Athena Consulting: Dental Practice Solutions

I often hear from dentists that losing good staff is inevitable. Dental assistants, hygienists and desk staff just seem to change jobs frequently. It has become accepted, as doctors discuss the issue, that no one is at fault for all these staffing changes; it is just the nature of the profession.

Nevertheless, how do we explain offices where staff does not move on – offices that retain the same staff members until retirement? Are these offices the beneficiaries of a lucky fluke or do they know something all doctors should know?

Staff retention is a complex issue often addressed with simplistic solutions. Raises in salary and large bonuses are wonderful “quick fixes” but aren't long-term solutions.

Doctors are always surprised when valuable staff members move on despite having been given a sizable raise at their last review and an impressive Christmas bonus. What they fail to see is how little else they have done to convince that staff member to remain a part of the dental team.

Every human has a strong, innate need to feel valued and respected. When management in the office (be it doctor, office manager or both) does not treat staff members with respect, there is no incentive for those staffers to stay. Money really does not buy happiness – or loyalty either!

One of the best-paying dentists with whom I worked had a revolving-door staff. The great salary and beautiful office brought staff to her door in droves, but her hypercritical, inconsistent personality drove them away just as fast. The sad part of this particular anecdote is that she is a lovely, fun person at home or out with friends, but an absolute bear in the office.

So the question is, what do we need in addition to salary and benefits to keep the same people with us year after year? The answer is actually a lot simpler than you might think.

As the team leader and head of the office “family”, it is up to the doctor to set the tone of the office. Pleasant working relationships are vital to the health of a practice. A doctor who is moody, difficult to please, negative or critical creates a staff with those same traits.

Don’t get me wrong: there are definitely times when staff members need to be corrected or made aware of mistakes. But it’s the how, not the what, that’s important when it happens. A doctor who privately and clearly explains how a mistake needs to be corrected creates an ally in the office, a loyal staff member who will speak highly of him or her to outsiders. A doctor who treats staff like serfs who have displeased the feudal lord creates someone who will gossip about the office and move on as soon as possible. Almost everyone would see the first scenario as preferable, but the good leaders actually put it into practice.

Another often-overlooked area is the simple but effective “thank you.” Not the obligatory “thank you” so many doctors say at the end of the day and with so little feeling that the staff no longer even hears them. Instead, try catching employees doing something really well and stopping, right then and there, and giving them praise and sincere thanks. “Please” and “Thank you” might have been the magic words when we were growing up, but praise and thank you are the magic words for staff retention.

Finally, consistency and communication are the two words every doctor needs to keep in mind at all times. Not only is it important to have a good strong plan and set of systems in the office, but it's also vital that these systems are clearly communicated to all staff members and consistently used by the doctor as the office standard.

In an office where consistency and communication are lacking, everyone is trying to get the job done, but they are never quite sure what the job is supposed to be. There are few more frustrating ways to spend your day than trying to guess what the doctor wants today and hoping you've guessed right. Doctors who are clear in their expectations – and don't change those expectations daily – have happy, productive employees who are not looking around for their next jobs.

The myth that staff retention is impossible is just that: a myth perpetuated by doctors who are unwilling to put in the time and energy to dispel it in their offices. Doctors who are willing to work for staff retention create happy office “families” that stay together.

Those are offices where the doctor knows something the rest wish they did!