Best Practice: Hire the Friends You Don’t Know Yet

View the original article published in the July/August 2024 issue of Dental Economics.

We’re family. It’s how many of my colleagues describe their team, and I understand why. Dental teams often spend more time with each other than they do with their spouses, kids and friends.

However, there’s also a known truism that says you should never hire friends or family — and I agree. To hire and retain great talent, we’ve found that the best candidates are friends we just don’t know yet.

Look for Fit Before Function

Traditionally, practices look within dentistry to fill vacant positions with people who have “at least two years of experience” in a certain role. The word “experience” is used often in dentistry to describe the patient experience. Delivering an exceptional experience that results in long-term loyal patients is not only a goal but a necessity for practice success.

So, why are we not recruiting by filling positions with people who can help the team deliver a great experience, who can integrate with the team seamlessly and who fit so well that they stay? We’ve found success in doing just that.

My own journey into dentistry started when I worked at the front desk at a gym. While there, I was approached with a job offer by a gym member who happened to be a dentist. He told me he was impressed with my energy, focus, communication skills and ability to work with people of all types. He said it didn’t matter if I had dental experience because anyone willing to learn with an open mind could be trained.

I accepted the position and found my purpose and passion. Using that same philosophy, when we have open positions, we look for someone who clicks with the rest of our team and aligns with our culture, core values and work ethic. This is important because it’s hard to deliver an exceptional patient experience when there’s tension between team members. Patients can always feel it.

Finding these people can be easy because they’re all around us—working and serving in restaurants, hotels, retail stores and gyms. They may even be sitting in one of your dental chairs.

Great recruiting is always looking for these special people so you can note who they are should a position become available in the practice.

Making New Friends

One of the first things we have new hires do is fill out a form called “Let’s be friends.” The form provides insight into who they are, what they’re passionate about, who and what inspires them, what their personal and professional goals are and more.

Many people have been taught not to talk too much about themselves during an interview, and that they should be all business. But dentistry is more than a business; we are healthcare providers. Caring is what we do.

The “Let’s be friends” form gives them an opportunity to open up and tell us about what matters to them. These insights give us a deeper understanding of their personality and what motivates them. Then we make sure we set up our new hires for success by giving them time and training. Training is so readily available today.

The American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM) has online courses that can be accessed on demand. CareCredit, our patient financing partner, offers online and in-person training. And some technology partners are available to come into the practice to teach new hires. Be sure to tap into these types of organizations and companies and their resources.

As a side note, the “Let’s be friends” form also captures important dates in an employee's life — birthdays, anniversaries, kids’ birthdays and more so we can celebrate with this person. Celebrating people and special events including Office Management Appreciation Month in September, Tooth Fairy Day, Dental Assistants Recognition Week in March and Dental Hygienist Week in April is a big part of our practice culture.

Culture is what keeps our team together for the long run, which means we hire less frequently but still constantly look for great talent and people who can be friends.

CareCredit is a dental patient finance solution that allows patients to pay for their out-of-pocket dental care expenses over time.* For more helpful insights for dentists, including best practices for patient payments, patient engagement and practice growth, check out the CareCredit Provider Insights blog.

Author Bio

Emily Estrella has been the office manager, financial care coordinator and treatment coordinator at Katy Trail Dental in Dallas, Texas since 2017. She serves as a remote account manager for Essential Dental Services, offering revenue cycle management services and providing care to offices around the world. Emily has been an active member of AADOM since 2019. She earned AADOM Fellowship distinction in 2022, received the Practice Administrator of Distinction award from 2020 through 2022 and was the Practice Administrator of the Year recipient in 2023.

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