Regardless of the level of skill and training people at any level possess, professional workers will be quick to tell you that one of their top considerations when deciding about taking or keeping a job is workplace culture. Some people can put on blinders and appreciate the fact that they are gainfully employed, ignoring less-than-ideal relationships between their coworkers. More discerning people with higher qualifications and broader options value welcoming work environments. Whether big or small, dentist’s offices are places that require workplace cultures that emphasize positivity, teamwork, and collaboration. Here are a few reasons why.
Clients Trust You with Their Safety and Health
Let’s begin with the most important and obvious facet of working in a dentist’s office. It is a medical environment where treatments and surgeries are performed every day. Patient’s trust a dentist and their staff to accurately diagnose issues and safely perform procedures. Medical mistakes are dangerous and costly, and can have severe, long-lasting ramifications for the business and clients. Current company culture trends emphasize having a nurturing environment where people are not paralyzed by fear of failure. That is, by and large, a good thing, but dentists’ offices need to strike the delicate balance of encouraging positivity while driving home the seriousness of the work.
Details are Important
Outside of conducting dental procedures, much of the work in a dentist’s office centers around medical records and reporting. These tasks may seem tedious, but it is critical that they be performed with care and accuracy, so patients’ histories are noted correctly, and billing is not incorrect. How does workplace culture play into this? Simply put, employees who perform these functions need support to mitigate mistakes. They need to be given breaks from the paperwork from time to time and need to have some oversight or ability to run things past a coworker to give checks and balances.
Employee Retention Depends on Culture
Going back to the number of options qualified professionals have in the dental field, the bottom line is that if they are not happy at work, they will go someplace else. Being without a dental hygienist or office manager can severely hurt a dentist’s ability to do their work. These are also difficult positions to find suitable replacements for quickly, or for freelancers or temps to cover. Because of this, you need to keep workplace culture top of mind.
Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits always top workers wish lists, but these may not always be possible or practical for a dentist’s office to provide. Those items aside, there are plenty of small, inexpensive things a business owner can do to foster a desirable culture. It is worth studying Dale Carnegie’s writings, or even enrolling staff in Carnegie classes, if it’s feasible. This will help people practice blameless problem solving and personal accountability, as well as the value of everyone on staff and the importance of teamwork.
Little cosmetic touches can make big differences as well. Natural light, as opposed to fluorescents, help energize people. Many studies have been conducted about the effect of color schemes on productivity. Maybe your office could use a paint job? At the very least, open lines of communication, regular one-on-one engagement and encouragement for feedback are critical.
…So Does Repeat Business
Make no mistake: your customers notice your workplace culture. Very good and very bad environments are obvious to customers, but even if they don’t witness positive or negative behavior, they will pick up on physical cues that employees exhibit, if only subconsciously. If they feel like the staff is on edge or beaten down, they will feel uncomfortable. They may think twice about booking their next appointment, and they certainly won’t recommend you to friends or family.
A healthy workplace environment is as valuable a long-term investment as the latest equipment or the best office space. If you nurture it, you will reap the benefits for many years. If you ignore it, you will pay the cost for years as well.