Mastering Dental Employee Retention

As a dentist, you rely on your staff to run your practice while providing quality care for patients. Dental hygienists and assistants are essential to your success, so building and maintaining the right team can make all the difference.

Today, turnover is one of the biggest challenges that many practices face. To improve dental employee retention, you can focus on your staff’s overall satisfaction. Addressing the following key areas can help you develop a strong team that stays with you in the long run.

1. Make sure you find the right fit.

The best way to manage dental employee retention is to focus on the long term from the very start. When hiring staff, you should look for the right fit for your existing team and unique practice.

Prioritizing the right fit can save you a lot of trouble in the long run. Retaining staff for as long as possible is highly beneficial for dental practices. You spend less time and money hiring and training, and instead, you benefit from the increased capabilities your staff members develop as they stay with your practice.

While you will have to assess qualifications and experience as well, overlooking personality can be a mistake. Think about how a new addition will mesh with your current team.

You can also ask questions during the hiring process that are geared toward the specific way your practice operates. See if candidates have experience with the type of treatments you offer, and find out how their goals and vision align with those of your practice.

2. Be proactive when it comes to compensation.

Your staff needs to look out for their own best interests. They need to know that they are secure in their employment and compensation. If they don’t feel secure, you’re liable to lose them to better offers elsewhere.

In general, it’s best to be proactive with compensation. If you wait until another offer is on the table, it could already be too late. Instead of waiting for staff to ask for raises, it’s best to offer them yourself. You can develop a schedule or tie raises to continuing education or other benchmarks.

Don’t overlook health benefits either. They can be just as important as base pay, if not more so. Consider looking beyond basic health benefits to include other types of incentives that will appeal to your staff.

3. Address any concerns promptly.

Your staff needs to work together effectively as a team. As the leader of that team, your role is to address and resolve any concerns promptly. When one of your team members raises a concern, don’t put it on the back burner. Treat their comments seriously and take action accordingly.

It’s also important to have an open and honest environment where your staff feels free to voice their unease. Maintaining open communication can prevent issues from going unvoiced and becoming worse in the future. If your staff is confident that their concerns are heard, they can provide valuable insight to improve your practice.

4. Show your appreciation.

Even if compensation and work conditions look good on paper, it doesn’t mean your staff will feel satisfied. Showing your appreciation can help improve dental employee retention by ensuring your staff feels valued for the work they do.

Voicing approval and gratitude during everyday work at your practice is an important part of showing your appreciation. And, going beyond that with occasional day brighteners can really make a difference.

Day brighteners can be any manner of small rewards given to your team. Items like coffee mugs, t-shirts, and other branded swag are great. Treating your team to lunch is always a home-run idea as well.

5. Strengthen your team with continuing education.

One of the most important factors in dental employee retention is career advancement. Your staff members want to feel that they are moving forward. Continuing education is a great way to provide that development.

If your practice has begun offering orthodontic treatment options, one of the best ways to make them a success is continuing education for your team. Courses are available for hygienists and assistants to develop the specific skills needed to support orthodontic treatment.

Providing this training for your staff benefits your practice and can help increase retention. Your team will see that you’re ready to invest in their career development and that staying with your practice is a great path forward.

Develop your team with the right orthodontic courses.

Synergy Orthodontic Seminars provides a wide range of orthodontics courses for general dentists online and in person. These include courses for hygienists and assistants so they can better support new orthodontic treatment options. View our course catalog to find the perfect opportunity to support the continued development of your team.