Developing connections among employees: A key to retaining staff

Staff retention continues to be one of the most important ongoing challenges facing dental practices. According to the October 2023 Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry, more than half of practices will be recruiting new team members across every job function in 2024. The ability (or inability) to address this issue directly impacts the level of stress experienced by the practice owners, hygienists, receptionists, and back-office staff.¹

Research has repeatedly shown that increasing wages has virtually no long-term impact on employee satisfaction and longevity (except for entry-level staff).² Similarly, most attempts to increase employee engagement, improve staff morale, and recognition programs have had little success; lack of engagement and staff turnover rates are at their highest levels in over a decade.³

To help improve challenges at hand, we need to first understand and address the root causes.

A key issue behind the headlines

Sometimes we lose sight of foundational truths amid the stress of everyday life. One of these truths is that we are social beings. From birth through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, we need others to survive and thrive. This is also true in the workplace.

Our day-to-day personal interactions with others have diminished significantly over the past several years. For those living in population-dense areas, this may initially seem ludicrous; we're surrounded by people all the time-on the street, in the subway, or on the freeway. But oftentimes, we are not actually interacting with or relating to the people next to us. Instead, we're enduring them.

One of the core challenges we are facing in society (and in the workplace) is a lack of connection with others. We may work side-by-side with colleagues, but do we really know them? And do they know us? Do your coworkers know who you are, your beliefs, what talents you have, or your personal life history? Without forming a connection with others, we feel alone in the world. In fact, isolation has been cited as a key contributing factor to the stress of working in a dental practice.⁴

Our need for connection and what it looks like

Brené Brown defines connection as "the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment."⁵ Interacting with others is not the same as being connected to them; communicating with or relating to those around us does not necessarily foster a connection.

Feeling connected to someone is a personal, subjective experience. It is being seen, having your point of view being heard, feeling a sense that they "get" you. It is important to note that connection with others does not occur solely through learning information about someone, but rather, it's through experiences and interactions-which leads to getting to know each other better. Simply talking isn't enough to form a connection- being accepted and valued for who you are is also a key component.

Appreciation as a tool to create connections

Showing authentic appreciation towards colleagues connects those working together in a practice. Research by the Boston Consulting Group found that "feeling appreciated at work" was the number one factor associated with job satisfaction.⁶ Feeling truly appreciated is about being valued for "who you are" instead of "what you do." Team members are not just production units to get things done; they are people who desire to be noticed and valued beyond their contributions to the practice.

But showing appreciation isn't just saying "thanks" or giving a compliment. In fact, over 50% of employees want to be shown appreciation in ways other than words.⁷ You can help your employees get to know one another better by learning how to communicate appreciation in ways that are desired by everyone.6 Helping coworkers connect through authentic appreciation for one another builds morale and creates more positive workplaces, leading to less turnover and better-quality care for patients.⁸

References:

1. Dewhurst M, Guthridge M, Mohr E. Motivating people: Getting beyond money. McKinsey Quarterly. November 1, 2009. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/motivating-people-getting-beyond-money
2. Diriwaechter P, Shvartsman E. The anticipation and adaptation effects of intra- and interpersonal wage changes on job satisfaction. J Econ Behav Organiz. 2018;146:116 doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2017.12.010