Where in the heck are all of the good dental job candidates?

I made a prediction that turned out to be wrong. I thought the COVID-19 shutdown was going to release a flurry of qualified assistants, hygienists, and front desk personnel into the workforce as some practices downsized or closed permanently. Maybe that has happened in some regions, but it certainly has not been the case in my suburban stretch of New York.

So, here’s a question for the group: where do you find good candidates? Let’s bring the discussion over to our Private Facebook Group, but here are some of my observations.

First, broad job boards are no longer working for me. In the past I posted opportunities on sites such as Craigslist and Indeed, but I’ve found the quality of those applicants has really plummeted in recent years. I’m hearing from people with little or no experience, people that no-show for the interview, and I’m getting a lower response rate overall. Is anyone else seeing this happen? Which leads me to . . .

Second, are the good job candidates congregating somewhere else? There are sites such as DentalPost and onDiem that focus solely on dentistry. Have any of you used them? What were your experiences?

If you want to vent your frustrations, or if you can share a great source for finding applicants, head on over to the Private Facebook Group and let us hear it!

Cheers,

  Chris

Chris Salierno, DDS, is the chief editor of Dental Economics and the editorial director of the Principles of Practice Management and Group Practice and DSO Digest e-newsletters. He is also a contributing author for DentistryIQ and Perio-Implant Advisory. He lectures and writes about practice management and clinical dentistry. Additional content is available on his blog for dentists at thecuriousdentist.com. Dr. Salierno maintains a private general practice in Melville, New York. You may contact him by e-mail at [email protected].