How to Prepare for the Hiring Process

Before posting job advertisements or interviewing candidates, assess your practice's needs and define what you're looking for in a dental hygienist.

Understanding Your Practice Needs

Start by analyzing your current practice metrics to determine if you truly need to hire a dental hygienist. Key indicators include:

• Seeing eight or more patients daily without a hygienist

• Patient wait times extending beyond two to three weeks for appointments

• Current hygiene schedule consistently running at full capacity

• Increasing patient complaints about appointment availability

Track these metrics for at least a month to establish clear patterns and justify the hiring decision. Also, consider whether you need a full-time or part-time hygienist based on your patient load and procedure complexity.

Defining Your Ideal Candidate

Once you've confirmed the need to hire, create a detailed profile of your ideal candidate. Your profile should include:

Technical requirements:

• Required education and certifications

• Specific clinical skills and experience level

• Proficiency with your practice management software

• Experience with specific procedures your practice frequently performs

Cultural and personal attributes:

• Communication style that matches your patient demographic

• Work pace that aligns with your practice efficiency goals

• Personality traits that complement your existing team

• Approach to patient care that mirrors your practice philosophy

Involve your current team in defining these requirements. Their input can help identify qualities that will make it easier for the new hire to integrate with your staff and maintain your practice's standard of care.

Remember, while technical skills are important, finding someone who aligns with your practice culture and values is equally vital. Personality fit often determines employee retention and team harmony.

How to Create a Job Posting

Your job posting is often the first impression candidates have of your practice, so it needs to be informative and compelling.

Include Essential Components

Start with the fundamental elements that every dental hygienist job posting needs:

• Required licenses and certifications

• Clinical responsibilities (periodontal assessments, prophylaxis, radiographs)

• Expected patient load and scheduling

• Required experience level

• Work schedule and hours

• Basic benefits package

Make Your Practice Stand Out

Highlight what makes your practice unique:

• Advanced technology and equipment you use

• Continuing education opportunities and professional development support

• Team culture and work environment

• Patient demographics and types of procedures

• Mentorship or training programs

• Work-life balance initiatives

Follow Best Practices

To maximize the effectiveness of your posting:

• Be specific about your requirements but avoid an overwhelming list

• Include salary range to attract serious candidates

• Highlight growth opportunities within your practice

• Describe your team dynamics and practice philosophy

• Mention any unique perks like flexible scheduling or modern technology

• Keep the tone professional but welcoming

• Avoid generic phrases like "competitive salary" or "fast-paced environment"

Remember to post your listing on dental-specific job boards like the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) Career Center and DentalPost, as well as general job sites like Indeed. 

But make sure to also use a dental staffing platform such as Teero to find quality hygienists, since job boards don’t always cut it when it comes to finding good candidates.

By adopting a multi-platform approach, you'll maximize your visibility among qualified candidates.

The Interview and Evaluation Process

With a structured interview and evaluation process, it'll be easier and faster to find the ideal dental hygienist for your practice.

Start with a phone screening to assess basic qualifications and communication skills. Ask candidates about their licensure, experience level, and availability. This initial conversation helps you filter out unsuitable candidates before investing more time in face-to-face meetings.

During the in-person interview, focus on key areas:

• Clinical expertise: Pose scenario-based questions like "What's your approach to treating patients with severe periodontitis?"

• Communication skills: Ask "How would you handle a long-term patient who's resistant to your treatment recommendations?"

• Team dynamics: Inquire with questions such as "Tell me about a time you successfully collaborated with a dentist on a complex case."

• Problem-solving abilities: Present situations like "How would you manage falling behind schedule while maintaining quality care?"

Include a practical assessment where candidates demonstrate their skills. This could be a working interview where they:

• Perform a mock patient examination

• Demonstrate proper instrument handling

• Show proficiency with your practice's technology

• Interact with team members in real-time

Use a standardized evaluation scorecard to objectively compare candidates across multiple criteria:

• Clinical knowledge and skills

• Patient education abilities

• Team collaboration potential

• Professional demeanor

• Technical proficiency

• Cultural alignment with your practice

Finally, conduct thorough reference checks with previous employers, focusing on reliability, clinical skills, and team dynamics. Ask specific questions about the candidate's strengths and areas for improvement to validate your assessment.

Making the Offer and Onboarding

Once you've found your ideal candidate, make your offer promptly and be prepared to negotiate.

Your initial offer should include a competitive base salary, comprehensive benefits package, and clear growth opportunities. Be specific about performance-based bonuses and professional development programs to demonstrate long-term value.

After they accept, focus on creating a thorough onboarding experience.

Send a welcome package with necessary paperwork and practice information before their first day. Develop a structured orientation program that covers both clinical protocols and administrative procedures. Consider assigning a mentor from your team to help them navigate their first few weeks.

For long-term success, implement regular check-ins during their first 90 days. Schedule weekly meetings initially, then transition to monthly conversations as they become more comfortable. Use these meetings to address concerns, provide feedback, and discuss their professional development goals.

Overcoming Recruitment Challenges in Dental Hygiene

Hiring a dental hygienist requires a strategic approach, from crafting detailed job descriptions to conducting thorough evaluations. 

With numerous practices reporting extreme difficulties in recruiting hygienists, you need to act decisively while maintaining high hiring standards.

To make hiring easier, consider leveraging modern staffing solutions like Teero. We connect you with pre-vetted dental hygienists and offer a temporary-to-permanent pathway that reduces hiring risks. Take the first step toward solving your staffing challenges by posting your position on Teero today.