Recruitment is one of the biggest challenges for private dental practices; they have to make sure that the people they hire are competent, and that they also understand and fit within the company’s culture. This is especially important if they’re targeting a certain demographic or type of patient. Then, they have to make sure that they’re trustworthy and are going to be loyal. This is not something that’s easy to do, but it is possible if you apply the proper techniques. Let’s take a look at a few recruitment tips for dental practices.
Go with a Specialised Website
The first thing you have to do is choose the proper website for recruitment. While it’s always good to put your listing on a general job site, it’s better to pay special attention to those that revolve around your industry. Sites like www.dentaljobsonline.ie are a perfect example. These attract a more motivated type of applicant and are also the best place to catch fresh talent. If you treat them right, this is the type of employee that you can expect to retain for a long time, and they might become advocates for you in the future.
Be Patient
One very important thing to remember when hiring is that you don’t do so in haste. If your receptionist has just given you their one-week notice, it would be easy to panic and hire the first decent person you come across, but that could be a big mistake. You have to take the time to verify their information and references. This might seem like a minor position, but receptionists handle a lot of important and sensitive information. Hiring the wrong one could lead to appointments or clients lost, or even data breaches.
Know-How to Write Job Descriptions
This is one of the most important parts if you want someone that will fit the job’s requirement but will also be a good fit for your clinic’s personality and brand. A cosmetic dentist will probably not have the same brand image and expectation out of their employees as a generalist. So, you have to make sure that it is embedded in the description so you can facilitate your search and make your application pool more relevant.
Step back and look at the position you want to fill, then start drafting the job description. Even if you have a description in your employee manual, you should consider writing a new one. This is especially important if you have introduced new technologies into your dental practice. You want the description to be as clear as possible. You also want them to know what tasks they’re going to be performing and the skills needed. Here are a few questions you’ll need to ask:
- What is the job’s purpose?
- What daily duties need to be performed?
- Are there additional duties?
- What instruments and equipment will need to be used?
- How will the position be supervised?
- How much autonomy will they have in their role?
- What numerical, verbal, or technical skills will be needed?
We would also suggest you speak with the departing employee if they’re open to it. They may be able to review the job description and see if the tasks are accurate. They might also be able to make recommendations about tasks they feel aren’t adding value to the practice.
Advertising the Position
You also need to be proactive if you want to fill your recruitment needs fast. While many sites will allow you to advertise, one of the best ways to advertise job positions is on social media. A lot of people look for jobs this way nowadays. Sites like LinkedIn allow you to post jobs and take applications directly from the applicant’s LinkedIn profile. Status updates are also a great way to attract attention to your listings.
Facebook is another great place to advertise jobs. Few people know this, but you can actually use paid ads to advertise openings. It’s important that you have a job post on your page as well. You will be able to target based on location and different criteria that will allow you to refine your choice.
The Application and Interview Process
The application should have both a cover letter and a few simple instructions. The cover letter will not only give you a chance to get a glimpse of their literary and communication skills but learn about their personality as well. The application should also allow you to gather names and contact information for references. Make sure to ask them to write a few sentences about why they want to work for you and what makes them the ideal candidate.
This will give you an even deeper insight into their personality, but it’ll also give you a better idea of how long you can expect them to stay. Then, you can eliminate those who can’t follow simple instructions.
We also suggest that you go with a phone interview first. This is particularly important if you’re recruiting for a phone job, but you can always get a good sense of the type of person you’re dealing with over the phone. Doing so will allow you to sense how genuine and enthusiastic they are. This alone could allow you to filter out a lot of time wasters and accelerate your research while reducing HR’s workload.
When creating questions, try to keep them strictly about the job and its functions. Stay away from subjects like religion, marriage, or hobbies. You should also put potential candidates in hypothetical situations where they would need to solve problems fast. Also, ask about difficult situations they have had to deal with in previous jobs and how they dealt with them. Last, but not least, ask them questions that will tell you whether or not they did their homework on your practice. You could ask them why they chose your practice over others, for instance.
You’ll be able to know instantly if they did their research or just sent their application to as many clinics as they could, waiting for one to stick. This will be very important if you want an employee that you’ll be able to retain.
These are all essential tips that will allow you to find efficient, motivated, and loyal employees. Make sure that you follow them to the letter and take the time to properly vet applicants before you make any hiring decision.
