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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Tips when Hiring a New Dental Nurse

When you get ready to hire any new staff it is always beneficial to use an online recruitment resource where you can not only get access to information and actionable tips about hiring staff, but review potential applicants

Online resources for new staff members can be used for a wide range of industries, including the dental industry. 

When you are hiring a new dental nurse, you want to apply some of the same rules that you do when creating relationships with new dental equipment suppliers. Having a great team is a critical component to not only attracting new clients but maintaining their loyalty. With the right staff and the right suppliers, you can have a supportive network of professionals who make everything much easier.

Cultivate a good job description.

The first tip is to cultivate a good job description. Take your time creating a job description that clearly explains exactly what you are looking for in your dental nurse, exactly what type of background and skills, and what the duties and responsibilities will be. Whether you are looking for an associate dentist, a dental nurse, a lab technician, or treatment coordinator, you will be more likely to get a wider range of appropriately matched applicants if you do your part by making the job description as specific as possible.

Many people try to make job descriptions short and sweet so that people can quickly review it on their mobile phone and apply. But this is the exact opposite of what you want. Less is certainly not more. If you can be as specific as possible about the customary procedures that happened in your dental practice day in and day out, and include everyday responsibilities for the potential new hire, people will be much more able to determine whether they are a good fit before they even apply. There will certainly be people who think that having a job description that is very lengthy means they don't want to work with that firm, and that's fine; Those are not the people you want to work with.

Always ask for the qualifications that are necessary for your dental nurses and state the expectations you have for anyone who holds that position.

Take as much time as you need.

As mentioned, a big part of hiring the right dental nurse is making sure that you put the time into creating a good description. Realistically when a dental practice is looking to hire someone new, they are usually in a rush so, in their desperation they might try to write something quickly and hire the first person they meet. But hiring someone too quickly can be very expensive because they might not work in which case you have to replace them within the next few weeks and you're right back where you started. 

Most dental practices need a working interview to make sure the dental nurse is a good fit. This goes above and beyond simply having someone submit their application, reading their paper, and considering them suitable. It's better for you to have a full day working interview for each potential candidate you are considering. Once they have completed the full day interview, if they are hired then you can set them up on a 90-day probationary period. Make sure you check on the rules and regulations where your dental practice operates to see if this is appropriate and how to do it on the right side of the law. Having a probationary period will enable you to make sure it's a good fit. It's hard to tell how the dynamics of a group or a team will work based on just one day but the more time you can put into this probationary timeframe, the more likely you will be to find a member who is a permanent addition to your staff.

Post on lots of platforms. 

If you are trying to hire a new dental nurse don't be afraid to utilize as many Dental job boards and advertising platforms as you can find. Don't advertise just on one platform or in one area. Many people make the mistake of only advertising in their local area but you might be surprised to find that there are dental nurses in nearby counties or even a few hours away who want to make a change. 

Involve the entire team.

If you are the dentist in charge of your dental practice, you probably already have some staff members. Don't be afraid to involve the other staff members in this decision. A dental nurse is going to work with just about everyone in your office so if your entire Dental team is part of that hiring process they might see things you don't. They will help you find someone who will contribute to the effectiveness of the entire team.