By Thomas Julier, Accountant at Hive Business
In every industry, having a high staff turnover can be detrimental to the success of the business but arguably in dentistry, it is even more crucial to keep this figure down due to both the physical cost and to the overall impact on your practice.
THE COST
The costs of employing a new member of staff can be seen in many ways:
- The cost of advertising for a new role;
- The cost of locum staff while you are trying to find a replacement;
- Loss in turnover while the new member is training or getting up to speed;
- The cost of reference and background checks;
- The recruitment fees if an agency is used.
The list really is endless ranging from the easily tracked to the sometimes hard to see, all of which combine to have a large impact.
WHAT IS CAUSING THE HIGH STAFF TURNOVER?
The main reasons for a high turnover of staff fall under the following two categories:
- The work environment is not conducive to staff longevity
- The wrong people are being hired
Let’s look at the factors affecting staff longevity:
Pleasant working relationships
The best working environments have that “family feeling” which creates a light and friendly atmosphere. This usually comes from hiring friendly, congenial people and having a good personality always helps. You can’t teach someone to have a personality!
Appreciation and respect
People do not stay where they feel they are not appreciated or respected. Don’t fall into the mistake of assuming a paycheck is all the appreciation required. Verbal appreciation goes a long way.
Good pay and benefits
If you have an above-average practice, do above-average dentistry, and wish to hire and retain above-average people, you must pay above-average wages.
The integrity factor
If you want staff members to respect you, there can be no breaches of your integrity professionally or personally. Staff members form perceptions of a Dentists character by how he or she deals with them and with patients.
Comfortable scheduling
Stress is another factor that can lead to a good employee leaving. In too many practices, the schedule controls the practice rather than the practice controlling the schedule. When there is good communication between the clinical and business areas of the practice, the daily schedule can be controlled to reduce stress.
With regards to hiring the right people, there are many factors that need to be considered and this isn’t a process that should be rushed. Although, as mentioned above, the cost of locum fees while trying to find a new member of full-time staff can be expensive but it is worth it for getting the right member of staff that will hopefully be with you for the long term.
If your practice has a high staff turnover then maybe it’s time to have a look in the mirror and find the underlying problem.
If you want help with managing your team dynamics we can help. Find out more about our Diagnostic Day or get in touch.
