The hiring process is something no Dental Practice Owner really enjoys. It can be overwhelming, tiresome, and complicated. But with the employment of dentists predicted to increase 19% between 2016 and 2026, there are bound to be numerous Associate Dentist, Dental Assistant, and Dental Hygiene jobs that need to be filled within the next few years. Unfortunately, even a small mistake during the hiring process can significantly hurt a Dental Practice. Let's look at a few common mistakes Dental Practices should avoid when hiring for their Dental Team positions.

1) Not clearly defining what they're looking for: First and foremost, Dental Practices should know what they're looking when hiring. This means they not only need to know which positions they want to fill, but they need to clearly define what kind of person they want for the position. Possessing the appropriate skills, qualifications and experience are important, but no less important that personality traits.

So, before you post that ad, ask the entire Dental Team what kind of individual they envision working with 8-9 hours a day. In doing this, the process of finding the right candidates for Dentist Associate jobs, Dental Hygiene jobs, and other Dental positions will be much smoother.

2) Not having a refined hiring system: Dental Practices have defined systems when it comes to treating patients; why wouldn't they want a successful, repeatable system for hiring a Dental Professional who will work closely with your patients? Every Dental Practice should have a system in place that is followed when hiring for open positions. In doing so, the office will recruit the best candidates for consideration while eliminating others.

So, before you post your profile and create the ad, ask yourself: have we refined our system of hiring enough that we are able to choose the best candidates? Having the right documents, like resumes to determine skills and experience to letters of recommendations to help determine personality traits, the same process should be followed in the system of hiring.

3) Not using the right platforms: Dental Practices will often post job openings on a local platform, hoping to catch the attention of local candidates. Unfortunately, this may not produce the best candidate pool. Conversely, by using an online Dental Job Board, Dental Practices can connect with those candidates looking for a job on a national level.

These sites are specific to dentistry and can connect people across the country. Dental Professionals move across the country every day for the right job. In using this type of hiring platform, Dental Practices can be sure they're truly connecting with the best candidates. 

Whether an office is looking to fill Dental Hygiene Jobs, Dental Assistant Jobs, or any position in the office, avoiding these mistakes can minimize the stress of hiring and improve the chances of finding the right Dental Professional.

Remember, a novice trained as a Dental Assistant can do the tasks that don’t require the certificates necessary for hands-on patient care. An Associate Dentists can fill the job of an open Dental Hygiene position and much, much more. Post your profile and create your ad on DentalStaffing.org and complete your Dental Dream Team!

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“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not
on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
- Socrates