KEEP A GOOD TEAM TOGETHER:
The market for Dental Team Members is tight. Finding good candidates, or any candidates can be quite a challenge anywhere in the Midwest.
It’s cheaper to keep her!
· Has it been a while since you’ve done performance reviews and given raises? If it’s been more than a year, it’s time!
· Remember a raise with praise goes further than just a raise.
· Have you met one-on-one with each staff member to ask them the classic questions:
“How are you doing?”
“How am I doing?”
“How are we doing?”
Open the lines of communication and clarify mutual expectations.
· Medical benefits are highly prized. Even if you don’t have a full-blown medical office plan it is now possible to award a medical stipend. This is something that a lot of offices used to do that was not permitted for a while, but now there’s a way that you can do it, check with your accountant. Or, you can just pay them a set monthly amount and call it “Medical Benefits” although all the normal taxes will apply.
· Team Continuing Ed Events It can be a pain to take a day off, but they are great for engendering a happy, focused, productive staff.
· About 1/3 of dental offices in our area offer incentives. If they’re done right, they can work very well. However, every incentive program needs to be adjusted from year to year, and there has to be practice strategy to reach the bonus goals or you may just frustrate the staff.
· If you are advertising for an employee, make sure that your ad is just that – an advertisement. For sure, say who you are. People don’t like applying to blind ads like, “Southern Minneapolis Practice Seeking Assistant.” Would you?
· A tight labor market does not mean you have to suffer with underperforming staff. Stress carrying staff members can push out the good ones.
· People like working with their friends.
Help foster team feelings through:
· Group Continuing Ed
· Up-to-date Coordinated Scrubs
· Open and Respectful Communications
· Regular Staff Meetings
· Recognize Birthdays and other events!
· Don’t be penny-wise and pound foolish. A staff member’s productivity weighs in much higher than their relative rate of pay.
Example: In our area, most hygienists make between $25 and $37 per hour. Their productivity ranges between $120 to $220 per hour. What is more important; “holding the fort” by not giving a hygienist a $1.50 raise or giving that $1.50 raise but getting productivity that’s $10, $20, $30 per hour more?
We have data on staff wages, suggestions for want ads, data on production and other good information for you.
Remember MY team is YOUR team. We are at your service anytime should you wish to call.
(952)921-3360