19 Jan FUTURE PROOFING YOUR DENTAL HIRING
Dentistry is a fast paced, ever evolving industry. From the tools and techniques used to treat patients through to the range of treatments, products and services a practice offers, it can be hard to keep up with trends and advancements.
The traditional staff structure is also rapidly changing, and most modern dental practices are now using a combination of permanent team members, visiting consultants/specialists and casual or temporary staff to balance demand.
Looking ahead is crucial to longevity in any industry, but becomes even more important in the healthcare sector. Read on to find out four strategies you can employ today to future proof your human resources tomorrow and beyond.
1. Hire People for their Cultural Fit
Finding the right candidate isn’t always about choosing the person who has been doing their job the longest or has well above the regulated minimum qualifications.
When someone fits in well with the culture at your practice, they’ll be happier in their jobs. Engaged employees typically perform better and will stay with their employer for longer. Your staff are fundamental in the overall patient journey and experience, so you need to make sure you have a team you can trust.
Think about your practice’s mission statement or values and how your potential new employees fit with that vision. Imagine them interacting with your patients and existing employees in a variety of scenarios.
If you choose to go for a greener candidate who has the right attitude, make sure you are prepared to put the time into mentoring and coaching them to get their skill level up. This is important, even if it means engaging ancillary staff temporarily to ensure coverage. Nobody likes paying “double wages” but giving your new hire the attention they need will pay off in the long run.
2. Think About What Perks You Can Offer
High turnover is not uncommon in the dental industry, but it can have a big impact, both on your patients and your bottom line. Patient trust is built on the relationship they have with you and your team so it’s important to consider ways that you can retain your talent.
If you want to attract great staff, you must be a great employer. Think about what matters to your team. Can you use your practice opening hours or engage temporary staff or casuals to help your team achieve work life balance with flexible work arrangements? Do you have regular team building exercises beyond regular meetings?
The picture of what makes you somewhere people want to work will be different depending on your style of practice, but people demand more than a wage in exchange for loyalty these days and this will only continue in the future.
3. Consider Hybrid Roles
The industry has already started moving towards blended roles like a Dental Hygienist/Therapist that takes on everything from x-rays to Invisalign so the dentists have more time to spend on major dentistry treatments.
By having team members who can perform more than one role you’ll be building a multiskilled workforce that will help you continue to adapt and evolve with the industry.
It’s important to ensure that you still have enough people for the workload. Cross skilled employees can really change the efficiency and profitability of your practice – but not if you have one person doing the work of two full time equivalent team members.
By supporting your team in hybrid roles with adequate support staff, tools and training you’ll be able to provide better care to more patients.
4. Use Flexible Staffing Strategies
Ancillary health care support staff are already being used now and this will continue to be a popular option into the future. In addition to covering shifts if someone is on planned or unplanned leave or helping you through peak times, a flexible staffing solution can also be a great way for you to offer expanded services without having full time staff on your books.
Using temporary staff to fill short term vacancies or as part of your overall staffing strategy doesn’t have to mean using recruitment agencies.
Apps like ANCI let you manage appointing and paying temporary support staff in an easy to use platform. You can view reviews about potential candidates before you appoint them, and liaising directly with the employee who will be working in your practice lets you build relationships and negotiate ongoing assignments with the same person.
Conclusion
With an aging population, economic fluctuations, technological advancements and various other factors impacting the future of dental, change is going to remain a constant in many practices into the future.
By taking the time to really consider the roles you need in your practice and how to balance your staffing across an expanding range of treatments, you’ll have employee resources you need to help you stay competitive, profitable and ready to adapt to this evolving industry.
How do you plan to future proof your practice? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comment box below!
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