What Red Flags Could Your Team Be Giving Off in the Interviewing Process?

During the typical interviewing process, most companies focus on identifying red flags and weeding out candidates who are not ideal. While this is a necessary practice, employers should also give consideration to the red flags their team members could be waving, and how this may be deterring future hires. As the executive, managerial and professional labor market has become overwhelmingly candidate-driven in the last few years, more employers are realizing they must overhaul their interviewing procedures, to attract top performers who frequently have several job offers at their disposal.

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The main goal of an interview is to provide both the hiring company and the candidate an opportunity to determine if there is a mutual fit. On the candidate’s end, more emphasis is often placed on the tangible insight they can gain from the meeting, including how interviewers respond to certain questions, inconsistencies with how various team members discuss the potential role, and the aspects of the job that are emphasized vs. those that are minimized. On the company’s end, the assumption is the candidate has most of the required skills to take on the open role. The focus from their perspective is more about cultural fit, intangible insight and the overall impression left by the candidate.

In light of the fact that employers must now attract and recruit in a candidate-driven market, they should be thinking about the lasting impression they are leaving with prospective hires. “Companies really need to transition away from interview methodologies that are solely focused around what the candidate is bringing to the table, and think more about how they are presenting themselves to applicants,” says Suzanne Rice, director, U.S. franchise development.

Rice suggests the following for companies that are looking to revamp their interviewing process:

Provide direct responses about the role and the company. Candidates will see through vague or evasive responses. If the position has experienced frequent turnover or ongoing challenges, be honest about the issues and discuss how the role has been restructured. This is an opportunity to show that thought has been given to the position and its overall purpose in the company strategy, rather than just trying to backfill the role.

Demonstrate an enjoyable working environment. Candidates are looking at everything from their potential workspace, dress code and how team members interact with each other to work from home policies, office amenities and perks. Avoid any negative discussion of past or current employees, and don’t be dismissive of subordinates who may be briefly introduced to candidates. Use every opportunity to show a fun workplace, engaged employees and why you like working for the organization.

Maintain consistency. No matter what team members are tasked with interviewing, everyone should be on the same page about the responsibilities that will be assumed in the role. If the candidate receives conflicting information about the position, they have no choice but to assume this confusion will continue if they take the job.

Promote opportunities for advancement. Most candidates look at how a new role will provide them with new growth opportunities. Employers want someone who will remain in the position for a significant length of time, but it’s important not to forget to discuss any training or upward mobility programs, providing viable examples of how employees can advance within the company. Future employees want to feel their new employer is invested in their professional development.

Regardless of how your organization approaches the interviewing process, the main goal should be to leave candidates with a positive impression. “Not every candidate will be right for the company, but their ability to talk about their interview experience in the marketplace and potentially disseminate info that presents the brand in a good light, is invaluable. The ‘interview’ should be approached not only as a way to qualify potential new hires, but also leveraged as a marketing opportunity to communicate why the organization is a great place to work.”

Perfect match: Choose the right associate for your practice

Our friends over at Dr. Bicuspid (http://www.drbicuspid.com) featured a great article from ETS Dental this week titled "Perfect match: Choose the right associate for your practice"

In the article, Vice President and Senior Dental Recruiter Morgan Pace breaks down a great systematic approach for analyzing associate candidates on a variety of levels, including clinical skills, production capability, goal alignment, clinical philosophy, and personality.

Click the link below to read the full article on their site!

Read the Full Article

Hiring an Associate Dentist – What to Look for on a Candidate’s Resume/CV

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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!

Online Interviewing Tips for Hiring Managers

Interviewing can be costly and time consuming, especially when considering candidates from out of the area. Luckily, technology advancements have enabled us to reach these individuals with much more ease than we have had in the past thanks to the webcam allowing for online interviews.

We are seeing more clients opting for online interviews due to the following benefits:

• You are able to view the candidate and gauge their professional appearance and body language
  
• Allows you to see the interviewee in their own surroundings
  
• Reduces travel costs associated with bringing candidates in for interviews
  

Considering adding online interviews to your hiring process? The following are some tips to help both the interviewer make the best first impression.

1. Be familiar with the technology you are using —Download the program ahead of time, and do a test run with a friend. Skype is one of the more common software programs being used, but as with any technology, it’ll be much better to work out the technical kinks on the front end before starting the interview.
   
2. Make sure that you and the interviewee are able to connect —Make sure you have one another’s screen name or log in information needed prior to the appointment.
   
3. Make sure you look into the camera —If you are looking at the screen, you are not making direct eye contact with the person to whom you are communicating. This can be just as damaging for a video interview as it would be if you were sitting across a table from someone.
   
4. Be mindful of your background and lighting —Put yourself in an area with little to no background noise, and be mindful of potential interruptions. Also be aware of what the person will see behind you. It is best to avoid stark white walls and busy backgrounds. Test the lighting in the area where you will interview ahead of time to make sure it is flattering.
   
5. Adjust the camera ahead of time —You want the camera to show your head, shoulders, and hands. You need to be able to communicate fully, so this includes being able to transmit and receive nonverbal cues.
   
6. Dress for success —Dress for a video interview the same way you would if you were meeting the person at the office. Dark colors with a touch of color are the safest and look best on camera.
   
7. Have a script —Having notes in front of you can prevent awkward silences and keep the conversation on track.
   

Written by Tiffany Worstell, Account Executive/Dental Recruiter for Dental Staff at ETS Dental (www.etsdental.com). For more information, contact Tiffany directly at 540-491-9112 or tworstell@etsdental.com

The Importance of Selling Your Opportunity

While the financial aspects of any job opportunity play a significant role in swaying a candidate’s decision to accept an offer, a dental practice owner must take into consideration more than just salary when selling an opportunity. Since more than 60 percent of our placements relocate to the area after accepting an offer, the practice owner needs to put themselves in the associate candidate's shoes and start asking themselves questions about the opportunity before a candidate ever walks through the door.

What does the neighborhood look like? How are the schools? What are selling points of the community? If the candidate was interested in living in the city and the practice is located and hour or two out, the owner should talk about how easy it is to pop into the city whenever they want to. Is the outside of the practice presentable? Is the candidate welcomed with a smile from your front desk or office manager? Is the staff smiling and enjoying themselves while they work? Is the candidate’s name on the welcome sign? Do you understand any barriers the candidate may have to moving to your community? What’s the cost of living? What is their spouse’s career? Are their kids involved in sports, dance, academic, or other extracurricular activities? Have you noticed I haven't mentioned money or anything dental related yet?

It is also important to realize that there are going to be things about your practice or opportunity that the candidate does not like. Maybe it's being on call. Maybe it's working some weekends. Maybe your practice isn't in the most desirable neighborhood, suburb, or community. The best way to overcome these obstacles is by communicating your mission. Explain that you've developed a growing and loyal patient following by your absolute commitment to serving the needs of your community. You may not like working periodic evenings or weekends, but you would only be asking the associate to do this because it is consistent with your mission. If you sell them on your mission and ask them to help you serve that mission, many of the little issues disappear.

Keep in mind the best candidates have many options. Treat every candidate like he or she could be your partner or the buyer of your practice, even if you initially think of them as your second or third choice. Many make the mistake of only treating their initial first choice candidate well. Unfortunately, many practice owners find out that candidate is also the first choice of two or three other practices. Sometimes the first choice candidate turns out to have baggage, a negative attitude, or simply isn't able to accept your opportunity. In the meantime, a practice owner has likely ignored equally qualified candidates. Having multiple candidates interested in your opportunity is a great problem to have. It also strengthens your negotiating power. You've heard the saying that most interviewers make up their mind about a candidate in “x seconds.” The same is true for candidates. Let's face it, you are in competition for the best candidates with regional and national practice management companies. Many can offer more money, better benefits, more training, or newer facilities. What these organizations can't offer is the things that set your practice apart. Your practice has a special place in the community you serve. Play that up.

If the technology or equipment in your practice needs some updating, use this to your advantage. Let the candidate know you've been holding off on updating until you locate your new associate. Since he or she is going to be a big part of the practice’s future, you want them involved in selecting the next generation of equipment and technology. Signal you are willing to teach, but you are also willing to learn. Many early career dentists have received specialized training that simply wasn't available previously. Make sure you are signaling that you want this to be a win-win opportunity. Show you have a genuine interest in their career, their interests, and their family. These are things that practice management companies often miss.

During the interview, you expect a candidate to be personable, confident, and organized. You expect them to keep commitments, stay motivated to constantly improve, and always have the best interests of their patients in mind. Did you know candidates are looking for the same qualities in you as a practice owner? If you aren't prepared, you are late, the office is a mess, and you speak poorly of previous or current associates and staff members, expect to watch your candidate turn and walk away from your opportunity. Interviews are a two lane road, so remember that the candidate isn’t the only one on the spot.

Finally, remember that paying attention to the little things will save you money. Although money is important, it often isn’t a candidate’s top priority. We use the acronym CLAMPS: Challenge, Location, Advancement, Money, People and Stability/Security. If you score high on Challenge (always improving clinically) , Location (your community is appealing to the candidate), Advancement (possibility to buy-in), and People (upbeat team environment), you stand a very good chance of landing an associate who is also considering a position in an impersonal corporate environment with higher income potential.

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

Reference Checks: The Questions That Can Make or Break Your Practice

In many ways, the dental community is isolated from the rest of the business world. While the corporate world is encroaching, most practices are still built around the owner who, generally, has little formal business training and may well remember the days when a handshake was enough.

As recruiters, we often start our relationships with dental practices who have recently gone through a frustrating and often messy termination. Unfortunately, the doctors who leave the biggest messes easily find other employment only to leave a similar wake of destruction in their next office. Why is it so easy for these doctors to ruin one practice after another?

Dental Practices, as a group, routinely fail to protect the practice, staff and patients by performing a simple reference check. The importance of reference checking is well-documented in the larger business world.

Simply checking license history is no longer enough. You have the right to ask for references, and you should not settle for personal references. Ask for contact information of previous employers or faculty, if appropriate. Here are some practical steps to help make a reference check call easy, informative and less time consuming.

Confirm the details
Do not be shy to ask how the reference knows the job seeker. Find out how long they have known each other. If the reference is a former employer, ask for dates of employment. Ask what their function was in that position.

Decide what you want to know before you call
When we perform reference checks on behalf of our clients, we ask the reference to rate the job candidate on productivity, the quality of their work, their oral and written expression, their working relationships, their motivation and initiative, and their punctuality and attendance.

Know what he/she does well
Ask the reference what they would consider to be the job seeker’s greatest strengths in the position. Also, ask what the employer’s expectations were and how well the job seeker fulfilled them. Do they work better independently or under direct supervision?

Know where the job seeker could improve
This is a great way to ask for constructive criticism in a way that will not make the reference feel uncomfortable about giving a bad reference. Be sure to ask if the job seeker was open to critique and if progress was made toward improvement.

Would the reference hire or re-hire the job seeker?
This is straight to the point. If you hear “No,” make sure that you know why.

When you finish the reference check, be sure to thank the reference for the time that they spent with you and the information they provided. They may well have just saved you from a bad decision or enabled you to sleep well with the decision you will make.

Written by Morgan Pace, Vice President and Recruiter at ETS Dental. You can reach Morgan directly at (540) 491-9102 or mpace@etsdental.com. Find out more at www.etsdental.com.

Annual Planning – To Add or Not to Add an Associate

With the holiday season in full swing and the end of the year approaching faster than ever, many practice owners utilize this time of year to put the finishing touches on their business plans and goals for the upcoming year. Perhaps one of the most important decisions any practice owner will make during annual planning is whether or not to add an associate dentist to their practice.

Knowing if your practice is ready to hire an associate, however, is key to determining the success of any expansion. Here are some tips to follow when considering the addition of an associate to your practice, including good reasons to add and good reasons to wait:

Good Reasons to Add
 
It fits with your mission – If you offer a unique set of services to your target patient base, your production numbers are above industry norms, and you can easily add more patients by offering more capacity, it might be a good time to look at adding an associate.

It fits with your long-term strategy – We’ve written numerous articles over the years about having a clear picture of what you want your practice to look like and be like in five years, ten years, or when you are ready to transition out. If you don’t have a long-term objective, it’s important to develop one before hiring anyone. If you need some help, we’ve put together a great guide on preparing a business plan and organizing your objectives and goals: Dental Practice Owners: 8 Simple Steps to preparing a Business Plan 
 
A great opportunity presents itself –One of the best indicators it may be time to add an associate is if there is an underserved patient population in your community and you could fill a new associate’s schedule by catering to their needs.

You find an associate with the following three qualities –
1. His clinical philosophy is in sync with yours
2. Her personality fits well with yours and that of your office culture
3. Your long term goals align (i.e. she wants to buy an office in 5 years, you want to sell your office in 5 years)

If these three things align, just about all other issues can be worked out in time. If clinical philosophies, personalities, or long-term goals are not in line, however, don’t make the hire.

Complimentary Skills – If an associate loves working with pediatric patients, doing extractions, or performing endodontic procedures and you routinely refer these cases out, you may be able to add a complimentary revenue stream to your practice without adding patients.

You can afford to fail – Adding an associate is a calculated risk. Make absolutely sure that if an associate does not work out, it will not seriously jeopardize the long-term health of your practice. We’ve seen dentists literally hand their practice over to a new associate on their first day so the owner could take an extended two month vacation or stop practicing all together. This is a recipe for disaster, and often comes with costly consequences for the practice owner.

You are truly prepared – Make sure you have the operatories, systems, and staff to support a new associate before you make a hire. The reason that most associate relationships fail is because the practice simply wasn’t ready. There are plenty of great associate opportunities out there. Don’t lose a great associate because he or she lacks the equipment, staff, mentoring, or patients. Just because you need an associate does not mean your practice is ready for one.

Good Reasons to Wait
 
Your practice’s systems are inefficient – When was the last time you took a look at your practice’s internal efficiencies? Is your practice producing what comparably-sized practices are? If the answer is no, you may want to speak with a practice consultant so you can get the most out of your current system and team. Adding an associate will not fix your production issues, but will simply add to the inefficiency of your practice.

You want more time off – Many dentists make the mistake of adding an associate simply because they want more time off. This reason is perfectly justifiable, but first you need to assess the financial impact of an associate taking over some or all of your current production. If you can improve your quality of life by adding an associate to share your current workload and give you more free time, by all means do it. Just make sure you get with your CPA to ensure you truly understand the financial impact of such a decision.

You’ve just expanded or built a new office and want to “fill it up” – Just because a new building will accommodate two, three, four, or five dentists and the accompanying support staff doesn’t mean you will immediately have patient demand to fill everyone’s schedule immediately. “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t always work when it comes to dentistry, especially in the short term.

Your competitor just hired an associate – Can you hear your Mom saying “if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?” There is a lot of truth behind that old phraseology, as silly as it may seem. What might be right for a competitor’s practice and financial situation isn’t necessarily best for your own practice, and vice versa. Identifying and assessing your practice’s specific needs and goals will always warrant better results than simply trying to copy your competitor’s strategies.

Adding an associate is an important decision for any practice owner to make. With some careful thought and planning, though, the addition of the right team member to any practice can boost production levels and increase the overall profitability of the practice as a whole.

If you’re considering adding an associate, feel free to reach out to one of our experienced dental recruiters and let ETS find your next great associate for you!

Written by Mark Kennedy, President and Owner of ETS Dental, Vision, Tech-Ops, and Therapy. For more information, contact us and let ETS Dental find your next associate, partner, or buyer today! www.etsdental.com

4 Tips for Navigating the Hiring Process

As a job seeker, knowing how to interact with a hiring manager or recruiter plays an incredibly pivotal role in the hiring process. Even though an interviewing manager or recruiter might not be the final decision-maker as to whether or not you land the job, their assessment of your character, professionalism, and abilities will speak volumes during the application, screening, and interview process.

Here are four helpful tips for navigating the hiring process:

1. Maintain Open and Honest Communication – Communication is perhaps the most critical component of the entire hiring process. Make sure your resume or CV are updated with your most recent work history before applying to the position. If you’re working with a recruiter, provide as much information and as many details as requested. Be especially forthcoming early on in the process when it comes to your education, current employment status, and certifications. Even if you’ve been unemployed for a while or are lacking in experience, being honest and upfront with a hiring manager or recruiter communicates your trustworthiness and helps prevent any future misunderstandings. It only takes one dishonest detail to spoil your chances with a future employer and lose their trust, so honesty is always the best policy.
2. Respond in a Timely Manner – Part of establishing open channels of communication with a hiring manager is maintaining timely responses. Being prompt in your responses shows enthusiasm and communicates your interest in the position. If you’re going on vacation or will be difficult to reach for a period of time, be sure to communicate this beforehand with the manager or recruiter. Dropping off the map unexpectedly in the midst of the hiring process can result in missed opportunities, as employers are more likely to go with an eager candidate than one that’s passive in their responses.
3. Don’t Overdo it on the Follow Up - Showing enthusiasm and interest in a position are key to landing an opportunity. However, excessive follow-up and “reaching out” can be both annoying and detrimental to your chances of establishing a good relationship with an employer. If a recruiter or manager provides a specific timeline of when they will be in touch with you, always adhere to that schedule.
4. Respect the Employer’s Hiring Process – It may seem obvious, but in order to effectively navigate the hiring process, you must respect the employer’s process for assessing and interviewing candidates. As an applicant, attempting to “skip” the chain of command by bypassing a human resources manager to talk directly with the final decision-maker rarely works out in the candidate’s favor. Respecting the employer’s processes and following instructions lays solid groundwork for your candidacy. If working with a recruiter, understand that there are multiple processes going on behind the scenes. A good recruiter will be transparent and set expectations of when you can expect to hear back. Again, be respectful in adhering to the timeline the recruiter presents to you. If you don’t hear anything back by the time they specified, it’s OK to check in then and see how things are going.

Each recruiter and company will have their own unique hiring process. Regardless of the position you’re applying to, though, establishing open channels of communication and maintaining a professional demeanor throughout every correspondence are good policies for landing an interview and ultimately getting the job.

For a complete listing of all of our current job opportunities, please visit our job board. Or, if you’re looking to add a new associate or staff member to your practice, contact us and begin your search today!

The Future of Contract Staffing

Contract staffing, also known as temporary or contingent staffing, has long been a solution for employers to meet short-term or variable staffing needs, while providing candidates with the opportunity to gain seasonal work or work between permanent positions. Temporary employees are no longer viewed as just being lower-level, non-essential and less-committed workers. In fact, the recession of 2008 introduced many companies to the value of having contractors as a significant portion of their workforce.

As the job outlook improves, contract staffing remains as a viable, growing workforce solution for not only satisfying administrative needs, but also engaging senior-level staff, in a cost-effective manner for strategic, leadership expertise. Contract staffing is becoming such an integral part of the workforce that Staffing Industry Analysts predicts 50 percent of the workers at Fortune 100 companies will be contingent hires by 2020. While every employer's need for contract workers will vary, they will increasingly need to think about how to implement an effective recruitment strategy that provides the right mix of contingent and permanent workers to move their organization forward.

According to Staffing Industry Analysts' Temporary Staffing Trends, Development and Forecasts webinar, the U.S. temporary staffing market is projected to experience 5 percent growth in 2014 and 4 percent globally. "Our employment landscape is changing and it's clear that contract staffing is no longer being viewed as just a secondary or backup labor solution," says DD Graf, vice president of contract staffing for MRINetwork. "The focus is moving from using temporary workers to fill in for or replace permanent functions, to more of a strategic approach in which companies contemplate whether key initiatives will require temporary vs. permanent work."

Graf offers the following advice for implementing an effective contract staffing recruitment strategy:

Include discussions around the workforce mix in annual company-wide strategy sessions. Companies should be considering the contingent labor that will be required to drive the organization's strategy instead of waiting until demands become too much, or out of the scope of work performed by permanent staff. Simply put, consider if you have everyone needed on board to accomplish company goals.

Don't disregard contract talent as only short-term workers. While contract talent are frequently hired for project-based work or short-term, mission-critical initiatives, there is a large pool of highly-skilled, contract talent that is increasingly being hired for projects that last several months or even years. Many of these top performers also prefer contract staffing for the same reasons companies do: work flexibility and the ability to demonstrate expertise in a given area. Utilizing contingent workers in this manner, makes it advantageous for employers to solve temporary workforce needs in a more cost-effective and efficient manner.

Consider your industry and the variances in workflow that happen throughout the year. Industries that are highly susceptible to fluctuations in workflow are information technology, electronic patient records implementation, healthcare information technology and pharmaceutical/life sciences. Having variable staffing expenses will allow you to better control your costs.

Partner with a staffing company that has expertise as a single source solution provider for contract and permanent assignments. When bringing in the best talent is the goal, working with a staffing organization that understands your industry, has relationships with top candidates and has your company's best interest in mind, can provide you with the competitive edge to recruit the top performers in your market, whether on a permanent or contract basis. As entities that remain current on constantly changing contract labor regulations and handling payroll and other back offices responsibilities, staffing organizations take much of the risk out of contract staffing, while helping you implement effective recruitment strategies.

As we move towards the 2020 workforce, companies are becoming more quality-focused as opposed to work output-focused. Graf concludes, "This fundamental shift in the workplace is causing companies to dissect and redesign work responsibilities and even roles, creating a growing need for contract staffing."

Bridging Generational Gaps in 2020

As we move towards the 2020 workforce, companies face an interesting demographic dynamic in terms of talent acquisition - a workforce comprised of millennials, Gen Xers, baby boomers and traditionalists. While each of these groups has their own generational differences, the most notable are the expectations and approaches to work between millennials, who will make up the majority of the workforce, and baby boomers. With the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook handbook projecting total employment to increase by 15.6 million jobs between 2010 to 2020, generational differences will become an additional component of diversity relations at the workplace. Recruiters and hiring staff must learn to recognize the combined value, perspectives and impact of successfully integrating these distinctly different generations into an organization's teams, ultimately improving the company's ability to develop solutions, products and services for the future.

  Click to enlarge.

Millennials
Millennials entering the workforce have frequently been characterized as individuals born between 1980 and 2000, who are entitled, lazy, job-hoppers, overly ambitious and unaware of business etiquette. Regardless of how accurate these descriptions are, this generation has demonstrated that it is in search of meaning and purpose. "Millennials want more than just a job; they seek careers that hold their attention and fulfill their ambition, all while providing competitive pay and work-life balance," says Suzanne Rice, director of U.S. franchise development for MRINetwork. "They want to work for companies that have a reputable brand, as well as products and services of which they can be proud. Unlike older generations, that didn't have the same access to technology, millennials are driven by out-of-the-box thinking, collaborative approaches to solutions and the ability to leverage the fastest, most efficient means of accomplishing goals."

Baby Boomers
A growing number of workers age 55 to 64 are continuing to work longer, yet in 2020 this generation of workers will only make up about 20% of the workforce. They have an entirely different approach to work than millennials and are often characterized as conscientious, dedicated, independent-minded workers that enjoy working alone on projects and then rejoining the team to reveal results. "Baby boomers can find it difficult to work with millennials, because they don't understand the younger generation's need for coaching, mentorship and collaborative work," says Rice. "They grew up in a time of stability, economic prosperity and opportunity when higher education and wider career options were becoming more accessible. Parents were away from the home more and children became latch-key kids. As a result, this generation tends to have a work ethic that is focused on self-reliance, paying your dues, putting in overtime and doing everything needed to accomplish tasks."

Despite the generational differences, millennials and baby boomers do have things in common. Both groups are focused on excellent job performance, and that can work to an organization's advantage. Millennials bring technology savvy and work efficiencies that can benefit companies. Baby boomers have the ability to provide millennials with insight on work etiquette, the company's culture and career tracking by demonstrating clear paths for advancement in the company. This type of relationship satisfies millennials' need for ongoing training, mentorship and collaboration, while providing baby boomers with job stability and value as experienced employees. Companies end up with improved work synergies and succession planning for the organization's future leaders.

We face an interesting paradox as the industry ushers in the next generation of workers. Adds Rice, "Recruiters and hiring managers will have to become knowledgeable about the different expectations of millennials and baby boomers, providing them with the growth opportunities they seek, while also leveraging their generational differences to create effective teams that can lead companies forward."




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

Hiring an Associate Dentist Who Requires Visa Sponsorship

Long a part of medical doctor staffing, dentists requiring visa sponsorship have come to represent a much larger segment of the available work force. Often these associate candidates bring extensive training and geographic flexibility that is not easily found in the domestic applicant pool. Also, they often offer a longer-term associate solution, as the visa process discourages the kind of “job-hopping” that is more routine with traditional early career dentists.

Whether a practice is considering sponsoring a new Visa or transferring an existing Visa, the process is not as intimidating as it may appear. Our friend Ken Gauvey of The Law Practice of Ken C. Gauvey (http://www.gauveylaw.com/) provides the following overview of the Visa sponsorship process from the employer’s perspective. For more information or to consult with an immigration lawyer, please contact Ken Gauvey at www.gauveylaw.com.

Hiring Doctors in the Era of Health Care Shortages

The U.S. faces a national shortage of doctors. In fact, the Association of American Medical Colleges released a report indicating that the U.S. shortage of qualified physicians is at 20,000 now with half of the nation’s doctors being over the age of 50. As a result, that shortage, even before the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. A study in the Annals of Family Medicine projects that the country will need 52,000 more primary care physicians by 2025. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, only one in five graduating medical residents plan to go into primary care. In the face of this shortage, it is clear that hospitals in the U.S. will have to rely more on qualified foreign doctors to fill this gap.

Unfortunately, the means to hire foreign nationals are limited and complex. In general, when hiring a foreign national doctor, the immigration timeline follows a predetermined schedule. In many cases, a doctor will need a J-1 waiver, followed by an H-1B visa, followed by some form of permanent residency sponsorship. Doctors who come to the U.S. to finish their studies commit to a two-year period of practicing medicine in their home country. The J-1 waiver is required to waive that two-year commitment. In exchange, those doctors agree to work for three years in the U.S. in a medically underserved area. However, once the waiver is approved, the doctor still needs an H-1B visa to actually work in the U.S.

The J-1 Waivers are limited. At present, each state only gets 30 of them. Moreover, each state has its own processes and procedures developed by the state department of health in place to determine who gets one of the waivers. Some states require the putative employer to demonstrate six months of recruiting efforts. Other states have few actually requirements outside of an application. Some states process the waivers at no cost to the employer; others have large fees associated with waiver requests. Having knowledgeable counsel who is familiar with the requirements for multiple states is of significant benefit to the employer. Once the state approves the request, the U.S. Department of State has to approve it. This process generally takes six to ten weeks. Following this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through USCIS provides the final approval.

Concurrent with the review, the employer can file for the H-1B, which is the visa that actually allows the doctor to work. With premium processing, the H-1B can be approved, along with the final waiver, two to three weeks after the Department of State issues its approval. The H-1B is valid for three years, and permits one three year extension. During this period, the employer has to make a determination on whether to sponsor the employee for permanent residency.

There are many ways to obtain permanent residency through an employment relationship. The two most prominent ways are the National Interest Waiver (NIW), and Labor Certification. If a doctor subject agrees to work for five years (two in addition to the typical J-1 service requirement) in a medically underserved area, the doctor can immediately apply for a NIW. Additionally, assuming an immigrant visa is immediately available; the physician can also file for permanent residence, though the final approval of permanent residence is granted only upon proof of five years of service. An additional benefit afforded by the NIW and concurrent application for permanent residence is that the immediate family of the physician may apply for work authorization. Moreover, this process avoids the Labor Certification process which is time consuming and expensive.

The Labor Certification process requires the employer to conduct a specific test of the labor market to determine whether there are any qualified, ready, willing and able U.S. physicians to fill the position. The employer must conduct, at minimum, a two month recruiting effort using methods dictated by the U.S. Department of Labor. The employer must conduct a good faith recruiting campaign using five different types of recruitment efforts such as newspaper advertisements, web advertisements, etc. The employer has to interview minimally qualified candidates and if one candidate meets the qualifications the Labor Certification process fails. Therefore, this process requires an in depth review of the job description, and strict adherence to the regulatory requirements for the recruiting campaign. At the end of the recruiting effort, assuming no minimally qualified candidates are found, the employer, through their attorney, can file the Labor Certification application asking the DOL to certify the position. The DOL can request an audit, approve or deny the application, or have the employer redo the recruitment process under DOL supervision. Once approved, the employer can file the employment-based visa application. Following approval of the visa, and the completion of the three-year waiver requirement, the doctor can then file for permanent residency, subject only to the per country limitations in this process.

The process for hiring foreign national doctors is complex, but manageable with competent legal counsel. Employers should not shy away from engaging in this process especially as the shortage of doctors in this country continues to grow. However, employers do need to know the options when seeking to hire doctors who are subject to the J visa requirements. Competent legal counsel can manage the J waiver process and the H-1B process; and provide legal guidance throughout the Labor Certification process; and can prepare the remaining immigration filings. Therefore, while hiring doctors can be complex, employers cannot afford to shy away from the process in this era of health care shortage.

For more information or to consult with an immigration lawyer, please contact Ken Gauvey at www.gauveylaw.com.

Electronic Cover Letters

Attached you will find my resume. I have 7 years of Medical Receptionist experience but no dental office experience.  I read that you need to have dental office experience and I don not have that but still feel that I would be a good choice for the job. Thank you for looking at my resume.

Writing a cover letter can be tough.  However, it is an important to getting your foot in the door.  Above is a cover letter that I recently received.  Yes, that is it, spelling error and all.  Honestly, I did not even open this individual’s resume, but it did get me thinking about what other individuals need to do to improve their chances at getting the attention of a potential employer.

In this day and time, the cover letter is especially crucial since communication is electronic.  When your resume is an attachment, this is your first chance to make an impression on a potential employer.  Unless you are copying and pasting your resume into the emails, which I do not recommend, your resume is not staring the reader in the face.

So, what can you do to stand out and get the reader’s attention?

First, address the reader.  Now, in this person’s defense, she was applying to a blind ad.  She could have, however, addressed the email to the hiring manager or with a “Dear Doctor”.

Next, let the reader know which position you are interested in.  They could have more than one opportunity available.

Then, focus on the positives.  The phrase that jumps out at me in this letter is “no dental office experience” a requirement for the position.  She even goes on to say that she read that it is a requirement.  Focus on what you have. 

A few other points to hit on in the body of this email, spell out simple numbers.  Spell check is a wonderful thing-use it.

Finally, there is no way to contact this individual in the email.  What if the attachment does not work?  Always, always, always include contact information! 

Below is a simple letter that would have made a much better impact for the job seeker.

Dear Doctor or Hiring Manager,

Attached you will find my resume for the opening you have available for a dental receptionist.  I have seven years of experience working in the medical field as a receptionist.  I am computer savvy and have strong customer service skills; I believe that my skills would transfer well into your practice and would welcome the chance to interview for your opening.  Please feel free to call me at (xxx)xxx-xxxx if you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to meet.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Your Name

A few extra minutes and minimal work can mean the difference between your resume getting deleted or you scoring the interview.  Take your time!  Happy job hunting!


Tiffany Worstell is a nationwide Recruiter for Dental Staff at ETS Dental. She can be reached at tworstell@etsdental.com or 540-491-9112. 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

What Does Your Interviewing Process Say About Your Company?

Grabbing the attention of top candidates can be challenging for employers trying to court their first picks in the executive, managerial and professional job market. These applicants are typically interviewing with multiple companies and have additional options at their disposal. Employer branding and a streamlined recruitment process are just a few of the strategies companies are using to make themselves more attractive in this candidate-driven market. While these strategies can help make the recruitment and hiring process more efficient, many employers forget to consider the subtle messages they could be conveying about the company, through the interviewing process itself. This oversight can create a lasting impression that turns candidates off before an offer is ever made.

With a shrinking talent pool and increased competition for top candidates, employers have to not only sell the company well, but also conduct an interviewing process that presents the company and its corporate culture in the best light possible. "When companies approach the interviewing process from the candidate's perspective, they are much more likely to create an experience that is mutually engaging and appealing to the 'A' players in their markets," says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork.

The interviewing process should be an opportunity for both parties to evaluate a professional and cultural fit with the company. Yet, consider as an employer that perhaps you are additionally sending out unintended messages about weaknesses in the company culture or work practices.

Have you reflected on the following?

1. Is your process executed in an organized, seamless manner?
2. Are the company representatives experienced at interviewing candidates, or are they just winging it?
3. Are the interviewers polite and sincerely interested in learning more about the candidate's background, or are any of them annoyed that the interview is taking them away from their work?
4. Does the company do its best to follow-up with top applicants and keep them engaged or do several days or weeks go by without any feedback from the interviewer?
5. Is the interviewing process lengthy or is it respectful of candidates' time?

If you answered no to any of these questions, it may be time to re-evaluate what the company's interviewing and recruitment practices say about the organization. "Just as employers are concerned about making a bad hire due to poor cultural fit or lacking skillsets, candidates are equally concerned about working for companies that seem disorganized, unprofessional, unreliable or inconsiderate of their employees' needs," notes Romaine. "Even the slightest glimpse of poor work practices can send top candidates away from your organization and straight to a competitor."

At the end of the day, the interviewing process is as much about candidate discovery as it is about employer branding. It is therefore important for employers to evaluate whether their practices are attracting or detracting key talent from their organizations.

Hiring an Associate Dentist – Experience vs. Potential

When we start working with a practice, we collect a lot of information about the owner, practice, and the position. Some details are quantitative, but many crucial points are open for interpretation. Most practice owners tell us they need an experienced dentist for their position. In most cases, that is the best option. In fact, over 90% of the doctors we place have over one year of experience in practice or residency. But what are the tradeoffs to experience? When should an office consider hiring a doctor a year or two out of school rather than five to seven years out?

Experience

 Pros-

• Production: Dental School is just the beginning. It takes several years, lots of CE and thousands of chair side hours for most dentists to hit their stride. An experienced dentist should be better able to handle a full schedule.
• Known quantity: A seasoned dentist brings credentials, a work history, and track record of past successes that will allow a new employer to project reasonably accurate results
• Less Babysitting: With experience comes independence and the ability to handle

Potential

Pros-

• Malleable: While an experienced dentist will come to your practice with his or her own idea on how an office should operate or with a well-defined clinical philosophy, a less-experienced dentist will be open-minded and receptive to guidance.
• Less up front needs: This is true of patient load as well as guaranteed income. While many recent graduates have huge student loan debts to consider, they typically have less expense in the rest of their lives. They also come to your practice without the burden of trying to reach previous income levels. They typically are better able to handle a growing practice than a dentist who needs to maintain a higher standard of living
• Superstars are still available: Most practices would love to hire a dentist who is motivated, great with patients, can keep procedures in house and who will be a boom to the practice for years to come. Dentists like that are rarely available long. These are the dentists who are partners or practice owners within a few years of practice.

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