Hygienists offer insights about the benefits or risks of working interviews

• I feel it is still an interview. The person is on their best behavior and not "real." They may have great clinical skills but not be a good fit.
• I think that if someone requests a working interview this is a good option for both the interviewer as well as the interviewee. This gives the opportunity for each to see exactly what the other is like and how each performs in the office. And yes the interviewee should be paid for the services.
• I have worked in three dental practices over the past 14 years and have never been asked to do a working interview. I do not feel it is appropriate and would not participate in one.
• Working interviews have their place but if the RDH is producing income for the practice s/he should be paid. There is a local dentist who filled most of a maternity leave with unpaid working interviews. A call to his office about the "opening" was answered by his receptionist. When asked if the working interview was paid, she wouldn't say. The dentist had a poor reputation before this; now it is worse. I have heard of an unpaid working interview when the patient was the dentist. He wanted to know if the RDH was heavy handed, how good her/his probing accuracy and x-rays were. That kind of interview would be nerve wracking but I feel the dentist has a right to know the skill level of who s/he is hiring and I wouldn't expect pay in that situation.
• I am a dental hygienist and I think working interviews are a great way to see if you and the office are a good fit. Before I knew any better I went on two working interviews without agreeing upon payment. One dentist paid me with a $5 gift card and the other dentist paid $20 less than what I normally make an hour. Both interviews left me with a feeling of being undervalued. Even though it is an interview, you ARE doing actual "work" for the dentist and taking care of his/her patients, which you should be compensated for. If the dentist refuses to pay or is surprised that you expect to be paid because it is "only an interview" it is a good indicator of what may be to come.
• I do not feel that a working interview is appropriate. So what if you are nice to the patients? Unless someone is checking everything you do as you are doing it (like hygiene school), then a working interview is not a good judge of overall skills and knowledge.
• I think it is appropriate to ask for a working interview, but the hygienist or assistant should get paid. It should be established before the day is scheduled, exactly what each party is expecting.
• I have not had a problem with not being compensated. However if I did, I would ask to be paid for my time. After all, they flourished from my services during the working interview. I did have a problem filling in at an office that expected me to do double hygiene (two columns of patients). I never filled in there again. After talking to the employer about being compensated more that a regular wage, he did not pay me any more than when I worked one column of patients. His loss.
• I had a working interview last year. I did get paid for the day, but the staff and doctor gave no instructions about how the schedule was to flow, where any of the hygiene instruments were kept, how to use their computer, etc. It was a very stressful and frustrating day. These interviews don't show the full potential of my skills or how I really interact with patients. I did not get the job but have decided I hate working interviews!
• As a dental hygienist, I feel it is a great way to "screen" the dentist and existing staff.
• Working interviews help in seeing what the doctor has to offer. Allows me to see infection control, instruments available, office attitude and support/lack of management.
• Working interviews are a great way for hygienists to apply for a position. We should absolutely be paid! It's the same as temping for a day! The employer makes money on production. If you aren't getting paid, that's a red flag for how you will be treated as an employee!
• Every office that I have interviewed with has a paid working interview. I would never do it for free. And if it isn't mentioned beforehand, then I would advise doing so. The working interview is effective for both the office and hygienist. You get to see if they are ethical and their sterilization procedures first hand.
• As a hygienist, one should be paid for a working interview. Arrive at a fee before hand and pay at the end. Wow, I hear some of these scenarios and am so disappointed in the professionalism -- have we lost it?
• I have no problem with the concept of working interviews. It can be very telling to insert yourself into a working organization and see how well it does or doesn't work. Does the staff work well and support each other? Do they have appropriate equipment in working order? But unless it is for a charitable organization who is not charging the patients, I would fully expect to be paid.
• What would happen if a patient or interviewee was injured, would the employer pay for work comp issue? Would employer verify license of interviewee before allowing chairside care?
• Working Interviews also works as a screening method of potential employers. Many times it only takes a day to realize that this job is a good fit for you, or that this not an office where you would be happy or productive.
• I have applied to positions that require a working interview. I have been compensated but usually not at the same rate as that of the actual job. I did take one of the jobs, but I do not feel the working interview gave them a complete picture of the applicants work experience. We are professionals; we should be beyond a test drive.
• I think a resume and checking references is enough. Certainly a working interview should be a paid day.
• I have heard of dentists who use working interviews to "cover" days they don’t have a hygienist and don’t pay the hygienist for the day’s work.
• I was asked to do a working interview as a RDH. I did not feel comfortable with that knowing I would be nervous, and they did not give me the amount of days this was proposed. As the hygienist, I suggested 90-day employment. At the end of 90 days, we could sit down and see if the office was a fit for us both. That day came and he offered me the job. I declined and we parted ways. I felt everyone was on their best behavior for a few weeks, but then deep-rooted issues arose within the office. It was the best decision I ever made.
• I think the hygienist is at a distinct disadvantage due to unfamiliarity with the office. Not only is she trying to treat unfamiliar patients, but she is doing it in an unfamiliar setting where she doesn't even know where things are or how to work the equipment. An assessment can be made on how well she works under pressure but I don't think her best skills can be determined under the circumstances.
• A lot of dentists are using this as a tactic to get temps in their office to cover hours even though they are not hiring. It's either no pay or 15.00 an hour, which is ridiculous! Shame on you dentists out there! If you are asked to do a working interview, negotiate the pay for that day. If they tell you that you will not be paid, leave fast! That is indication for problems in the future. You would not want to work there, even if they really are hiring!
• As a hygienist looking for a permanent job, I believe it is extremely important to participate in a working interview. I would have not accepted an offer in a couple of offices until I did a working interview. Thank goodness I did! They couldn't have paid me enough!
• During the two working interviews I have gone on, I did get paid. It was actually considering temping in two offices. I worked at both offices for two months (one day a week). Both offices offered the dental hygiene position to me. One office I did decline because of the working environment. The office needed updating, but the biggest issues were updating the instruments (the instruments had minimal tips to work with) and purchasing a Cavitron or fixing the scaler. In two months, the Titan was not repaired, and they suggested I purchase my own Cavitron. The other office I did accept. It was a perfect fit for me.
• Some employers scam job-seekers to get free labor without the intention of hiring. A well-known doctor in Memphis does that. I think it should be against the law to not compensate workers.
• It can be a two-way street for both employee and employer. I have experienced employers who use this as cheap labor and then ask for a second working interview or haggle about pay for the day in front of the patient and put the applicant on the spot! For the employee, it is a chance to observe the condition of equipment and instruments, the morale of co-workers, the way in which patient care is handled, and, most important, how the doctor runs "his ship."
• This practice should be discontinued. I hate it. I'm an excellent hygienist with a BSDH and 36 years experience. At this point, should have the doctor do a working interview for me so I can check out his/her work! By the way, I gave up looking for new employment after one year (and just after the scam of not paying for a working interview was played on me). Sick of the age prejudice, especially by the male dentists!
• It's pure greed for employer not to pay. I would do a working interview to see what type of employer they would be to work for and to also see what quality of dentistry they do. I could not work for someone whose work I would not want in my own mouth. If they really do a thorough talking interview, the working interview has limited value. Knowing the equipment, instrument selection limitations, computer is hard for anyone on a working interview and really limits its value. Dentists need to make the effort to be involved in the interview and not rely so much on a business manager whose dental knowledge may be limited.
• There is a local dentist who has been using working interviews as a way to get free hygiene for almost six months.
• I agreed to a working interview for two separate practices. I was paid for both. The "on-hands" experience helped tremendously in making my decision regarding accepting the offer of employment. I knew within the first two hours I wouldn't accept one offer. I accepted the second position at the end of the work day. It was a good choice.
• In retrospect, to me in makes better sense to be hired on a probationary period of three months than to have your skills assessed after eight or fewer hours.
• As an employee, I use the working interview as a tool to give my more insight into the dynamics of the office. I like to get an idea of the quality of dentistry the DDS does. The working interview allows me that opportunity. It helps me decide if I want to accept a position or not.
• I personally prefer a working interview to see if I am a fit for the position. About 17 years ago I did a working interview that was paid and I was told that they had other candidates and would let me know if I had the position in about a week. They hired me by lunch time.
• I am a RDH and I think it is bull crap that we have to do a working interview regardless if we are being paid or not paid. Why are we the only profession that has to do working interviews? Nurses, doctors, etc., do not do working interviews. What happened to the good old days when you just hired someone, and if they weren't up to your expectations you let them go. I think it is a scam because they either don't pay you or really under pay you for a working interview. I think that working interviews should be illegal, and we need to make a stand!
• I think a working interview is a good way for the employer and staff to see how a prospective hygienist relates to her patients and works with the office as a whole. A working interview should not be more than three or four patients long.
• In my office we have had working interviews mostly with assistants to see how they interact with doctor. We have had front office working interviews. They have always been paid an amount they informed of prior to working and had accepted that fee. For hygienist usually she fills in for us to see how she fits with the team. I have a very fair employer!
• Working interviews are important to determine if a person works well in the office. But the applicant for hygiene should be paid, If they are seeing patients and the doctor is charging the patient for her services. The only time we don't pay is for a front or back office position. That’s only when the interviewer is not replacing the position but is working side by side with the person who the applicant will be replacing. But then the applicant would decide how long they want to stay. Example: maybe they assist the doctor with one or two patients or sit in the front and check out/in a patient or two. It would be up to the applicant. But if the applicant was to work the position they would also be paid.
• I first heard of this a few years ago from a new graduate and was shocked. If the patients are paying the office, then they should be paying you at least as much as they would a temp. I did have an office offer a working interview and the pay was about $10 less per hour than the average hygiene wage, but they said they would pay under the table. I declined the interview.
• I think as long as the dentist is upfront and honest and pays the hygienist, it is ok. When the dentist plays games and expects free or cheap labor, I think it is unethical.
• Recently, I was asked to complete a non-paid working interview, which I politely refused to do. My thought is that I am providing care for patients, the office if making money from the care I provide, I should be paid for the time I am providing care. I live in Washington state and called L&I about this. According to L&I, if an interview involves work then it must be paid, and the only way a potential employer can avoid paying wages is if the interviewee is simply observing and nothing more.
• As a hygienist actively seeking a new position, I have recently had two working interviews. I would not have agreed to do these interviews if I was not paid. The patients seen during these interviews are still paying the regular fees for the services, so why shouldn't I be paid for rendering those services? I received one job offer after the working interview for a 8-week temporary position, which I have accepted and have been told since they are very happy with my skills and rapport with patients and staff they will try to make a permanent position for me. Overall, I feel that working interviews are helpful to both the applicant and the hiring office. Both get a chance to see how each other operates and whether or not the office and applicant are a good "fit." I ruled out one of the offices after the working interview based on the chaotic, factory-like atmosphere of the practice, it most definitely was not the place for me!
• I feel that the working interview benefits the potential employer. As a prospective employee, working in an unfamiliar office seeing patients one after the other with out getting to know the doctor and staff does not give the interviewee a true picture of the office. The dentist, if he/she is seeing patients too cannot get an accurate view of who they are interviewing.
• I actually think it may be more effective for the hygienist in seeing the practice from an internal view. If the practice owner never even enters the room where you're seeing their patients, how can they get a real feel for how you work? Sure, they can later talk with the patients you saw, or they can read what was written up, but so often the practice owner doesn't interact with the day's patients much and so you just go on with your day.
• I am not aware of any other health care occupation that conducts working interviews. The dentist I did one for had never had a hygienist before. Should have been a big red flag. I got the job but only kept it briefly. The dentist lacked the managerial skills of both her time (to do exams and keep chairs turning over) and her staff (added work load) and she was completely overwhelmed.
• It is a slap in the face. We passed all the exams and are licensed by the state, so we should not have to do a working interview. It in no way shows what kind of an employee we will be, and it is very demeaning to me. It is only happening because there are too many dental hygiene schools, the market is now flooded with hygienists, and the dentists are now taking advantage of our situation. Please close some of the schools down! Our pay is sliding down as is the respect we used to get.
• I would only agree to a free working interview if all the work I did was free of charge to the patients. The game must be played fair from the beginning. A working interview is also an interview for the dentist and the office staff. If they are willing to step up and play fair, then that tells me tons about what type of people I would be surrounding my self with. One can usually tell within four hours what type of integrity and ethical standards a dentist and his staff have by looking at the quality of dentistry that has been done in the past, or lack of it. The accuracy of the charts compared to what I see in the mouth. Are the periodontal charts up to date on every adult patient? It is no fun having to go in and clean up a mess because everyone is too lazy to take the time to do things correctly in the past. It can take up to a year to get things up to speed to a high standard in the records department. Also, it is important to interview the patients and see how educated and knowledgeable they are. If they have been run through like cattle and not talked to or educated that tells me tons about the type office that is being run, where the priorities of the dentist and staff have been in the past. Also it is important to open a few drawers and see what type of local anesthetic that is being used and what gauge of needles. Gone are the days of working for dentists who are not current and have not kept up advancements. The interview goes both ways. I want quality and ethical people surrounding me and what’s cool is at this stage of the game with my financial state in order I also get to decide if they make the cut as a quality employer that I would be proud to be associated with in this one-sided governed profession of dentistry. I have a history of 15 years stays with employers, so it isn't something a savvy employee should take lightly. The working interview is a must for weeding out unethical and shady players during an interview, for both sides of the coin.
• I love working interviews. I will NOT take a position without one. I know if I fit in with the team by first half of the day. I would not do it if I did not get paid. It is like temping for a day
• I think they are not needed. During the interview, it can be determined if the hygienist is a good fit for the office and if the office is a good fit for the hygienist.
• I do not feel that a one-day working interview is a sufficient amount of time to truly evaluate a prospective employee. To familiarize yourself with the layout of the practice, what the dentist expects of you, one day is not adequate.
• I think a working interview is priceless, both for the employer and the potential employee. We work so closely together in the dental environment, it's important that you click. It saves a lot of time, money, and frustration later on. And if I were a dentist, I would sprinkle in the day some trusted, long time patients who would give me an honest opinion of how they liked the hygienist.
• As a dental hygienist, I question the practice because I would not want to be the patient. I recently was asked to set up and prepare a hygienist for a SRP working interview. The hygienist was very good; but the dentist did not choose to hire her. If I were the patient, I would not want an unknown hygienist working on me. That day, the doctor screened two hygienists simultaneously. The second hygienist had a speech slur sometimes indicative of an alcoholic (she was working as a bartender). Although appearing competent, she had trouble communicating with confidence. She was asked to do a FMX only and not chosen for the job. I do not know if this doctor paid either of them.
• I was asked to go in for a working interview. I was not given any orientation. The other employees were too busy to help me out. They had me work a full day and paid $10 less an hour than a temp usually gets. They asked me back for a second interview. Then I never heard anything. A year later they called and wanted another working interview. I think they were only looking to get cheap temp help. I don't believe they would offer anyone a permanent position. I would think twice about doing another working interview without having a regular interview/orientation first.
• I have been on several working interviews and have always been paid. In fact one dentist actually told his patients what I was on a working interview and asked then specifically to evaluate me in exchange for a NO CHARGE hygiene appointment! Yet he still paid me! This dentist ended up hiring me and it was the best job and the best paying job I ever had! I didn't find out all these details until years later. Bottom line: ANY working interview should be paid for! It is work and needs to be compensated regardless of whether you are charging your patients for that day’s services or not. It is part of investing in your business and investing in your team. There is simply no other way to see it.

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