Australasian Dentist Issue 92

CATEGORY AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST 131 Filling the talent pipeline: How to build a team in a tight labour market By Dr Jesse Green Jesse Green COLUMNISTS A s we emerge from two years of pandemic management, encouraging signs that life and business are returning to what we once knew are evident. While many industries have been impacted, overall, dentistry has fared better than most. In fact, independently owned dental practices are poised to do very well. Opportunity-focused dental business owners however, do face one significant challenge. As the economy approaches full employment, a practice owner’s best laid plans couldbederailedat the intersectionof a tight labour market and poor recruitment practices. The good news is the solution can be found in developing a talent pipeline. Shift to a marketing mindset Filling the talent pipeline generally requires a significant mindset shift for practice owners. Instead of just advertising jobs, recruitment must be understood as marketing for talent. With that in mind the big question practice owners should consider is, “What’s the value proposition of my practice for applicants?” Equally, they must know what makes their practice different. Is it the team culture, the types of people you see as patients, the training, is it the way the practice operates, a great lunchroom, or rewards for reaching targets. Together, these elements contribute to what a potential employee will find appealing about your practice. Keep in mind too that the latest technology only goes so far. A practice needs to offer a package deal to attract and retain candidates and keep a thriving talent pool topped up. Without this mindset and approach, there’s a risk of becoming indistinguishable from competitors and less attractive to applicants. The marketing mindset extends to how roles are advertised too. I call this creating a Magnetic Job Offer™. More than mere marketing parlance, it requires we identify our ideal applicant avatar, craft marketing messages accordingly, and advertise using the appropriate media, ensuring the ad is visible to the target audience. But don’t be confused. This isn’t a cue to perform recruitment contortions and manufacture a role that’s just right for an individual. It does mean however, framing an advertised role in such a way that meets the market’s selection criteria. Extending well beyond the initial ad, a Magnetic Job Offer™ also includes the conversations and preparation that are inherent in the recruitment process. That way, when we’re presented with an excellent applicant, the offer made to the candidate is framed in a way that makes choosing the role with your practice a logical, natural, and obvious choice. Beyond a Magnetic Job Offer™ Once you’ve successfully recruited your ideal team member, it’s time to move into the next phase of building a team: Onboarding. I’ve seen far toomany practice owners breathe a sigh of relief once a new recruit has commenced, thinking all their problems had been solved. Actually, this is when the real work begins. Onboarding correctly takes time, effort, and planning. It requires the new starter becomes familiar with their workmates, practice systems, and processes. Effective onboarding allows the new recruit to acclimate into the business, giving them the framework to understand and buy into the practice vision, values, goals, objectives, and performance standards. Training and mentoring delivered at this stage should establish the framework for how these are undertaken during the individual’s journey within the practice. Regular performance feedback sessions – or coaching conferences – are the key and allow feedback between you and employees to be delivered within a coaching structure that assesses the goals, reality, options, and way forward for each team member. Think of this as a vital opportunity (and conversation) to assess whether the needs of all are being met and if more coaching is required. Start now It is never too soon to begin filling the talent pipeline of your practice. By recruiting great resources, it’s possible to generate a continuous stream of quality people for every role in the business, including dentists, receptionists, hygiene therapists, and chairside assistants. And with a pathway from rookie to pro clearly mapped and delivered within robust frameworks, building a talented team is eminently doable, even in a tight labour market. u To learn more visit https://savvydentist.com or call 1300 66 83 84 for a Practice Growth Session Dr Jesse Green is a leading business coach for dentists. He is the author of Retention, host of the Savvy Dentist Podcast (Australia’s #1 dental podcast) a sought after speaker, and founder of the Savvy Dentist Academy. Jesse shares his knowledge, skills, and experience as a practice owner through valuable tools like the Magnetic Job Offer™ which are designed to support practice owners committed to filling their talent pipeline and building a great team, even in a tight labour market.