The Current Hiring and Compensation Dilemma

You would have to be living under a rock in the last 3 years to not recognize the current state of hiring in our profession! It is somewhat of a scratch on the head to many business owners as to how our team went from once having dedicated and happy hygienists and team members to having them jump ship for the office down the street just to make a few dollars more? How did the going rate for a hygienist suddenly increase by almost 30% to fill that position? Why has it become so hard to hire and keep quality hygienists and team members?

While providing coaching to private business owners for over 14 years now, I have come across several challenges related to the current hygiene and hiring dilemma. When I conduct exit interviews, I have been given a variety of reasons from the once dedicated team member. While increased income was an influencer due to cost-of-living stresses, the other answers may surprise some. Thus, changing the focus of my coaching topics from hygiene systems and implementation of new services to team culture and thriving leadership styles.

In Part I, I will focus on actions that business owners can take to maintain or create a happier, safer, and more cohesive environment. Part II in the Spring edition will focus on different hygiene compensation models and what might be the right fit for your practice or team.

Five “Tried and True” Needs for a Thriving and Happy Team

When you decided to become a business owner you also chose to be a leader. Let me make this clear, leadership was your CHOICE…it is now not an option! Developing consistent and smart leadership skills has never been more important. To have a team that follows, it is essential to establish and communicate the expectations and vision of the team. The team will never run faster than its leader, so what pace are you running at versus your team? Once the team member is clear on the expectation, accountability is the next step. Consistent follow through is just as critical as setting them. Without accountability, clear expectations are a moot point. Today, highly functioning and happy teams are looking for three key elements – clarity, consistency, and compassion. If you find that you are lacking in leadership skills, surround yourself with other leaders and or mentors that can help you grow in this crucial area.

Communication

In my experience as both a team motivator and hygiene department consultant, I have often observed that doctors are usually the last to know when a team member is unhappy or considering leaving the practice for various reasons, including the allure of a higher salary. There are many reasons that families are struggling financially, the Pandemic being just one of them. As a result, even content team members may be tempted to accept a job offer that pays $2-10 more per hour, regardless of their dedication. Therefore, I suggest not assuming that team members are satisfied with their job solely based on their longevity or job performance. Instead, be proactive with communications and openness as to their thoughts and feelings.

I suggest business owners take time to engage with their team regularly. You could arrange in your schedule monthly or quarterly meetings where team members can approach you privately with any concerns or issues they have. Make it clear that you have an open-door policy, allowing them to discuss their needs and concerns and collaborate with them on solutions. It is always better to have these conversations before a team member decides to resign for many reasons, but obviously hiring is now quite challenging. I would suggest you check your state laws to see if you can ask for a 30-day notice. Finally, most team members crave leadership and mentorship. Facilitating these opportunities within your team will help you build trust and improve the work environment.

I recently had a past client reach out to me for this exact reason. To help them ensure that their team was still happy and committed. Rather than assume due to the low turnover and great compensation they offer, they wanted to give the team and themselves the opportunity to re-engage with an outsider’s perspective and see where there may be areas in the environment to improve on.

Like mentioned previously, while money may not always be the reason for a dedicated team member to “jump ship”, business owners still have the responsibility to be savvy of this rising dilemma. I would hope that you have assessed where your wages compare to industry standards in your location. But if you are having a hard time hiring at your current offering in hygiene wages particularly, let me ask a few “deeper dive” questions to think about before reading Part II in the Spring edition based on Hygiene compensation solutions.

If currently paying hourly, how do you decide on an increase in hourly pay? Is it by experience and longevity? Or are your raises based on performance?

Are you aware of the hygiene team’s individual and daily production goals needed to meet the 3:1 model (producing 3 x their salary plus benefits)?

Are you open to changing your current compensation model to meet the demands of the current hygiene compensation and hiring dilemma?

I have a current client that was just faced with the hiring

dilemma and was baffled why what she had been doing the past 10 years was no longer working. She was paying the going rate, offered health insurance, life insurance, 401(k), 2-4 weeks PTO, bonuses, and pretty much more than most other practices in the area and was considered the “dream team” to work for. She had 6 hygienists in total, with two “seasoned” hygienists that had been with the practice for almost 20 years and were making about $2-3/hr more than the other two. The newer hirers, who had been there for about 5-10 years, were making less but producing more.

So, when she went to hire a new hygienist and put what she thought was a good ad with good compensation and benefits, it was crickets for any applicants. We found that the hourly rate had JUMPED to $4-6/hr more than even the seasoned hygienist was making. We knew we had a dilemma on our hands for hiring, being fair to the current hygienists and financially for the business side. We had to come up with a win-win solution for all. We then knew that the model that had been working in dentistry for decades, was no longer so. I will be going into detail in Part II in the Spring DE edition regarding different hygiene compensations and how to determine the best fit for you and your practice.

As a coach, in some of my exit interviews, hygienists are seeking reasonable expectations for a fair compensation due to the growing number of tasks and services asked of them to include

during in the same 50-60 minute recare appointment than in the past

a morning huddle is a nice gesture, those who respond 5-10 years and for nearly the same amount of pay. This has crewell to words of affirmation will be touched by personalized recated a huge amount of stress and burnout. They would like to

ognition. For instance, thanking John for the calming effect he see their high-level thinking and producing doctors extend the

had on a nervous patient demonstrates that his efforts are appresame courtesy to them during that hygiene visit, that the doctors

ciated and valued. Similarly, for those who appreciate quality afford to their own chairs. Like more time for a single canal RCT

time, maybe taking advantage of opportunities to chat one-onversus a 3 canal one. I know as a coach that while this is a little

one over lunch can demonstrate that you genuinely care about tougher in some practices due to operatory restraints, something

them as a person. By taking the time to understand and cater to must change if you want to keep your quality and dedicated

each team member’s language of appreciation, you can foster a hygienist happy and less stressed. Maybe it is balancing of

positive work environment that benefits everyone involved. recare patients needing to get in versus pushing for new patient numbers? Close the back door before opening the front door.

While I can’t say when the current hygiene dilemma will norIt’s important to prioritize quality over quantity in every aspect

malize, I do know that as business owners, what worked before of the practice.

in many cases is not working now. The hygiene and team hiring landscape has shifted and we must adapt accordingly. If you need help with hygiene compensation or any of these 5 areas I have APPRECIATION:

mentioned, please feel free to contact me at jamie@jamiemarboe. com To boost the morale and productivity of your current team, it is essential to understand their individual languages of appreciation. While financial incentives may not be the only factor motivating your team members, other forms of recognition such

\*\* Part II Hygiene: Breaking the Bank? The Hygiene Compensation as words of affirmation or quality time can be just as effective.

Dilemma Simply acknowledging the hard work of your team members

This led Jamie to earn the title of “Team Achiever” coach. Her comchance of reaching their potential.

With help from CrownBuyers, in 2023

mitment to the growth of people has rewarded her with countless lifelong friendships with her clients and colleagues.

27% MORE kids received clinical treatment from our safety-net dental clinic partners!

Together, we can help every child have a healthy smile! Visit AmericasToothFairy.org.