While large corporations in other industries may rely on automated applicant tracking systems to sift through resumes and attempt to identify the best
candidates for an open position through keywords and algorithms, most dental practices employ a much simpler approach of reading through candidate resumes
and CV’s manually. As the doctor or office manager, it can often be a challenge to identify the best candidate for your open position based off of a single
document.
As a dental recruiting firm, we know all too well what it’s like to read through giant stacks of resumes and CV’s. If you don’t know what you’re looking
for, filtering out the best candidates can quickly turn into a very daunting and frustrating task. Over the years we’ve come to recognize several key areas
to pay attention to that will most often indicate very quickly whether a candidate is a good fit for your practice. So what should a doctor or manager look
for on a candidate’s resume/CV?
Here are some items on a candidate’s resume/CV to pay particular attention to:
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Education (school and graduation date)
– Knowing when and where a candidate received their degree is the first indicator of whether or not he or she is a good fit for your practice. How
long ago did the candidate graduate? Did he or she graduate with honors? If a practice is looking to bring in a new grad as their next associate,
this is the first place to look.
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Notable CE/GPR/AEGD Programs
– Continuing education courses can have a positive impact on a candidate’s ability to treat patients, grow the practice, and meet state licensure
requirements. Making sure a candidate is licensed to work in your state before scheduling an interview can help avoid many unforeseen
issues and prevent wasting time on unqualified candidates.
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Quantifiable Accomplishments
– It’s likely that almost every candidate will put an objective statement on his or her resume claiming to be great with patients and staff,
exceptionally team oriented, very willing to learn, and so on. But what can the candidate do to better the practice’s bottom line? Good chairside
manner is essential, but a friendly candidate with a terrible production average isn’t going to help grow your practice. Let the numbers do the
talking on the candidate’s resume. You’ll have a chance to observe the candidate’s personality during the interview. For now, focus on the numbers
in front of you and the value he or she can add to your practice.
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Special Skills and Training
- What special skills does the candidate have? Can he or she do molar endo, implants, or surgical extractions? Hiring a candidate with additional
skills means keeping more cases in-house, which directly affects your practice’s bottom line.
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References
– Take a look at the references listed on the candidate’s resume/CV. If you’re in a smaller dental community, chances are you might already know
the candidate or at least one of the references listed. If everything else on a candidate’s resume checks out, go ahead and reach out to their
references. Sometimes doing so can provide incredibly valuable insight into a candidate’s character, professionalism, skillset, and personality
before they ever sit down for an interview.
If you’re looking to hire a new associate or staff member for your dental practice, consider reaching out to us at ETS Dental! We’re regularly in touch
with hundreds of dentists, specialists, and dental staff every day.
Contact your local recruiter now and let us start searching for your next great team member!
