Finding permanent and temporary employees can be a daunting task for an office manager as there is very little unemployment for dental hygienists and assistants. If a person is trained and has a license, they can usually get work because dental offices desperately need their help.
It can be difficult to get high-quality workers for your office, but there are a few tips for getting the very best professionals to work for you.
Use a Reputable Dental Staffing Service
There are plenty of dental temporary agencies in Florida. When a dental agency is short-staffed for the day, it can throw a monkey wrench into the operations of the office.
Workers in a dental practice are highly interdependent on one another and the need for temporaries is often more urgent than it would be in another kind of office. For example, dentists rely on hygienists to clean teeth and take x-rays before they examine their patients. It can cause major delays if a hygienist does not show up and postponed appointments can frustrate both patients and workers.
Fortunately, a dental staffing office will have a large database filled with dental professionals who will be pre-screened for you. They will interview the person and check their references and perform drug tests and criminal background checks. That’s why it is always best to use a staffing service that concentrates on the dental industry.
Dental temporary agencies are normally run by former dentists. The recruiters at these agencies know quite a bit about the different kinds of training a dental professional needs, and they will be able to ask detailed questions during an interview.
Select Your Dental Staffing Company Carefully
Make sure to call a few dental staffing companies before you pick one. Ask how many people they have working in the office and how much time they will devote to filling your order. Ask them how they narrow their searches when looking for an employee as well. Go online and visit the website of a dental staffing review site or two. They should give you an idea of the quality of different dental staffing companies.
You can also ask for recommendations from your fellow dentists. Ask how easy the temporary agency was to work with in addition to asking them how well they liked the temporary.
Ensure They Have the Necessary Experience
Everyone needs a dentist once in a while, and this is what makes dentistry such a stable profession. Community colleges and trade schools hand out diplomas to new hygienists regularly. People know that the pay and perks are fantastic.
When you advertise for a hygienist, you are certain to get a few applicants who are straight out of school. If yours is a large dentist office with a few hygienists, hiring someone inexperienced can be a way to save money and give someone an opportunity. You may even be able to participate in an internship program. If you are in a smaller office with only one or two hygienists, it is probably best to look for someone experienced.
Make sure your dental hygienists and assistants occasionally update their training. The dental industry is ever-changing. There are new treatments and equipment all the time, so it is important to find someone trained in all of the services you offer in your practice.
Don’t Give Up
Sometimes you have to call a dental staffing service because you are short-handed and you need the first available person to come to your office right away. In other cases, you might call for a temporary position because you are considering hiring someone new. Hiring a temporary dental professional is the perfect way to find out if they are right for your office and if you are right for them. It also gives you a chance to train them for your specific needs.
When you hire someone and they do not work out, you may end up having to pay unemployment. This will never happen with a temporary agency because unemployment will not be your responsibility.
Pay Well
Dental hygienists are not hurting for work and the good ones can name a price. Most hygienists in Florida make around $75,000 a year. If you want a good hygienist, you will have to pay for them. Try offering a little more than the median salary and including some extra benefits.
Offer perks for temporary workers like letters of recommendation, free lunches, or a few paid hours off. You will find that this increases morale considerably. A great hygienist will work quickly and efficiently, communicate well with patients, and have a good bedside manner. If you hire the right staff, anything you pay out will be worth it in the long run.