I've Decided to Hire an Associate... Now What?

Hiring can be one of the biggest challenges and stressful experiences for practice owners. It is normal that many practice owners fear that the process of hiring an associate will be stressful, costly, time consuming and overwhelming. Fear is one of the biggest barriers to growth for all of us in our dental careers.

What if you don’t hire an associate who is the right fit? How will you find the time to train and mentor them? Should you take the risk of hiring an expensive recruiter when it could all fall apart?  

Waiting too long to hire an associate will hold you back from increased revenue, clinical freedom, more time with your family, and creates additional personal stress when you are the sole provider at your practice.

The best thing to do is to start NOW in making connections with potential associates.

This is exactly why we have created Dentist Job Connect. The Dentist Job Connect platform currently hosts over 1,600 resumes and over 4,000 job seekers- looking to connect! Our goal is to solve one of the biggest problems in dentistry- bonding practice owners with amazing associates.

Whether you are planning for growth in 2024 or urgently need to replace an associate looking to relocate or who will be out on a leave, using the Dentist Job Connect platform is the easiest, most affordable and most efficient way to find, connect with and hire engaged candidates.

Here are some ways we help practice owners find their ideal associates:

• Face to face interactions- get involved in our community! Come to one of our more intimate networking events, one of our in- person job fairs or CE events.
• Online opportunities- participate in live webinars where we will introduce you to job seekrs. Become active in our social media groups!
• Our job connection platform- post your listing, search our resume database, and start connecting!
• Personal dashboard- from your personal dashboard, you will also be able to engage with candidates who apply directly to your listing and will have access to over 1,600 resumes of dentists looking to connect with you.
• Advertisement- we share your listing with our community of over 70,000 dental professionals through targeted emails, text messages, and our social media groups.

Getting started is easy. Once you have decided to take the first step in finding the associate who is right for you, your Job Connect account manager will walk you through creating your employer profile and associate listing. Your account manager will be your personal contact point throughout the entire hiring process and will be there to offer tips, guidance, troubleshoot any issues, and answer any questions you may have along the way. Once your listing goes live on the platform we will strategically share it with the right candidates as well as share it on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

How to attract the RIGHT candidates and increase the number of quality applicants you receive:

• Make your listing stand out! What makes your practice unique? What are popular landmarks & what is special about your town?
  
• Make sure to highlight your company website, social media pages, photos and videos!
• Be clear about compensation, your company culture and values. We believe that there are three M's that matter most when it comes to the associate process. 

  • MONEY- The money the associate will make is very important because dental school loans can be very high. It is important to be clear about what the compensation opportunity is. 

  • MENTORSHIP- will they be able to get guidance, advice, help and support from you? Will there be CE opportunities?

  • MORALE- What is the culture that you create? Is this a place where they want to walk into work? Does it feel like a team and family environment to them? 

• Make sure to join the Dental Nachos and Dentist Job Connect FB Groups and introduce yourself to our communities! We will always tag you in posts where we share about your listing so make sure to stay engaged!
• Stand out by creating your own posts highlighting your practice and job listing! Share your website, social media, and  highlight your awesome team!
• Be sure to check your employer profile dashboard regularly to view new applicants! From your dashboard you can connect with and keep track of all of your potential candidates as they move along the interview process.
• Search our vast database of resumes and connect with job seekers looking in your area right away.
  
• Take advantage of our Elite package option to have a team member interview you online or sharing a video about your practice with our large social media audience.
• Make sure to communicate with your account manager- they are there for you throughout your hiring process to field any questions or concerns and to share hiring tips.
  
• When it is time to start interviewing, make sure you put thought into preparing and asking the right questions to ensure a wonderful match. 
• Be patient with yourself! Making the decision to hire an associate is a huge milestone in your dental career. Be proud of yourself for deciding to take this big step and remember that the Dentist Job Connect team is here for you along your way!