By Morgan Rake, Sales Executive at Dentist Job Connect
As a Sales Executive at Dentist Job Connect, I speak with practice owners every day about their hiring needs, challenges, and goals. While every practice is different, there are several questions and concerns that come up consistently.
Over time, these conversations have given me a better understanding of what practices can do to make the associate hiring process more effective. Here are three lessons I find myself sharing most often.
One of the most common concerns I hear from practice owners is, “We're in a rural area. Are there even dentists willing to relocate?”
It is a reasonable concern. Practices in smaller communities may have a smaller local candidate pool, which can make recruiting more challenging. At the same time, many of the practices we have helped hire associates for are located in rural or smaller markets, including communities in South Dakota, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, Vermont, Kentucky, Louisiana, Iowa, and beyond.
One of the most important factors is how the opportunity is presented.
A dentist considering relocation is evaluating more than the location and compensation. They want to understand what their professional and personal experience could look like if they make the move.
When creating a job posting, consider providing information about:
Think about the information you would want if you were considering moving to a new city for a job. A detailed and transparent job posting can help a candidate better understand the opportunity and decide whether it is worth exploring.
A rural location may require a broader search, but it does not necessarily limit your ability to find the right associate.
Another question I hear frequently is, “Why should I use a niche platform instead of Indeed?”.
My answer is that you don't have to choose.
Indeed can be a valuable hiring resource, and referrals and professional connections can also play an important role in finding candidates. For many practices, using several recruiting channels is a practical way to reach a broader pool of potential associates.
So where does Dentist Job Connect fit into that strategy?
Our platform is specifically focused on dentists and the dental profession. Many of the dentists we reach have been part of the Dental Nachos community, our sister company, throughout dental school and into their careers. They have attended webinars and events, participated in continuing education, and continued using the community as a professional resource.
That gives practices an additional platform to reach dentists who are engaged with the profession and may be considering their next opportunity. Rather than relying on one source, I encourage practices to think about their hiring strategy as a combination of resources. Use your professional network, post on larger job boards, consider niche platforms, and make your opportunity visible in multiple places.
The more intentional you are about where and how you hire, the more opportunities you have to connect with additional qualified candidates.
Another pattern I hear from practice owners is the pressure to fill an open position quickly.
When a practice needs an associate, it can be tempting to move forward with the first candidate who comes through a referral or responds to a job posting. Sometimes that candidate turns out to be a great fit. Other times, an owner may later wish they had taken the opportunity to meet additional candidates.
Hiring the right associate is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your practice, so giving yourself enough time can make a meaningful difference.
When possible, I recommend starting the recruiting process before the need becomes urgent. This gives you more time to:
The goal should not simply be to fill an open schedule. An associate becomes part of your team, and the decision can have a lasting impact on your practice and its culture. Taking additional time during the hiring process can help you make a proactive decision based on the overall fit rather than simply who is available first.
These three conversations may look different from practice to practice, but they all point to the same broader lesson: associate hiring works best when practices approach it intentionally.
If you are in a rural community, consider how you can communicate the value of your opportunity to candidates who may need to relocate. If you are deciding where to post your position, consider using multiple resources with different networks. And if you need to fill a position, give yourself enough time to meet and evaluate multiple candidates whenever possible. There is no single hiring strategy that works best for every dental practice. Your location, practice model, team, clinical needs, and goals all play a role.
At Dentist Job Connect, we speak with practice owners and associate dentists every day, so we have the opportunity to see what questions and challenges are coming up across different markets.
If you're considering hiring an associate, our team is always happy to be a resource. Even if you're still in the planning stages, a conversation about your hiring strategy and what we're seeing in the current dental job market can be a helpful place to start.
Looking to hire an associate dentist? Connect with the Dentist Job Connect team to learn more about your options.