OMS Professionals’ Best Advice for Recruiting & Retaining Staff
ACOMS Editor
12/6/2024
ACOMS asked your peers to share their strategies and stories for recruiting and retaining their practice staff long term. Read on for inspiration to implement in your own practice.
Adam Fisher, DMD, Michigan
“Show team members they are valued by investing in them and recognizing their successes. Also, be willing to listen to them and, when possible, put them in positions to succeed.”
Billy B. Laun, II, DDS, Illinois
“Pay a monthly bonus tied to revenue generation, genuinely say thank you and express appreciation, pay above market average, foster a team environment, hire slowly, and fire fast.”
Dr. Laun and his team at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Carbondale
Pasquale P. Eckert, DMD, Massachusetts
“Care about the people, pay well, take lots of vacation so they have downtime, too. I also recommend taking over a solo practice. This allows for unilateral decision making without too many cooks in the kitchen. There is only one lead decision maker who staff needs to be in sync with.”
Timothy Welch, MD, DDS, Oregon
“We pay a bonus a la Roger Levin every two months. It has been the most effective strategy for keeping everyone on the same page: Income less expense multiplied by 0.25, and that number divided proportionately among team members. We have to hit a certain minimum to provide this.
We also do smaller things like a team happy hour (maybe twice a year) and team training via supervisors, and sometimes off-site leadership for key people.”
Robert Moskal, DMD, Massachusetts
“Just be nice, focus on patient care not money, remove your own sharps before leaving the room, be positive, and get people involved with odd jobs. We have a one-doctor, privately owned, fee-for-service office. If you’re going to take great care of every patient, you have to take great care of your team too! I’ll never forget our spa day at Mirabeau Spa, our Christmas dinners, good vibes, and especially the heartfelt “thank yous” from staff!
We take celebratory trips for company milestones or continuing education. Recently, we took team from Franklin, Massachusetts to Charleston, South Carolina for what I called our ‘20 year 5k.’ We provided an all-inclusive stay and company-sponsored activities.”
M. John Matos, DDS, New Jersey
“Pay them well. Empower them. Stand behind them.”
Greg Pyle, DMD, Colorado
“We provide pastries every Thursday and do a happy hour every Wednesday. We have a Christmas party and hefty bonus yearly, and a week at my beach house for the entire office and partners in summer. Everyone works three days a week, and we give a takeout lunch once a week. At the Christmas dinner, I do a synopsis of the year, read kudos, recap successful patients, and do a drawing for gift cards.”
Dr. Pyle and his staff at work and play.
Patrick Abbey, DMD, Pennsylvania
“We have excellent benefits, paid health insurance, 401k, random bonuses, and an upbeat work environment.
You have to actively work on making staff feel a part of something. Feeling they belong carries much more weight than hourly rate of pay. Give random days off when you are on vacation, or no doctor is working in office. Keep track of all unexpected bonuses, days off, etc., to review with them at yearly review.”
Thomas M. Thompson, DMD, Kentucky
“I give periodic bonuses. Show daily appreciation and kindness to staff! Treat them respectfully, consistently. I have a sense of humor with my staff, and I keep my own ego in check. I talk to them daily and actually care about their well-being. I provide generous bonuses, especially at Christmas.”
Bradley Gregory, DMD, Ohio
“I provide lunch at least once per week. I take my staff on trips, even if it is not related to continuing education. I take them to get pedicures, manicures, salt floating, and salt therapy caves. We usually try to do an outing once a month on an off day. I will usually pay them for that day as well. We have different dress up Fridays. We dress up for Halloween, Christmas, and other holidays. I am always trying to think of ways to break the boringness.
I always post staff accomplishments on the office Facebook page. I also take pictures of our trips and comment on how wonderful they are in these posts.”
Clifford Walzer, DMD, Maryland
“We provide a 401K, paid vacation time, paid holidays, a holiday party, periodic happy hours, summer boating outings, and frequent staff lunches.”
Miller Smith, DMD, Alberta, Canada
“We take educational trips to AAOMS, CAOMS, and ACOMS events.
Treat staff well, reward them with performance bonuses, and engage them with educational opportunities (both auxiliary and surgical topics) to allow them to better understand the business. When they have a vested interest to succeed, it makes business management easier.”
Mehran Mehrabi, DMD, MD, Wisconsin
“We provide team dinners and thank you gift cards along with running team activities.
As one story, I interviewed a bright individual, and she was deciding on the position. I informed her that, although we won’t pay the highest salary, you will learn physiology and pharmacology. She worked with us for two years, and now she is in nursing school.”