Part 1:
Selecting and Hiring Employees
You’re only as good as the people you hire.
Ray Kroc, Founder of McDonald’s
Properly trained and motivated staff are essential for survival in today’s dental practice world. Although this at first appears to be a singular task, in fact dental practice owners must meet several steps or objectives along the way. These objectives include:
- To hire the best applicants possible.
- To compensate employees appropriately
- To motivate employees to perform well.
- To assess employee performance.
To accomplish these goals, practice owners must organize and manage the staffing part of the practice. Staffing is a critical resource area (along with financial, technical, and physical areas). It should be called “human resource management,” to equate it in importance with the other management areas of the practice.
Chapter 21 describes various types of dental staff members. Each practitioner will need to decide the type and number of each category of employee they require in their practice. Because dental staff is the single largest expense item in most practices, the practice owner should take care that each employee is fully used before deciding to hire another.
ATTRACTING THE BEST APPLICANTS
The obvious purpose of the employment process is to place the most appropriate person in a position so that the dental office can operate efficiently and effectively. This apparently simple process depends on several background facts. A dental practice owner must specify what the position entails and determine what characteristics and training they need in a person who would hold that position. The problem then becomes matching and finding the right person to fill the job.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The first step in the hiring process is to write a job description that explicitly lists the job holder’s duties. The reason for doing this is to clarify the qualifications that are important for an applicant to possess. In addition, the practice owner can discuss in more detail with each interviewee the tasks that they will do based on the job description.
The practice owner must know what is needed to perform effectively in the given position. What are the duties of the person who will hold the job? Who will the person in this job interact with, and what are the responsibilities associated with the job? The job description defines the duties of the role. The dentist must write this description, so it is easy to understand, succinct, and yet detailed enough that a person who applies for or holds the position knows what they are expected to do. The description should consist of specific, observable, job‐related behaviors rather than attitudinal or general characteristics that are immaterial to performance on the job. A useful offshoot of developing a job description is that this essentially becomes the performance appraisal instrument. Because it consists of what a person is supposed to do on the job, assessing performance on these specific behaviors is easy. If you have someone currently working in the role, the easiest way to write a job description is to have that person write down all the procedures they do during a typical day or week. If you are starting up a new practice, then developing a job description becomes more difficult. The list of what they do on the job must be the basis of the job description.
RECRUITING FOR AND ADVERTISING THE POSITION
Recruiting involves the development of a pool of potential employees. Advertising is one obvious method to gather these people, through either newspapers, internet bulletin boards, or through internal (staff) referral. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages.
Advertising is the most common form of identifying potential employees. Generally, the practice owner places an advertisement on internet lists or in the local newspaper (Sunday employment section). The ad should be specific for the job the dental office is filling, be positive in tone, and avoid misleading or discriminatory statements (Box 26.1). Several techniques can help an advertisement to stand out from the others. Simply making it more prominent, placing borders or white areas around it, or using bold or a different typeface can draw a prospect’s eye to the advertisement. Unless the practice owner wants many calls or is looking for a fresh face, they should consider including the phrase experienced or the more restrictive dental office experience required in the advertisement. The practice owner may want to have the applicant phone or send a résumé to the office.
Internet bulletin boards and lists are rapidly replacing newspaper advertising for many dental offices seeking employees. They are inexpensive and common. Not everyone knows or uses these information sources, nevertheless. A dental office might miss many qualified potential employees, especially older workers, if it uses only internet advertising.
Another common form of recruiting is having existing practice employees identify friends or associates who may be searching for a change in employment. The practice owner can then contact them to determine their interest. A dentist must not “raid” neighboring dentists of their staff. Suppose the potential employee is presently working for another dental practice in the area. In that case, that person (employee) must initiate the contact and express an interest themselves before the hiring practice owner has any dealings with them. Although this may not eliminate ill will between the hiring dentist and the other practice owner, it should reduce it. Some practice owners offer a bonus or reward for an employee who identifies a new employee for the practice. If the present employees are happy and satisfied working there, they should be some of the best recruiters.
Some dental offices may keep a list of acceptable candidates from previous job opportunities in their practice. Others may use a private placement service or a university‐based workforce service. The practice owner should know that private placement services charge a substantial fee for finding an employee that a dentist can find just as quickly.
If the dental office keeps a list, it can also use it for short‐term and part‐time employees. Or temporary placement services furnish employees on a daily basis. The dental office might use them as an opportunity to “try out” several people, looking for the person or the characteristics that are needed. Again, such services are expensive, but they do offer a solution to limited‐time needs for the practitioner.
SELECTING THE BEST OF THE APPLICANTS
When a dentist has attracted several applicants, they must select the best one for their office.
THE APPLICATION
Unless an office owner wants the office staff to be unaware that they are hiring a new person, the potential applicants should phone the office. (The dental office should not use the primary patient lines in the advertisement and should have the applicants call a private number, if possible.) This allows the receptionist to assess the applicants’ telephone communication skills. It also allows them to screen out unacceptable candidates by briefly describing the job and asking qualifying questions, such as salary requirements and experience. If the job has some undesirable component (e.g. evening hours two nights a week), the dental office should tell prospective applicants at this point rather than wasting everyone’s time with an interview. If the prospect passes the primary screen, the practice owner should have them come to the office and pick up an application, complete it, and return it by mail to the receptionist, or send a résumé to the office instead of an application.
Some dentists prefer to use experienced employees only. They do not want to take the time to train a person who is new to the job. Others believe that dental offices must find a person with the personal characteristics they want; the dentist can then train the person to do the components of many dental office jobs. It is an individual choice. The dental practice will pay more for an experienced staff member, and that person can help the office learn additional ways of conducting the practice. However, that person may have previously learned undesirable habits and may be difficult to control, believing that they know more than the dentist about how the office should run.
As a rule, new practitioners should hire an experienced receptionist. An experienced person can help establish the business systems that every office requires. Otherwise, a new practitioner and a new receptionist will be searching for answers that may be common knowledge for a more experienced person. After several years, the established receptionist and the now more confident dental practitioner will often have control problems in the office (i.e. who is really the boss?). By then, the office should be running smoothly enough, and the dentist should be knowledgeable enough to hire another receptionist that fits the office’s personality.
The application form should ask for information about the individual’s qualifications and ability to do the job that the dentist has previously described. The practice owner can gather information about an applicant’s credentials, background, and qualifications more efficiently through a written format than through interviews. They can also determine a basic level of written and expressive abilities by having an “essay” section on the application form. Applications are better than résumés because a practice owner can ask specific questions that may be important to them. The practice owner should also have the person fill the application out by hand to assess their handwriting skills and neatness.
However, many dentists prefer to have prospective employees send a résumé instead of filling out an application form. If a dentist requests résumés, they need to review them carefully. The person who wrote the résumé will try to place themselves in the best possible light. The practice owner should look for gaps in employment history or frequent jumps from one employer to another. They also need to examine the form and neatness of the résumé. References given on résumés are seldom helpful because people are obviously only going to give details of referees who support them. A practice owner may get more valuable and honest appraisals from former employers, although even this is doubtful in today’s litigious society. A résumé may also not give the practice owner the specific information they need about a particular candidate (e.g. can the person use a computer?). Nevertheless, résumés are a good method for screening many potential applicants. Often business office applicants will have résumés prepared. Assistants or hygienists typically will not have a résumé prepared and might not apply if the office requires that. The practice owner may be missing a group of qualified candidates for these positions if they require a résumé from them.
THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW
One means of gathering additional information is the employment interview, which is the final step in the employee selection process. The purpose of the interview is twofold: to aid the dentist in gathering information to select the best‐qualified applicant, and to provide information so the applicant can decide whether they want to work for the practice. The practice owner, therefore, may use the interview to “sell” the prospective employee on the practice.
As mentioned previously, the dentist needs to know as much as possible about every applicant. If the applicant has filled out an application form, the practice owner should review it carefully before proceeding with the interview. They do not need to request any information they can obtain from the application form or résumé during the interview. However, if there are any questions about the information provided, the dentist needs to raise them. If, for example, the application shows a gap in recent work history, the interviewer should ask the interviewee to explain this unaccounted‐for time. It may be as simple as time off for a family move, or it may show a problem, such as a job the interviewee was fired from that they did not include on the application.
Purpose of the Interview
The employment interview is a required step in the recruiting and hiring process. The interview serves several useful purposes, including the following:
- To verify information on the application or résumé
Most people will not actively lie on an application or résumé (although one management study showed “inaccuracies” in nearly two‐thirds of all applications examined). Nevertheless, everyone wants to put their best foot forward. A person may, for example, not include a specific part of their employment history because of a probable poor reference from the employer. Other people may embellish their duties, abilities, and responsibilities. The interview allows the practice owner to ask more in‐depth questions of the applicant and to find information that is missing from the written application.
- To find out additional information that is not on the application or résumé
Practice owners can assess many skills and attributes from a résumé. For example, does the person have the required years of experience, training, or background required of the job? However, they cannot glean other attributes simply from the application. How well does the applicant communicate? Are they able to think quickly on their feet? How do they react when put in a difficult situation? Practice owners can often deduce these and other traits and abilities during the employment interview when they are not evident from the application.
- To let the applicant assess the dentist and the office
A prospective employee wants to know about the office for which they will be working. The interview gives that person the opportunity to meet the dentist and staff, and to see the physical and operational components of the dental practice.
- To actively recruit the applicant
The marketplace for skilled dental auxiliaries is competitive. An excellent staff member may have several possibilities for employment. Therefore, the dentist may have to convince the prospective employee that their office is the one for which the applicant wants to work.
- To assess personnel and compensation policies
It is challenging to learn what a fair wage and benefit package is, compared with what other dental offices and other forms of comparable employment are paying. During the interview, the office owner can find out if they are “in the ballpark” regarding their compensation package. Many employees are looking for a particular situation (hours, benefits, etc.) that is not apparent until they are asked. A practice owner might satisfy that person through a minor adjustment to personnel policies.
Findings from the Interview
The practice owner must try to answer three questions about each applicant.
- Can the applicant do the job?
By reviewing an applicant’s training and work experience, the practice owner ought to be able to answer this question with a high degree of certainty. The question relates to information that ought to be readily available. However, the practice owner must scrutinize these qualities closely to make an objective evaluation.
- Will the applicant do the job?
This question is more difficult to answer than the first one. Even if the applicant has the skills to do the job, a lack of motivation may impede job success. An objective evaluation may not be possible from the information obtained before selecting an applicant. For these reasons, practice owners ought to ask previous employers and educational personnel from whom the applicant received instruction how willing they are to do what they are asked.
- How does the applicant get along with people?
The practice owner wants to know how the applicant will respond to them as the employer, other personnel in the office, and patients. An organization such as a dental practice has many interpersonal relationships. An employee needs to relate effectively with other people. In the interview, the applicant should talk freely and easily. If the applicant has difficulty carrying out a conversation or dislikes working closely with others, the practice owner would suspect that the applicant might have difficulty working in a dental office.
- How does the applicant get along with people?
Structure of the Interview
After reviewing the application form, the dentist is ready to talk with the applicant. An introduction is an easy way to begin an interview because it immediately lets the interviewee know that the practice owner is the person for whom they will be working. In addition, it avoids that awkward situation in which both the dentist and the applicant are at a loss in beginning a conversation.
At this point, the interview may continue in one of two ways. The practice owner may use a non‐directive style, or find that a more structured approach is appropriate (Box 26.2).
Non‐directive Approach
In a non‐directive (or non‐structured) interview, the interviewer does not try to direct the applicant’s conversation. The non‐directive approach can be helpful when the interview is not yielding enough information. Business owners conduct this kind of interview in a conversational manner, with the chief difference being that the interviewer listens and occasionally comments in ways that encourage the applicant to talk freely about any subject of interest. For example, the candidate may wish to talk about their scholastic background, but the interviewer may be more concerned with work experience. At this point, some direction may be necessary to elicit the kind of information in which the practice owner is interested. Experience has shown that if dentists let applicants talk at length, they will likely discuss most of the topics in which the interviewee is interested, rather than what the interviewer needs to know.
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