Rushing a Hire is One of the Biggest Mistakes an Employer can Make

I’m so frequently asked what the biggest mistake I see when it comes to dental team development. Although there are a number of things, by far the biggest mistake of all is hiring too quickly in my opinion.

The hiring dentist receives an ideal, picture perfect resume and almost sight unseen is ready to make the applicant an offer. Then there is the job candidate that presents beautifully, with a resume in hand in a shiny folder. Or it’s the applicant who arrives early and introduces herself to the front desk, shaking hands as she moves from one to the other. While all of this is admirable and great to experience, this is not enough to make a well educated hiring decision. Not by any means.

It’s a process that we need to go honor–one that takes time and one that requires much more than simply the superficial things that initially might impress. Making a hasty decision based on a first impression is not the way to enter into a long-term hire, one where you and your team member can celebrate years of “togetherness” and basically establish a match made in dental heaven.

They do happen, as I have seen many and the one commonality is that there was not a hasty decision made from the side of the new employee or the employer. It took time for everyone to see if the fit was right, if the personalities jibed, the practice culture was aligned, the dentistry was in synch and the mutual respect was reciprocal. These things take time and time is what should be invested by both parties in order to be sure that everyone can expect a long-term, healthy business relationship.

How many marriages have endured based on a very short courtship? Take the time to be sure–from both sides–and once everyone involved agrees, it’s a matter of maintaining the bond that you have created.