Resources for a Practice Owner Preparing to Interview Associate Candidates

Here are a few helpful resources for a practice owner or practice administrator preparing to interview associate dentist candidates. For more up to date tips and helpful information, follow up on our Facebook fan page, Twitter, or on our blog. A candidate version is available here.

Be prepared

• Before the interview be sure to check all licenses for disciplinary actions.
• Will the candidate be relocating? Know the advantages of your area.
• Have answers to these commonly asked questions.

Questions to ask during the interview:

•What attracted you to my position?
•Where have you worked?
•How long have you been in each position?
•What would your current boss say that you do well?
•In what areas would he/she say that you needed to improve?
•How often have you been late over the last year?
•In which insurances did you participate?
•What was your average production at that office?
•What lead you to look for other positions?
•What kind of notice period do you have to give?
•Do you have a restrictive covenant that would keep you out of this area?
•Are you right handed or left handed?
•Are you familiar with the equipment used in this office?
•What are your clinical strengths?
•What do you prefer to refer out?
•In what areas do you have interest in further training?
•How would you describe your practice philosophy?
•What days are you available to work?
•Are you interested in eventual partnership or ownership? How soon?
•What are your income expectations?
•What motivates you?
•If you have ever been in an office with a light schedule, what did you do with your free time? What did you do to help fill the schedule?
•Which of your strengths and achievements do you feel best distinguishes you from other candidates I may speak with?
•What do you like the most about this position? Least?
•Now that we have spoken are you interested in pursuing this position further?

Be sure to explain what the next step would be and when they can expect to hear back from you.

After the interview:

•Before making an offer, be sure that you are offering market values: Data from 2009 Levin Group/Dental Economic Survey (.pdf).

•Make sure that your contract is complete: Employment Contracts - What a New Dentist Should Know.


Posted by Morgan Pace.

Morgan Pace is the Southeastern U.S. Account Executive and Senior Recruiter for ETS Dental. He can be reached at mpace@etsdental.com or 540-491-9102. ETS Dental is a Dental Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing General Dentists, Dental Specialists, and Dental Staff throughout the United States. www.etsdental.com

Stand Out In The Crowd!

You are at a point in your life where your world is getting ready to change in a huge way. Whether it is your final year of dental school or you are finishing a long successful career in private practice and contemplating a move into a more clinical setting, you are about to embark on one of the biggest challenges to date….the employment search.

You have studied hard and spent many hours in the lab or taking care of patients and should be very proud of your accomplishments. It is time to pull everything together and insure that you are able to secure that dream job with the practice of your dreams. In order to land that job you have to show that you are more than just another in, what may be, a large pool of candidates. You have to show that you are THE one that they need.

Before you even start the dialogue with a practice, you need to sit down and formulate a list of questions to ask the hiring authority. Know what you need and want out of the practice relationship both professionally and personally. Without knowing these things, you cannot possibly know the right practice opportunity when you find it.

You will also need to have a very strong CV or Resume put together that is current, easy to read and contains all relevant education, work history experience, certifications, contact information, etc. The CV is quite often the one thing that will have the most influence on whether or not you will get further consideration for a position. Do not cut your chances by having an incomplete CV or by not having the right information in there. The CV is your “face” to the hiring authority, and it needs and deserves the time and effort to make sure that it is as good as it can be. There are a number of sites on the web that offer info on how to write a strong resume. I strongly recommend you put in the effort to make this the best document that you have ever written.

Once you land that interview, it is time to show that you are more than just another candidate. Arrive at the interview a little early. I have heard it said before that when going to the interview to be “early is to be on time”, to be “on time is to be late” and to “be late is to be forgotten”. Be a little early. This is one of the practices' first impressions of you, and you want it to be a good one.

Standing out in the crowd also means doing the research on the practice that you will be interviewing with and being more prepared than the other candidates. Being prepared will allow you to ask better questions than the other guy/girl, thereby, being more engaging than your competitors. They will have more interest in you if you show that you have a true interest in them. You should also be able to show your potential to deliver results rather than just fill a position. Be able to communicate your ability to deliver desired value and benefits. This is what the practice is really trying to figure out during the interview process. Make it easy for them and show that you truly do stand out in the crowd!

For tips to help be better prepared for your employment search and interviews visit the ETS Dental Website at:

http://etsdental.com/candidate/interview.htm

Written By Gary Harris, Dental Specialist Recruiter, ETS Dental. You can reach Gary at 540-491-9115 or gharris@etsdental.com.

How To Find That Elusive Balance Between Work And Life

When people talk about a work-life balance, they mean that we should find a balance between work and our personal lives, which is definitely true. The key is to remember that what we’re looking for is a balance between the things we love — not just work and the rest of life, but work and family and hobbies and chores and everything else.


• Schedule time blocks. Schedule chunks of time throughout your week for all the things that are important.
• Set limits. If you have a limit of 8 hours to work, stick with it. This will help keep the essential tasks within these limits.
• Make dates with family and friends. Instead of just talking about getting together, make it happen by scheduling time with them on a regular basis.
• Make dates with yourself. Schedule time to do what you love doing by yourself.
• Have a partner. Sometimes it helps to make an appointment with a partner, whether that is a training partner or someone to help with a project or hobby.
• Examine your life regularly. Find time for reflection and decide if you need to make changes.


“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein


Excerpts from http://Zenhabits.net/2008/11/how-to-find-that-elusive-balance-between-work-and-life


Written by Marsha Hatfied-Elwell, Central East-Coast Recruiter, ETS Dental. You can reach Marsha at (540) 491-9106 or melwell@etsdental.com.

Put Your Best Electronic Foot Forward: Email Etiquette

In today’s high-tech world, resumes, cover letters, and job applications are increasingly sent by e-mail. There's a good chance that the first impression you make with a recruiter or hiring manager is your words and their appearance on a computer screen. If your words and how you use them make a poor impact on your reader, your chances for serious consideration immediately weaken.

Before you click on Send, make sure your message will create the impression you intend.

1. Consider your audience and adapt your message accordingly.
2. Stick with the basics when choosing font and point size. Don’t choose a font that
is hard to read or a size that is too large or too small.
3. In plain English, use well-punctuated, complete sentences. Do not use text
message or chat jargon.
4. Be professional when choosing email addresses and recording voice mail greetings.
Having an email address of “love2party@...”, etc. or a voice mail greeting that
is silly or has potentially offensive music in the background will not give a
potential employer a good impression of you.
5. Do your best to find out the name of the person who will be reading your e-mail.
Address your email to that person instead of something generic like “To Whom It
May Concern” or “Human Resources.”
6. If your email is a cover letter, customize it to the position and keep it under
three paragraphs.
7. If you attach a cover letter and resume, make sure the initial email catches the
reader’s attention and makes them want to look further.
8. If you inquire about an open position but do not include a resume, be sure to
provide a phone number with your contact information.
9. Use the email subject line. Writing a short, direct subject line is the “hook” to
getting the message read.
10. Last but not least…spell check and read message for errors before sending.

Employers' Top E-mail Pet Peeves

The following are many employers’ top e-mail pet peeves in the professional setting:
• MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS
• messages in all lower case
• Incorrect, punctuation
• Responding messages that don’t answer the question
• Writing the Great American Novel (e-mails that are too long)
• Sending unnecessarily large attachments
• Not using the subject line—or not changing it to agree with the topic.
• Forwarding non-work related jokes or chain e-mails
• Discussing personally sensitive issue
• Forwarding offensive or off-color jokes or attachments

Read more tips like this in "New Grad Rules for Workplace e-Etiquette."

Reference:
http://www.winadvisorygroup.com/emailetiquette.html

http://www.jobweb.org/studentarticles.aspx?id=2351

Written by Rob Knezovich, Dental Recruiter for the Midwestern US, ETS Dental. You can reach Rob at 540-491-9107 or rknez@etsdental.com

THE GRASS IS GREENER OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

Being in the big city with all of your dental school friends in the midst of the high life is a big desire for a lot of Dentists, especially new graduates. However, the best opportunities might be right around the corner where you can have the job and lifestyle of your dreams. Living in the suburbs or surrounding areas has a lot of great perks!

Some things to think about and research during your job search:


• School Systems- Check out class sizes, graduation/test score ratings, & school programs. Schools really vary from one place to another, so compare your options.


• Public Transportation- Sometimes bus or train transportation is available as an alternative to a long drive if you wish to live in the city and commute to a job in the surrounding area. Google Maps will calculate public transportation with details about specific stations and what line you would need to take that also include departure and arrival times.


• Area Airports- Find out how far the closest regional or major airport is. Even in rural areas, you will find that there is usually an airport less than 30 minutes away. This is great for those that like to travel or want to be able to get back to friends and family on weekends or holidays.


• Local Websites- Search for a local website for the area that you are considering. These sites are created to help you get acquainted with everything the area has to offer.


• Oversaturation of Candidates in the City- Large cities have an abundance of qualified applicants. That means a more difficult job search, fewer choices and a potentially lower pay scale for you. On the other hand, opportunities in a more remote area may give you the job environment that you want, higher pay, or better job security.


• Housing Costs- Typically, housing costs a lot more in the big city than it does in surrounding suburbs or remote areas. Relocating to one of these areas could give you a lot more bang for your buck.


• Small City Perks- Small cities often boast attractive neighborhoods, low crime, and a substantially lower cost of living than metropolitan areas.


• Live Where Everyone Else Vacations- Look at the outdoor activities that the bigger cities don’t have – hunting, fishing, skiing, boating, hiking. For instance, if you love to ski, there might be a great job opportunity that is just a few minutes from one of the best ski resorts in the state.


• Another Reason To Be There- Do you have friends or family living nearby? Have you visited the area? You may have fond memories of a childhood vacation or the area may remind you of home.

You can live close enough to the city to enjoy all it has to offer but you won’t have the hassle of long daily commutes, higher prices, and a saturated job market with limited opportunities.

Wouldn’t you rather have the hours you spend commuting each day to enjoy more time with your family?

Think about the less tangible parts of a job offer before you make your final decisions. A great job in an area with a wonderful quality of life could be waiting!


Written by Marcia Patterson, Northeast Regional Recruiter for ETS Dental. You can reach Marcia at 540-491-9118 or mpatterson@etsdental.com.