If you are reading this blog, fair warning up front: It’s ugly
For the job seeker: If you have a stable full-time job and are always keeping an eye out in case you need a plan b, or if you always make it a habit to see who’s hiring just for kicks, I’m sure you’ve noticed a pattern. There are always offices that seem to be recruiting every six to eight weeks, and you’ll spot their ads every 90 to 120 days. You and your friends know which offices they are and spread the word for others to stay clear of them. The truth is, these offices have a reputation of not being a great place to work. But why?
And if you are the business owner or office manager who’s constantly hiring and can’t seem to keep employees, why is that?
In every city, no matter the size, the dental community is small. Everyone seems to know everyone. Dental professionals are excellent at networking, and unless you make changes that begin with you, you’ll always be hiring. We get a lot of calls from dental professionals new to a dental community who relocate from another city or from out of state who are savvy and know to network and learn the ins-and-outs of the local dental community before taking the first job that comes along. When they apply online, secure an interview and are hired on the spot with a, “can you start tomorrow at 8 a.m.,” without even a breath or pause for thought, the employer comes across extremely eager. The job seeker will realize that this is a major red flag and will either run the other way immediately or take the job to make some money while they continue looking for a better position. Eventually, they will leave you, and you find yourself back to the search.
Sure, it could be about them–the employee–and not you. After all, you pay well, offer great benefits, have 8-5 working hours with Friday’s off. Life is good for them! But for years you’ve had trouble keeping the second dental assistant position filled. Maybe it’s because you have one employee who runs off every new hire. If that’s the case and you know it, why do you keep this employee on payroll? This is a situation that can’t be ignored, but that’s what you continue to do. The issue, here, isn’t with the new hire, it’s with you and your leadership. For employers, change is hard but the constant struggle of hiring is even harder. My advice? Change your leadership skills.
Employee turnover can be like a ball and chain around your ankle. When the newest employee heads out the door, you make it all about them, and complain and wonder why you can’t get out of your continuous-hiring rut.
After working in the dental industry for many years as both a clinician and business manager, and being a business owner myself for the last 15 years, I’ve personally experienced, witnessed and heard from employees about all aspects of their work life. And below is what I know for sure.
You have employee turnover because of:
Rude Behavior – Rudeness, back-biting, playing favorites and retaliations are several reasons why employees quit. Feeling resentful and mistreated is not an enticement for a good work environment.
Expectations – The initial job description and what was promised did not occur, leading to mistrust. When trust is missing, employee ownership is diluted.
Confidence – When employees are asked to do more and more, they take notice and realize there has been increase in profits. Confidence is shaken when they are treated as consumables and not considered to be contributors of that success. Employees are your most important asset, and you must treat them as being of value. Demonstrate your appreciation through action.
Feedback – Employees want to know how they are doing, and they want to share and tell you how you are doing. Honest feedback is essential for building successful teams and organizations. Talk with your employees regularly, not once a year. Sincere appreciation goes a long way, as do words of kindness like, “please” and “thank you.” Show appreciation for positive effort, and you’ll be reinforcing those positive actions and behaviors. Remember what you give will be returned 10-fold. Make it positive not negative! Most employees are told all the things they do wrong leaving them to feel undervalued. Praise them for all they do right!
Wrong Hire – Never hire an employee unless they are qualified to do the job. This is like fitting a square peg in a round hole. Unhappy is the word of the day for you both, and it will usually end badly.
Lack of People skills – Employers will promote an employee into a leadership role because they do their jobs well and are results driven. BIG mistake! The fact that they do their job well and get results does not mean they know how to lead. People skills can be learned and developed, but it really helps if they have a natural ability to get along in the sandbox and motive others. As a manager, you need to lead by example and reward the team for a job well done.
Lack of promotion and raise- Money isn’t everything, but it does matter. If you faced an economic downturn in your business and froze wages and promotions, do you resume after the crisis has passed? You may not have the best compensation compared to your peers, but not giving raises or promotions as time marches on is a big negative to employees. Your employees do not feel valued and will seek employment elsewhere.
Doing More with Less – Economic pressure pushes you to operate lean, and you wind up making demands on one employee to do the work of two or more people. Longer work hours and additional day added to schedule to meet goals occurs. This situation usually has no plan; it just happens without thought and with no end in sight. You force the employee to choose between personal time and family, and their work. This does not go over well.
Unorganized – If you are constantly reorganizing, changing direction and shuffling people around while changing policies and procedure from one year to the next, your employees don’t know what’s going on, and they will feel disconnected and have no idea what your priorities are or what they should be doing. You have one unorganized confused team on your hands, wasting time and money because they are working inefficiently and with low morale.
Lack of Decision-Making -Dental professionals, in general, are detail oriented and this carries over to their management style. Far too many employers micromanage to the level of minutia. If this is you, your employees walk on eggshells with fear because their every move needs to be directed by you. If they make a mistake, they hear about it for weeks. They dread the day of their annual review, hearing all the little notes your scribed through the past year come out of your top desk drawer. Employees want to work in an environment where they are empowered; where they have the freedom to make suggestions and decisions. Give your employee’s authority and responsibility, and the latitude to do their jobs. TRUST is key here. I guarantee that the enthusiasm and pride of job ownership will shine from your employees to your customers, and your business will thrive.
As employers, we can go round and round and discuss what’s wrong with employees and why they leave to take another job. Or, we can walk over to the mirror, look ourselves in the eyes and have that one-on-one conversation right here and right now. You know what you need to do to attract them to stay. I encourage you to take action today—not tomorrow, not when it’s convenient, but today. Now.
- Don’t Let Nasty Weather Blow Your Office Off Course - July 29, 2020
- Giving = Learning|Do You Work With A Helper? - January 31, 2018
- Employment Application – How does yours stack up? - January 24, 2018