Every year it feels more important to hold on to good and happy dental staff. Keeping morale high is an important part of staff engagement and retention, but not everyone knows how many different ways you can do that.
Here are some great ways we’ve found for keeping your team happy so you can minimize turnover disruption and costs. Employees who like their jobs increase your office productivity and contribute greatly to the long-term success of your practice.
Show Appreciation
Telling employees you appreciate their work makes them feel recognized and like what they do matters. Show your dental staff you appreciate them with these actions.
- Celebrate work anniversaries: this works better for those who don’t love their birthdays AND they spotlight long-term commitment. Congratulate the team member on how long they’ve been with the practice with a gift card, by paying for their lunch, or by letting them leave early that day. Your gratitude will make them feel honored to work there.
- Write a brief thank you note to an employee and leave it in their workspace. This kind of gesture can make a big difference in morale.
- Tell them in person that you appreciated the job they did that day or the extra effort they put in this week. Taking just a minute to give that kind of feedback can make someone excited to do a good job.
- Feature employees on your website and/or email newsletter. Include their photo, job, and a couple of fun facts about them, such as hobbies, interests, and their background. What did they do before they worked for you?
Allow Rest
Make sure everyone gets time to recharge.
- Encourage your dental staff to take a real lunch break. Allow them time to leave the office.
- Make it clear what kind of performance earns time off, and then reward better performance with a day off, a comp day or an afternoon off.
- If the practice hits certain metrics or revenue goals, close the office early one day.
- Your employees get paid vacation time each year (we hope!). Boost morale by adding two days to their vacation time or another sick day. This shows you care about their time off, too. A happier home life makes a happier worker.
Be Flexible
Dental employees can’t work remotely, obviously, but you can be flexible in other ways.
- Consider staggering schedules so employees can work the hours that best suit their personal needs.
- Be as understanding as possible when they need time off for medical appointments or activities at their children’s schools.
Give Them What They Need
- Provide phone headsets, adjustable ergonomic chairs, and other accessories that front desk staff need to spend hours at the desk, comfortably.
- Make staff-only areas of the office as pleasant as the parts that are for the patients. Your employees deserve nice furnishings, natural light, and cheerful decor.
- Streamline the workflow and make your employees’ jobs easier* with digital tools for patient scheduling, communication, and reminders. Remote dentistry apps can reduce the number of office visits that need to be scheduled which saves staff time and reduces the costs of setting up examination rooms.
*Doctors who use In Hand Dental report back to us that their happy dental staff is very appreciative of remote monitoring, and gives them relief in their busy schedules.
Bonus Idea
Everyone likes snacks, so think about stocking the break room with healthy snacks. You might also bring in special treats for holidays, birthdays or just because it’s Monday. The occasional pizza lunch is also a great idea.
You might think your employees know how much you appreciate them, but it’s surprisingly easy for staff to feel taken for granted. Without regular, clear signs that you recognize how important they are to the team, morale can dip and people can wonder if their job really makes a difference. Show you recognize their efforts and support them in their work and you increase the likelihood of your best people staying with you for years to come.
Want to learn more about the In Hand Dental app and how it can make your dental staff happy while saving you time and money? Go to our Contact Page and set up a time to book a free demo today!