision requirements of clinical fellows and audiology externs vary widely by state, setting, and institution. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) develops its own standards to meet minimum requirements for certification. Visit the resources below to learn more about roles and responsibilities of the preceptor, roles and responsibilities of the university, state laws and compliance, and a virtual session geared towards audiology clinical externship coordinators.

• American Academy of Audiology Clinical Education Guideline
• ASHA Compliance / State Laws
• Clinical Coordinators: Strategies, Struggles, and Successes

As the demand for hearing health care increases, and the employment rate continues to increase, audiology externships will allow you to continue to support your growth goals and build your talent pipeline for years to come. The right process, resources, and the help of your team at CQ Partners will ensure you achieve externship success.

About the Author

Jason DiOttavio joined CQ Partners as a Corporate Recruiter in 2011. Previously, he worked as an agency recruiter for a staffing firm specializing in IT/Administrative roles including such large companies as Dietz & Watson. When not working, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters. He’s also obsessed with cooking shows and finding new ice cream and donut shops.