Summer time is here! Children are out of school, people are taking time off from their jobs for vacation and spending time with their families. It’s also that time of the year when many people take advantage of these leisure days and seize the opportunity to schedule their medical, vision and dental appointments. To the dismay of many a front office employee, many patients wait until the twelfth hour and then want to be seen for a re-care appointment. Have you found your office in a jam, not being able to service your patients due to lack of staffing? Do they have to wait four or five months to get in for an appointment? How helpful would it be if you had an additional dental assistant to support your core team to keep production flowing and allowing for more chair time? Have you thought about bringing in an additional dental hygienist to take on an extra day or two a week for the overflow in the summer? How about a front office support person to work behind the scenes assisting office staff with data entry, catch up on calls or help with a project that has been sitting on the back burner.
Here’s are seven tips to help you start on hiring for your busy season:
1. Start Early. Your peers may be thinking the same thing. Your region may be extremely competitive, so you’ll want to start early seeking the top talent for your office. This also allows time to meet applicants and prescreen for the position.
2. Find top talent who can work a flexible schedule. This allows you to have them working only when it’s necessary. They will accept schedule changes without causing difficulty. Having a candidate who is fluid and goes with the flow is ideal!
3. Review your state labor laws. Look at and be familiar with federal and state laws on the employment and hiring of temporary workers.
4. Know what you’ll be paying. If you are hiring entry-level candidates to support your team, offer them minimum wage. Know the minimum wage for your state. It’s a win- win for both of you. They will gain work experience, and your team will have optimum performance with the additional help.
5. Review your office policy and procedural manual to be sure it’s up to date. You’ll want to make sure you have outlined all the guidelines for the seasonal employees. Thoroughly cover job description, pay and benefits to eliminate any misunderstandings.
6. Assign seasonal help a mentor and hold an orientation for them. Don’t simply throw them to the wolves! Train them up while contributing to their success. They will hit the ground running with confidence and you’ll have less headaches.
Keep in mind you are building relationships. The seasonal employee who has a positive experience working with you and your team will be a walking billboard – telling everyone what a great experience they had, what they learned and how well you and your team care for your patients. They will help you build your brand and business. The seasonal employee you hire for the summer could even turn out to be a future full time employee.
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