How to hire the best employees

Bad news! Your favorite employee just gave notice. She is moving out of state and getting married. Great news for her, but you are devastated. Finding her replacement is not going to be easy. Why? Because you really, really liked working with her. She is fun, smart, and a real go-getter. How do you replace someone like that?

You don’t usually think about how to find the most amazing employee until your favorite quits. Where to start? Here are 10 strategies that can help you get the ball rolling.

• Ask your employees for referrals. Do they have any friends who would fit well with your culture? Referrals from people you trust are the best source for hiring the right person for the job. Why do you think big companies have referral bonuses? They have them because they work. You get better employees when your employees refer them.

• Advertise in all the regular places. Your website, Indeed, LinkedIn, Facebook, and your dental associations, to name a few. Research and learn as much as possible about these candidates. Social media and the internet can teach you a lot before your ever talk to the applicant.

• Hold group interviews. Your employees should be a part of the interviewing process. Most dental practices function like a family. It is important to know how well a candidate will fit into that family. This also makes your current employees feel valued. They like to be part of the team and see that their opinions matter.

• Question applicants on their knowledge about the work they do, the industry, and best practices. Are they committed to their craft?

• Find out what their aspirations are. Is your office going to be the right place for them to grow?

• Consider hiring new graduates. A bonus with new grads is that you can train them the way you like things to be done. Develop relationships with local dental schools so that this can be a feeder for potential hires.

• Take the candidate bowling. If you can meet with them away from the office, you will learn quite a bit. It will give you an opportunity to get to know not just the professional side but also their personal side.

• Watch them from the minute they enter the office. It is effective to see what they did before the interview starts. Did they talk to anyone? Use their phones? Cram for the interview? Read magazines? Smile and interact with patients or family members?

• Use behavioral interviewing questions. Past behavior is an excellent predictor of future behavior. This method of interviewing may be trendy but is a much smarter way to interview candidates.

• Look at the questions that they ask. Was this person prepared for the interview? Do they know anything about your practice? Intelligent questions show how interested they are in working for you.

Hiring the right person is an art. Unfortunately, there isn’t adequate training in dental school on hiring practices. But it is something every dentist needs to think about. If you have a bad track record when it comes to hiring, then bring in a consultant. Don’t let your ego get in the way when it comes to admitting that you aren’t an expert on everything.

Remember the big picture. You want to hire the best person who will provide exceptional care to your patients while being a team player with your staff. You can find that exceptional candidate and these strategies will help you do so.

Email me at diana2@discussdirectives.com and share how you find the best staff to hire.