Recruiting Excellence – a guest blog by Jane Lelean

I’m frequently contacted by people who have products and services of relevance to my clients. For over 20+ years I have maintained a policy that I do not accept introducers fees or commissions – I simply broadcast and comment on good ideas.

Chris and I have been friends for approximately 25 years and recently, whilst we were having a conversation regarding recruitment in dental practices, he asked that I write about Recruiting Excellence for his blog.

Chris and I are asked to support practice owners who are having challenges with building, developing and maintaining what Chris calls a “championship support team”. For many principals and managers, the biggest stressors and demands on their time are associated with the team, especially when the team is failing and falling out.

When recruitment is done badly, some of the problems that practices experience include:

1. No applicants

2. Too many applicants of the wrong calibre

3. Recruiting someone who turns out to be totally inappropriate and often destructive to the team.

4. Complaints from patients

5. Expensive and time consuming

When recruitment is excellent the following is true,

1. A small number of applications from ideal candidates

2. Compliments from patients

3. A queue of people that want to join your team

4. A simple process that guarantees the perfect member is recruited.

Over the last 25 years I have developed and refined a process of dental recruitment that can be used effectively when you fill any role from Consultant to cleaner, self-employed or employed – Recruiting Excellence.

I have distilled the process into 4 simple steps

1. Conception

2. Campaign

3. Cultivation

4. Continuation

When you follow these steps, you will always find the perfect candidate for your role.

Conception: Design and define many essential elements of the practice and role, including, the practice, values, culture, organisational structure, salary structure, role description, attitudes, skills, experience of your perfect and least desirable candidate. etc

Campaign: Implement the recruiting excellence protocol to deter inappropriate applicants, attract ideal applicants. This will result in the selection of your ideal team member and save you hours of wading through inappropriate cv’s.

Cultivation: Induction, training, mentoring, coaching, peer review, team building etc to build skills, the team and practice culture.

Continuation: The mastery wheel is forever turning; a practice is only every growing or dying there is no status quo. The team, continually needs to be nourished, developed and inspired if you are to retain and attract an amazing team.

If you would like to know more please connect – Jane@IODB.co.uk 07989 757 884.