Hiring Considerations in Pediatric Dentistry

Searching for a new team member can be an expensive and frustrating experience. Whether you’re looking for a new dental assistant or a treatment coordinator, you need someone who possesses the necessary skills and will naturally blend with your current team. 

The hiring process is sometimes a roll of the dice, but it is possible to hire for pediatric dental roles and do it right the first time. Achieve pediatric dental clinic success by following these hiring tips for business owners searching for their next star team members. 

1. Determine what kind of person you need for your pediatric dental office.

Who you hire depends on what kind of practice you are trying to develop. Do you want to focus on preventive and restorative care? Or do you want to include orthodontics? Dental assistants have more autonomy in orthodontics, so you’ll want to choose someone who will take initiative and complete tasks without the need for continual supervision.

Determining your office’s core values will take much of the guesswork out of trying to find the right person. Your team members should fully align with these values to ensure you have the best chance of pediatric dental clinic success.

One of the best hiring tips for selecting a core-value match is to assess the candidate’s personality and attitude. Having the right skills is essential, of course, but many of those can be taught and developed. A team member with a positive and receptive attitude toward learning and professional development can be the ideal employee with the proper training.   

For a pediatric dental practice, you want team members who are naturally calm, kind, engaging, and fun. You’ll also need to look for these attributes:  

• Previous experience working with kids 
• Understands child psychology 
• Understands the current language surrounding disabilities 
• Has the tools or is willing to learn tools to help neurodiverse kids 

The ideal candidate will be passionate about their work and bring their unique qualities to the practice. 

2. Ask candidates specific questions. 

Asking specific questions will help you learn more about the candidate’s experience and work history. Uncovering this information will help you avoid costly recruiting failures and having to repeat the process. These sample prompts will help you get the information you need to determine whether they fit your office.

• How would you handle a patient who panics while walking to the treatment room?
• Have you ever disagreed with a co-worker? What did you do to resolve the situation?
• Tell me about a mistake you made at work and what you learned from it.
• When a patient arrives, how would you greet them? 

You can create additional detailed questions related to your practice, but these will get you started. Asking specific questions will allow your candidate to do most of the talking and lead to better interviews and team members for your office. 

3. Do independent research. 

Taking a few minutes to complete some independent research could save you valuable time and money. There are many free ways to play detective, like searching through social media profiles or completing an internet search. You may find things that do not align with your practice’s values.   

Contact previous employers to verify employment dates and that the information on the resume is accurate. You can also ask if they would rehire the candidate or whether their termination was voluntary.

Another good practice is to pay for a background check. A background check provides information about arrests, charges, convictions, or current criminal proceedings the candidate is involved in.

4. Advertise you’re hiring on the right channels.

Job listing sites are often the first places dentists and office managers think of to post their job openings. But they’re not the only place. Many businesses have turned to their website or social media pages to let people know they are hiring, while other companies turn to their current team members first for referrals. People tend to associate with like-minded individuals. You could find your next great hire through an existing team member. 

Offer a recruitment bonus to team members who bring in a new hire. You can choose to disburse this compensation either at the time of the hire or once the new team member successfully completes their probationary period.

5. Encourage quality team members to remain at your practice. 

Encouraging strong team members to stay with your office will only strengthen your practice. Start by making sure you’re offering benefits that they want, including competitive salaries to current employees, not just new hires.

Extra incentives are another way to show appreciation to your team. Provide them with opportunities for professional development. Help them increase their skills, making them more valuable to your practice. You will attract the best team members when positive incentives are in place. 

Offer your team continuing education with the American Orthodontic Society. 

At the American Orthodontic Society, we want your practice to succeed. Whether you want to enroll in a continuing education course or need more information on how to hire new team members for your pediatric dental office, we’re here to help. Contact us today!