How do you reduce employee turnover?
So a few weeks ago this happened just down the street from my wife’s family, and it just so happened to grab national attention.
It came to be understood that management was not listening to the concerns of the General Manager at the restaurant level. The kitchen air conditioning was broken and the kitchen was getting above 90 degrees- causing heat exhaustion for workers. This problem seems avoidable, but for whatever reason the regional management company didn’t address it timely and so the entire staff quit and got a raise by going to another establishment.
Does this happen in dental?
I would usually say no, but in this job market….I can see it happening.
The job shortage is real….unemployment generally in my area is supposedly at 2%…which according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is below what is considered ‘healthy’ for the economy. The BLS usually states that 4-5% unemployment is ‘full employment’ and is healthy for the economy. This level allows the free movement of employees around the workforce.
In dental, the offices that Dr. Costes and I talk with are seeing almost zero unemployment in dentistry. How do we attack this problem?
1. Focus on Core Values – Usually the ‘touchy-feely’ stuff doesn’t work super well, but sometimes some appreciation, some leadership, and having a great workplace is invaluable. Having some small perks (usually not more money) is enough to keep employees happy and motivated.
2. Hire from outside dentistry and train up – This is actually the reason that we created the Front Office Academy courses called ‘Rookie to Rockstar-Dentistry 101’ and some of the next courses. It takes a total newbie to dentistry and teaches them up to be an assistant or front desk. Selfishly we wanted to use it ourselves, but it’s been very well received by hundreds of dentists so far. If you want to check it out- Front Office Academy!
In Summary
Try these two strategies to help reduce turnover and attract the best talent in this crazy market.
Dental Success Network was built by Dr. Mark Costes with the goal of helping dentists run a profitable business, become better clinicians and build a community where like-minded dental practice owners can collaborate and become leaders in the dental industry.
You will find them answering clinical, practice management, and life-related questions every single day in our Workplace community. Our esteemed faculty will also, on occasion, host dental continuing education courses pertaining to their particular domain expertise, so you will have the opportunity to learn clinical and dental practice management skills at a great discount. If you’re looking for more actionable information like this, check out the 45 Day Free Trial of Dental Success Network!