Episode 645: Hiring the Right Associate

 Brit and Tina have been in a lot of dental practices thinking or actively expanding, and whether they want to bring on an associate doctor. That’s what this episode is all about: hiring the right associate doctor. Brit and Tina touch on the top considerations to make when hiring:

1. Ask yourself if hiring this person would be a good culture fit

2. Think past the honeymoon period

3. Align your standards of care

4. Observe in action

5. And more

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Transcript:

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0:00:05.6 Kiera Dent: Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective. Because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession With those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled to over 165 different offices, coaching teams. Yep. We don't just understand you, we are you. Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast.

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0:00:51.0 KD: Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and you guys, you are in for the best treat of your life, consultant takeover. That's right. Get ready. They're dropping some dynamite. Our consulting team is incredible, guys, and we are so blessed and so fortunate to have them sharing tips and tricks with you today. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on The Dental A Team Podcast.

0:01:13.2 Britt: Hello Dental A Team listeners. This is Britt and you're here for Dental A Team consultant takeover today, which is always a good time when we get to steal the mic away from Kiera Dent for a little while. And you get us, consultants, who come in and get to share tips and tricks from the hundreds of offices that we work with nationwide. And super exciting day today. Tina's here with me. Welcome, Tina.

0:01:38.4 Tina: Hi, Britt.

0:01:39.1 Britt: Hey.

0:01:39.5 Tina: I'm so excited for this.

0:01:42.2 Britt: Just so you guys know, Tina and I have a great time together, so it's always gonna be fun when we pop on here together for a podcast, because I feel like we can tangent pretty well. We come up with some fun ideas, we collaborate well. So, it's gonna be a good time today guys.

[chuckle]

0:01:57.5 Tina: Yep. I'm very excited for this. Let's see what you have up your sleeve.

[chuckle]

0:02:01.9 Britt: So my fun topic I have for today, I've come across this in quite a few of my practices right now. I've got quite a few that are expanding, right? So they're moving into more space, which ultimately means the exciting time of hiring some help for our doctors. So, looking for those associates and I'm a big like supporter of it for any doctor that wants more space. I think having another doctor in the practice to help that, it's not all on you, is always, always a good thing. But an important piece of that is making sure that we're hiring the right person to come in and help us within the practice, right?

[chuckle]

0:02:37.3 Tina: Yes. Yep.

0:02:40.0 Britt: So that's an important piece of it. So when it comes to hiring an associate... I know I've hired some associates over the years, definitely interviewed quite a few. Tina interviewed some.

0:02:50.9 Tina: Yep.

0:02:51.7 Britt: We've hired some as well. So guys, today we're just gonna chat about some of our tips on what you should be looking for when it comes to hiring associates. Any other tips and tricks we have when it comes to finding associates. So that's my fun topic for you today, Tina.

0:03:07.2 Tina: I like it. It's very exciting. I do have quite a few offices that have been asking me about this lately too. And so, I think at first, it's like making the decision, but then once they've made the decision they're like, now what?

[laughter]

0:03:20.1 Britt: Right. Where do I go now? Where do I find these people? It's always a little... There's a little anxiety in there of like, I wanna make sure it's a good person, 'cause an associate, in my opinion, I bring on associates and associates are still leaders in my practice, right? Like it's...

0:03:38.0 Tina: Yup.

0:03:38.1 Britt: It's a very important person. They're gonna work very closely with a big part of my team. So, culture fit is gonna be huge. Making sure they're the right person and just making sure they're also willing to be that leader. 'Cause I don't care who you are, any doctor is gonna be viewed as a leader. They're gonna be respected as such within the practice. And so, they need to be up to that task.

0:04:00.7 Tina: Yep. I love it and I love that you started with like, thinking about, are they a good culture fit? Because I feel like that we get so stuck in the thought of like, okay, I need them to be able to do these tasks and we think a little bit about, I need to get along with them as well. Of course, we're thinking of that and will they agree to these terms that I want for my associate? But I'm always like, well, and what about your fit? Like, what about your core values are you going to align? So, I like that you wanna start there.

[chuckle]

0:04:27.7 Britt: That's usually my number one. At work we spend a lot of time together in a dental office. We spend a lot of fairly close time together with each other, right? So, I need them to be a good fit for that first and I need them... You know, for me... As for me, I'm speaking as a manager, but as an owner-doctor, they become part of kind of that leadership team and I need them to make sure that they support my vision, which comes back to my culture. And I need them to help to instill that in my team and encourage that in my team. So yeah, that's my number one is are they a good culture fit? So that's definitely something you wanna look at when you're going to hire an associate is, who are they as a person? Do they fit? What's their vision of the person they wanna be? Kind of along with that of like, who are they? Also, like, what are their goals? What are their plans? What are they looking for?

0:05:27.4 Tina: Yep. I agree. I think that most of the time, once you see associates kind of into play too, you start to notice that really what makes those great partnerships and just that union where it seems like the workflow is seamless is when you have those core values that are there, that are shared. And so, it's like, thinking about not only what's important to them and what they bring to the table, but also, what is their communication style like? Do they like to take on the leadership role? Will they allow you to continue in that leadership role? Kind of setting those boundaries of, what does it look like if we don't agree on something? How are we gonna communicate then? Because I feel like everything is always really good during your honeymoon period, but I'm looking past that period. Like, what is this gonna look like when we have an issue come up or when I need to coach you on something, how susceptible are you gonna be to that? And in turn, how are you gonna do that with team members? Because they do, they see you as a leader of the practice. And so, I definitely want you to be showing that in a way that exemplifies what I'm trying to do.

0:06:30.2 Britt: Hundred percent. And that's when like, when I add on an associate, I'm adding more staff to accommodate that, right? And the bigger your team gets, I love my big teams, but the bigger your team gets, you know, I'm only one person and there's only so much really that I can do. Like, I need other people to help keep that momentum going. So, for sure that's definitely huge in how they communicate. Absolutely. Which comes back to kinda that culture fit, their character and how they communicate, and their long-term plan, right? There's some associates that's like, hey, whether I want them to eventually buy in, I need to know that. Like, if that's the kind of associate I'm looking for or if I am not looking for someone to eventually buy in, what's this person's long-term plan? And it can be sometimes with associates like, great, you wanna be here for five years and then go do your own thing, that might align with what I need.

0:07:27.9 Tina: Yup.

0:07:28.1 Britt: And so, I'm going into it knowing what you need and knowing what that associate ultimately wants, trying to get to that honest conversation.

0:07:35.2 Tina: Yeah, I think that that's key too. And I think that as long as both of you are ready for that, like, just really setting the tone for, this is gonna be an honest conversation. I don't want you to try to fit what I'm trying to find and I'm not gonna try and make you fit what I'm trying to find. Like, I wanna know, honestly, are we there? Because once you onboard an associate, you want to have them there for the time period that you have in mind that you need that position to be filled. And so, it's definitely like, yeah, those honest conversation stations, it's a good fit or it's not, but like, let's talk about it.

0:08:05.9 Britt: Right. And that's part of also setting that tone for the culture of like, this is the kind of conversation I want and like, if it were me, I care about you enough for whoever I'm interviewing to want to provide you with something that's gonna be fulfilling to you, that's gonna be beneficial to you and that I can deliver on ultimately. And so, if I don't know honestly what you want, it's hard for me to know if we're in alignment or not, because it's just as important that I find the right fit for me as it's a right fit for them.

[laughter]

0:08:39.4 Tina: Yep, that's definitely true. I love it.

0:08:42.6 Britt: For sure. So, that's a big thing. What else you got Tina? What are some other things you'd look at when it comes to associates?

0:08:49.0 Tina: I think just thinking about like, what your standard of care is? Does that align with what their standard of care is? And if there is a discrepancy there, what's the solution going to look like? But then also, just how are you going to stay on the same path of what that standard of care is? So, it's always like, not looking at just today, but looking at the future. Are we moving in the same direction in all aspects, but really with like, this is the care that I want to provide to patients and this is what my standard is and does that align with you and does it align with where you're going?

0:09:22.7 Britt: That's big. Like, just coming back to their philosophies and how we care for patients. And that goes I think into how we diagnose, like, treatment and how we diagnose. And there's also that soft side, right? Of that philosophy of care, that patients come first, doing right by our patients, do what needs to be done, how much attention we give to them, being able to make that personal connection. Like, those are in my opinion, kind of all pieces of that philosophy of patient care and whether we align on those things or not.

0:10:00.5 KD: Are you guys sick of trying to figure it out on your own? I know I am. When I'm trying to run a business, sometimes I just think like, there's got to be a better way to do this. And so for me, my answer has been to find someone who's done it and does it really, really, really well. Like, I'm talking the best of the best of the best. I want someone who's been in my shoes, somebody who understands what I'm going through. When I was looking for the consulting business, I found a coach who literally has run a consulting business. Well, that seems like the perfect fit. So you guys, right now we have a few spaces open in our Platinum consulting that is in the consulting where we actually come to your practice. We help you get systems implemented. We don't just tell you what systems to implement, we actually implement them with you and for you.

0:10:46.2 KD: You guys, it is one of the best investments I have ever made is to hire a coach who understands the business I'm in, who's lived it, who's done it. And that's what we in the Dental A Team do. We literally physically fly to you. So if you're sick of trying to figure it out on your own, if you just want somebody who understands you, join our Platinum, I'd love to have you, I'd love to have our consulting team come out and see you, be in your office, be with your team and truly help you get onto the easy path of dentistry. It doesn't have to be hard. So, join us in the Platinum, we'd love to have you.

0:11:20.2 Tina: Yeah, I see that a lot. And then you get to really see those when you get into case presentation. So like, how does that doctor do with case presentation? Are they gonna... Is it going to sound like my brand or like my voice or what I want at my practice when they're presenting treatment plans and how confident are they in that? And if they aren't confident, are they ready to learn to be confident or to bring to it the same thing that I bring to the table or even better, if we have an opportunity to learn off of each other. So, I'm kinda curious, when you have worked with hiring on associates in the past, have you ever done exercises to see how their case presentation is or just getting a little bit more of a look into that? Because I feel like, sometimes that's on our mind, but then we don't really see it until after they've been into the practice and we're like, oh hey, this doesn't quite align.

0:12:12.4 Britt: So, even once they're hired, I'm big on getting calibrated. So like, ahead of time, we'll probably look at some cases together, right? Not me, I'm not a doctor, but like, whoever my doctor is that really knows our philosophy of care. I want them to sit down, look at some cases, talk about them and dig into like, how they diagnose to see if things align enough to where we would be a good fit for each other or not. And I've even hired some associates to, we're looking at like, if we're wanting to expand something, so it might be something that I don't have yet that I'm looking for someone to bring...

0:12:51.3 Tina: Yup.

0:12:52.3 Britt: Then great. Then I'm looking for that person who enjoys doing something that we need within our practice, which is totally fine. And we can still look at cases and talk about philosophy or you know, doctors can look at cases together. So, I'm big on, I want them to actually take a look and I want them to observe even within the practice, like, hey, come observe and listen to our doctors and how they speak to our patients, how they interact, how they're diagnosing. And I want whoever that potential associate is shadowing, like, have conversations about it, like, discuss some cases and and get a feel for each other to see if it's gonna be a good fit.

0:13:30.7 Tina: Yeah, I think that that's really... Because we think about working interviews when we're hiring our assistants or our hygienist and then we don't really think about that with associates. I think sometimes we even get in the thought of like, I just need someone to say that they want to say yes to these terms for the associate. And that's almost like as far as we get and then it's thinking past, like, we're still making a choice here. There's still a choice. And so, there's options. And so, we don't wanna just say yes to the first person that fits the associate agreement, but also, have them come in and do some of that. You can shadow, you can see how we talk to our patients. And then, I also wanna see how do you talk to patients? And so, if you're presenting this treatment plan to a patient, what does that look like? Like, how are you gonna talk them through what you're seeing? How are you gonna make them feel comfortable? How are you gonna build their trust? How are you gonna help them see the urgency and the value in what we're offering? And so, there's just so many different keys that I think are important as you're considering that associate role.

0:14:28.6 Britt: Yeah. And and my low key other thing while they're observing, so I wanna see and I tell my team, talk to them. I want my team to talk to them and I genuinely wanna know your opinion of them, because they'll get a read on them too. And I wanna see, I'm big on, you know, my team needs to be respected, everybody's important. You're a doctor, which like, comes with a degree of authority and respect and I wanna make sure that they're good to my team.

[chuckle]

0:14:55.4 Tina: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

0:14:56.1 Britt: So that's the other thing is, I wanna see how they interact with the team as well while they're there and hanging out. So, that's a big one. And then, some other things I look at when it comes to associates is, no matter how long someone's been in practice, every office has their way things run. And like, we're always open to learning new things, but the crux of it is, you need to be open to learning our way, right?

0:15:22.0 Tina: Yeah, right.

[chuckle]

0:15:24.8 Britt: Like, you're open to learning how we do things, because we do them for a reason. It's not just, you know, willy-nilly. So we do it for a reason, so I need them to be open for that even if they've been in practice for a while. So that's another thing I'm looking for is, someone who is open to maybe learning a different way of doing things, learning our systems. And even in that conversation, I need them to be open to like, my team's gonna be training them on a lot of those systems that we have.

0:15:50.4 Tina: Oh, yeah.

0:15:50.9 Britt: So like, are you open to my strongest assistant probably working with you and training you on the things that you need to know about our office to be able to fit in with the flow of things?

0:16:02.0 Tina: Yep. Yeah, that's definitely true.

0:16:05.1 Britt: So that's another one. And some other things when it comes to what to look for in hiring an associate, I think knowing the needs of the practice as far as experience, right? So, can we handle and are we open to someone who's fresh out of school? Are we wanting someone that's maybe had a couple years under their belt or someone who's more experienced? I think being open to truly what does the business need and what does the practice need before I go into interviewing, so I can go find that person. Because there's good and bad to all, right? Like, there's pros and cons, I don't wanna say good... Pros and cons to all. And I'll even say to give our new grads like, some cred. One of my favorite doctors I worked with was a brand new grad out of school and I love her. Like, she's fantastic.

0:16:55.9 Britt: So like, it's finding the right fit, but I think knowing ultimately what you truly can handle, which comes into like, what's our patient load, what's our office pace, right? Play into that and new grad's gonna have... They're gonna need some extra time in the beginning and that's just normal and it's gonna take me really, by a year, like, they're gonna be functioning at a different pace than they are at the get go. So, understanding that going into it. So knowing what the office needs and then, you know, I think ultimately as well, knowing what numbers do we need to hit?

[laughter]

0:17:33.7 Tina: Yeah. Totally.

0:17:34.7 Britt: That's always gonna come into play. So again, someone who is earlier on in their career that may not have gotten things down pat to where they're efficient, like, it's gonna impact numbers a little for a while and sometimes that's the investment that's worth it for the right person and it fits us and like, great and we can handle it financially. Awesome. If you can't, then you might need to look for someone a little bit different.

0:17:57.4 Tina: Yeah. Yep. And just knowing that with that you have some of the owner dentist is, or someone who's a partner, who's already been practicing there, it is going to take some of their time too, especially when you're bringing in someone who's new out of school. And it's so true. You get these pros and these cons. 'Cause I'm like, great, you bring someone new out of school, they're already in learning mode, like, they're ready to learn, but at the same time they're going to be slower. And I think that sometimes we forget that. So we're thinking like, okay, they're gonna be able to handle the same schedule as I do. So when I'm looking at my numbers, I'm thinking they're gonna produce the same as what I'm producing, which is kind of setting you up, because you're not gonna be able to offset costs the way that you're anticipating.

0:18:38.5 Tina: And then it also could be setting up that associate too, because you don't wanna set the wrong expectation for them either. So they're getting paid based off of production. You don't want it to be like, oh, well I'm producing this. And so, you could probably be about that, because that really needs to be realistic or they're gonna feel like they didn't get exactly what they signed up for. And so, just yeah, be clear on those expectations too as they come in.

0:19:02.5 Britt: Yeah, and that's...

0:19:04.2 Tina: With those pros and cons.

0:19:05.7 Britt: Agreed. With new grads, they're more open. They don't know how things necessarily run in an office if they haven't worked in one full-time before, so they're open to learning your way of doing things. But being yeah, realistic about expectation. My other like tip when it comes to hiring associates, I am a big, supporter of having associate expectations. So it's like, great, we're interviewing what to look for. But kind of similar to our team has an employee handbook that's their expectations and their job description of their expectations. I like to have it for associates, which does include things like, I do expect them to be a leader, right? Like, what are some of those soft things that are like the unspoken culture almost, that I wanna make sure they know going into it, that that's what I'm looking for.

0:19:49.8 Britt: So it's almost like, relaying my vision of who I want you to be and does that work for you? And just being really clear and open with them that, that is what I'm looking for and that's what I'm expecting of you. So, it doesn't have to be like, right now, but I'm expecting you to get there to where you're meeting these things that I'm looking for, so.

0:20:08.4 Tina: Yep. And then building into your schedule just that onboarding plan. So like, you talked about your lead assistant will be teaching them some things, but then also, even if you yourself don't have to teach a lot as far as the owner doctor, there's still gonna be now these meetings that you need to have with your associates, so you can stay on the same page. And so, just really setting out for yourself and making sure that you're setting yourself up for success, but then also setting them up for success, because that communication definitely needs to happen.

0:20:35.7 Britt: For sure. And yeah, good point. Meetings, what meetings they are expected to be at? Like...

0:20:39.8 Tina: Yeah.

0:20:41.2 Britt: Yes, you might be getting paid off of like...

0:20:43.3 Tina: Production.

0:20:44.1 Britt: What you're producing from patients and investing in your team in these meetings is gonna help you to be more successful. So for sure, for sure. Good point with that. So yeah, so some key takeaways here when it comes to what you should look for when hiring an associate, number one, culture fit, that's gonna be huge. So make sure we've got that culture fit. I think know ultimately what your office needs and can handle, like, based on experience, can we handle a new grad? Do we want someone more experienced? What are the pros and cons? What are we truly looking for? Are they open to learning, right? So we want someone who's open, they're gonna be learning a new team, a new way of doing things, so we wanna make sure they're open to things, being really clear about our expectations and what our office needs are.

0:21:29.9 Britt: And that even comes down to with those expectations, like, all right, I expect your production to be X number of dollars by such and such date once we've got you onboarded. And then, really setting out clearly your expectations of your associates, so that they know what's gonna be expected. They know if they can meet that or not, and you guys are on the same page, it'll minimize frustrations down the road, I guarantee you.

0:21:53.4 Tina: Oh, yeah.

0:21:54.4 Britt: Things will come up. And then, just in the hiring process, some tips, like, have them come observe, make sure your philosophies fit and align. Make sure they truly are a right fit for the office, so.

0:22:07.0 Tina: I love it. I'm excited. I'm like, let's go hire an associate. I'm ready.

[laughter]

0:22:11.4 Britt: Right? Let's go find them. Let's go get them. They're out there. And I'll tell you, I know a lot of phenomenal associates that people have found. So if you know part of this in what you're looking for, if you're a little hesitant, like Tina said, don't just hire the first person that says yes, that's willing to agree to it, find the right fit, because when you can, they're such a great asset to the team.

0:22:33.7 Tina: Yep. Yeah, that's very true.

0:22:35.7 Britt: All right, I love it. I love associates out there. So, that's a wrap for us today for the Dental A Team podcast, consultant takeover. Tina, thanks for being here with me. Guys, let us know we love you listeners, thanks so much for supporting us. Let us know what you think, what you love, what you wanna hear more about. Drop us a five star review or email us at over at [email protected]. And thanks so much for listening and we'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

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0:23:08.1 KD: And that wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Team Podcast. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.

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