Greetings!
We can't ignore the unusually high number of scary movies that are launched in the month of October. It's no coincidence. With Halloween right around the corner, horror stories are a hot topic. And we've heard quite a few when it comes to hiring. There is nothing more off-setting than the thought of letting an employee go or being faced with having to hire a new employee. It is not a fun process. Like a scary movie, your heart races and you might break out in beads of sweat in the midst of it all but once it is over, there is great relief.
Why does the hiring/firing process cause such anxiety? There is a lot at stake (insert dracula laugh here). Kidding aside, we all know the risks of hiring poorly then having to do it all over again just a few months later. We also know very few dentists have developed the skills or sought out the proper training on how to hire successfully.
This months articles are intended to enlighten you on hiring and keeping high achievers.
As always, we love to hear your feedback and suggestions for future articles. Send us your feedback here.
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 | Hiring High Achievers
by Sandy Roth
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One of the ways dentists are making it in this economy is by changing their staff mix. Downsizing is one choice but many of our clients are opting for another alternative - hiring stellar individuals who can take on important roles and enrich your practice. Each person on the payroll must perform at a high level and contribute even more to the practice. This is no time for dead weight. Finding these great people is challenging but there are excellent candidates who can be found and attracted (sometimes lured from others) if you have both an opportunity which will provide them a meaningful place to contribute as well as employment which is stimulating and rewarding.
So how do you identify the high achievers you want? What will tell you that one applicant is the right one for you? Here are four identifiers to consider:
Read on
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| Employee Myth Slaying
by MaryBeth Head
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We have been guiding several dentists through the hiring process recently and we wanted to highlight a few of the myths we often hear about employment in dentistry. When assumed to be true, these myths can lead people to make decisions they might otherwise avoid.
Myth #1: I don't have long-term employees. I must be doing something wrong.
Well, that really depends. Yes, it is problematic when your staff turnover is high, particularly if people have a tendency to leave abruptly because of unresolved conflict or ill feelings. But a team needs to be growing together, and if long-term employees are adverse to the types of changes that are necessary to modernize a dental practice, they can become a liability.
A second - and understandable - cause for high turnover is that the workforce in dentistry is predominantly female. Even in the year 2010, men make more than women who also shoulder a disproportionate share of responsibility for home and family. Parenthood often causes staff members to shift from work to home. Entire families move when the male wage earner is transferred or seeks a better job outside of the community. For those reasons alone, female dental team members are a highly mobile workforce. These situations can happen to anyone for reasons unrelated to the dental practice.
But sometimes the best employees move on for other reasons.
Read on
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| Services Spotlight:
Web site evaluation and copy writing |
Recently a long time client mentioned that he was updating his web site. He admitted that he was not very good at writing copy or understanding the behavioral dynamics of web site design. I told him we had been helping clients with their web site content for quite some time.
We promptly got to work evaluating his content and crafting copy that truly reflected his practice. We looked at every aspect from graphics, colors, photographs, and intuitive flow to content and message from the perspective of the patient.
Now his newly updated site is communicating with patients in a much more successful way and is drawing new interest and attention. A web site review and evaluation costs very little and can make a big difference. Give us a call to discuss your web site.
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