Recreating Your Team After The Quarantine
Many dentists around the country are facing significant staff changes due to the pandemic. Some team members might not have come back to work after the quarantine due to health concerns or caretaker responsibilities. Some employees may not be the right fit for your office anymore. With so much change in these intense few months, it’s ok if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the possibility of needing to hire to fill a vacant position, or to fire a staff member who no longer fits your needs. The times have changed and it’s ok to acknowledge that your staff needs might have changed. Your practice is evolving and changing.
This is a good time to assess what your practice fundamentally needs right now. Evaluate what you are missing. Discover what new needs and expectations your patients might have as they step through your doors and the changes you need to make to accommodate those needs. In this new environment, dentists can look at hiring through a creative lens. Step back and look at all the options you have. Maybe you do need to hire to fill those new gaps in the care that you offer. But maybe there’s someone already in your office whom you can put in a different position in order to fill the need you have.
As you are looking to hire, be mindful that there are many capable and eager candidates who may be outside of the dental industry. Someone with experience in the service industry or in education may have many of the character traits that you are looking for in a staff member. Examine also what type of person you are looking for, beyond their physical skills. Specifically, an employee who is adaptable will be able to adjust easily to the frequent changes in their work environment that has been characteristic of this pandemic.
Hiring requires a bit more thoughtfulness these days, because dentists are still adjusting to a practice that looks quite different than it did a few months ago. A strong leader can acknowledge when their business has changed and step back and examine each moving piece in their team and practice in order to gain perspective. You might be amazed at the creative solutions you come up with.