Every business, everywhere, is looking for help. Dental offices are no exception. Most of my clients are operating their offices with a very lean staff, and with difficulty. Staff members have left because of a change in their family situation, because of ill parents that they need to take care of, because they have decided to pursue a different career path and a host of other reasons. It is really hard for the dentists to put on a happy face in front of patients while they are really stressed and overworked.
Two of my clients shared a dilemma that they had regarding the hiring of new staff. I thought it was worth writing about! It is how to hire a masked person?
My clients are interviewing for staff members every week. It is an expensive activity. I was told that on Indeed.com, one week’s ad can cost $90. Dozens of people apply for a dental assistant job. Most of these candidates have no dental experience at all. Many have never had a job where they needed to work with the public. The hiring process is a lot of work.
Most of my clients are conducting interviews with masks on. That is certainly appropriate today, when you are inside of your office. However, when you decide that you have a candidate that you are considering hiring, you must have another interview without masks. You absolutely must know the appearance of the candidate before you offer the person a position in your office. The candidate also should know what you look like too, unmasked! You will need to get creative about this. Even in colder climates, perhaps you will need to bring two chairs outside and talk to the candidate with you both unmasked for a few minutes, dressed for the cold weather. Eventually Covid will be a thing of the past and we will be able to treat our patients again unmasked. You will need all of your employees to have a professional appearance.
Do not rush into hiring a person that you really do not want on your staff. It is always better to wait for the right person,… even now in these difficult times.