Episode 781: How To Hire the Right Person

 DAT consultants Tiff and Dana walk listeners through the steps of coming up with the ideal avatar for your next team member. With hiring happening fast right now, it’s important to have a clear plan and expectations in place before you even extend an offer. Tiff and Dana review the following:

1. Consider what gaps exist in the practice

2. Have the job description(s) ready

3. Consider the personalities of interviewees and how they might align with the position

4. And more!

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Transcript:

Tiffanie (00:01.484)

Hello, I'm so excited to be here as always. I'm with Dana. You know, we still need a nickname for you like Dynamite Dana, I think is my nickname for you. It'll come it'll come I love recording with you. I choose Fridays for you specifically because you already have to like Be your best self with your freaking hair, which your hair is always on point, but I know Friday You're like, okay, Tiff. I'm ready to go because you do our social media stuff and I think it's so

Dana (00:09.506)

No camera day.

Tiffanie (00:30.652)

amazing how consistent you stayed with it, how like you you've just created this amazing momentum on our social media platforms with this every Friday. It used to be Donuts with Dana which I kind of miss because I secretly liked watching you eat a donut on Fridays. But I just think it's so cool. So massive appreciation to you for the work that you put in behind the scenes and in front of the camera every week for that and thank you for being here with me today Dana. I'm so excited.

Dana (01:00.102)

Aw, yeah, I'm super excited to be here. Thanks on both accounts. The social media stuff's been fun for me too. So, appreciate you being here.

Tiffanie (01:03.701)

Yeah.

Good, good. Yeah, you kill it with it. So I love it. And you also do a ton of our operations manual stuff like our operations manual intensive course that we do with all of our clients and making sure that everybody's got that completed. I think you do it right in 90 days, like it's this massive intensive thing that you and I know you get a ton of support from Brit on that too. And our team all fully know how to do it. But you actually put in the work with the course with the clients that we have.

on getting that done. So as we kind of create these subjects and matters of what we want these podcasts to be, I strategically kind of try to pick ones for you guys that I'm gonna have you co-host with me because I think it's just smart and you do these things all the time. So today kind of goes in line with a lot of the operations manual stuff that you've been working on and completing with our clients and on your own, with your own clients, hiring and really knowing your avatar. And I think

We've done some podcasts, we've done some newsletters on job descriptions and kind of knowing what each position holds. But I think we oftentimes go into hiring kind of with a blank slate. And we're like, I just need to hire this position and I need a treatment coordinator and I just need someone who's gonna sell treatment. Can you sell me something? Right, and so we go into this and we're like, I think she'll be fine, she's got some experience or.

He's done, you know, he's done sales before, so I think he'll be fine, but I'm not sure we really go into it always with a clear definition of what that looks like. So I thought, Dana, I might kind of pick your brain from the operations manual course intensive, like all those things that you've been doing, all of the help, you've helped so many people this year, by the way, everyone, you have helped so many people in the hiring department this year, within your client base. I watch you all the time, like, oh, so-and-so hired, so-and-so hired, so-and-so hired, you're doing...

Tiffanie (03:00.22)

interviews with them, like I love it. So I think I want to pick your brain on how do our listeners, our doctors, our clients, I do hiring sometimes for our company, like how do we know who we're hiring and what that avatar looks like? How do you build that out? How do you suggest for your clients that you work with every day to really build those out?

Dana (03:21.202)

Yeah, sure. And I think you hit the nail on the head, I start with the job description, right? Making sure we know what it is we want that person to do. Because yes, somebody can have experience in treatment coordinating, somebody can have experience in billing, but what do you need them to do in your office for those types of positions? So I think looking, pulling out your job description. I know we talked about creating one before. So pull it out when you go to hire so that you know exactly what you want this person to do so that then you can identify for your

Tiffanie (03:37.771)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (03:43.638)

Mm-hmm.

Dana (03:50.382)

avatar, what traits would a person to be successful at those tasks need? So for an example, like if we're looking for a biller, right, billers are number, right, they need to pull reports, right? They need to keep track of a lot of things. They need to write notes. So looking for somebody who is detail oriented, who is super organized, those are going to be the things that you need to connect for your avatar for your billing coordinator.

Tiffanie (03:56.735)

I love that.

Tiffanie (04:01.067)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (04:14.824)

Yeah, okay. I love that. So give me an example, if you would, if you can think of one. You said even the billing coordinator, like what kind of personality traits do they have in and outside of the practice? Like what could I look for?

Dana (04:28.414)

Yeah, so for a billing coordinator, I'm going to look for somebody who they don't necessarily have to be the most social or outgoing person, right? Because they aren't greeting patients. Usually your billers are more behind the scenes. So somebody that is a biller, I want them to dig in and ask questions. I want them to be somebody who really is detail oriented, who keeps things really, really organized. I'm going to look for somebody who...

is like a doer, right? Like they can get down through a list and they like to check things off and they like to be really, really structured. So that is who I'm going to look at when I look for a biller versus my, maybe my front office like scheduler, right? Person who needs to be really bubbly and really interact with patients and really be outgoing. You kind of be that face of the practice. That doesn't necessarily have to be a quality trait that a biller has.

Tiffanie (05:08.536)

Mm. Yeah.

Tiffanie (05:16.9)

Yeah, for sure. I love that. So I'm thinking as you're as you're going through this, I'm thinking, okay, well, if I were to look at all of the like end results, all of the things that need to be accomplished within this position, how is that person going to get there? And then as you're talking about traits, like I think the billing is like so easy to

pinpoint because their expectations are easy to pinpoint. Right? So I need my AR to be low. Well, that takes someone who's very detail-oriented, like you said, somebody who loves numbers and who loves solving problems or doing puzzles. I don't need them to be everybody's best friend. I don't want somebody who's mean. Right? Obviously, I'm going to look for personality, but I don't need them to be best friends with the patients. I just need them to understand numbers, understand how to get things done, and be patient enough and direct enough to sit on the phone with insurance companies when they're not paying.

So when I think of my avatar, I'm also gonna think of things that maybe they're doing outside of work. Like what do they love doing outside of work? Do they love doing puzzles? Do they love solving things? Are they readers, right? Are they like, find me a nook, give me a rainy day and let me read my book style person? Or are they out shopping and making friends and like doing plays, right? Are they...

Are they on stage? Are they acting? Are they doing these types of things? Cause that person, I stick them in a corner to sit on Excel spreadsheets all day, a person who wants to be in front of people and engaging and building relationships in the life of the party, you stick them in a corner doing billing Excel spreadsheets all day and they're going to just die inside. Like they're going to just like, they're going to be like sitting like this all day. You're just, you just crumpled them. So I think that's huge. I think that's massive.

When you're building out this avatar, Dana, and you're looking at these job descriptions and the different things that they need to have done, what type of personality, I mean, we talked about personality, we talked about things that they're doing, but how are you saying, this is my person when they walk through the door? Are you doing a personality checklist? What do you suggest for them to really hone in on the people as they're coming in? We've talked about,

Tiffanie (07:29.908)

I know we've got a podcast that talks about the right questions to ask, kind of things like that, but how are you suggesting that they're like, gut punch? Yes, this is them or gut punch. I don't know that this is it.

Dana (07:41.43)

Yeah, I think there are quite a few really fun personality tests that you can have them do. I think the disc profile is really good. I think color code or people code. That one is another really good test that tells you a lot about I also think you can go down and ask those things like what do you do in your free time? What do you do for fun? What are things that you do enjoy and if they line up with that, right? Like you said tip if they are more like a book in a corner if they are more of that like maybe they love to geocache, right? Or maybe they like to do some things that are just like

Tiffanie (07:51.925)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (08:01.537)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (08:09.682)

Okay.

Dana (08:11.182)

quieter, more autonomous, those, then you're gonna go right to, yeah, you would be my great filler. And I think lean on personality tests too. I love Discofile a lot. I think there's a free version of it too. It makes it really easy to just have them do that before they come for an interview. And I think it really just helps you find that right person.

Tiffanie (08:24.832)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (08:31.256)

Totally agree, totally agree. I love the personality test like lineup and I actually, there's a fun one that I've been, I've been talking about this all week. You've heard about it 15,000 times. That I did that kind of relates the disc profile to TV characters that we know. And I thought that was just so cool. And even to just like, even if you're not doing the disc profile or any of those, the Briars make like whatever you're doing or not doing, it doesn't matter. But if you can think of the type of

like TV character that you want playing the part within your practice. I think we, we forget that we're kind of on stage when like we're working, right? Like I'm on stage. I'm like, I'm here to, I'm here to wow and here to dazzle. I do not sit in front of my family like oh my gosh, guys, let's get the dinners ready. Like let's have a party. But when I'm in your office and I'm doing your team meeting, and I'm getting you ramped up to be really excited about something.

I'm on stage now, right? So we become our work personality. So what work personality do you want that person to look like? So if you can build out an avatar and even put like a character to it, name that person and be like, I want, we do friends, that's the category that we've been working with, so it's easy this week for me. Like I want Rachel in this position. I want somebody who's cool, who's consistent.

cheerful, friendly, builds relationships easy, is always concerned about others, that's the person I want here. Or do I want a Phoebe who is just like the life of the party, ready to go? Or a Monica who would kill it at billing because she's so detail-oriented. If you can pinpoint something that you're super relatable to, like I think we most of us know the Friends cast or Gilmore Girls or some sort of TV show or characters that you relate to.

I think if you can pull that piece into your avatar, it helps you too, because you're like, oh my gosh, you are a rough-scaler. You're a really funny guy, and I think you're going to do really well with my accounts receivable. I think you're going to do fantastic as my CPA. How can you line that up? But Dana, what do you think? Where's your brain? I just like to hear where your head's at.

Dana (10:51.574)

Yeah, yeah, I think really from start to finish look at the tasks right figure out Okay, what personality types would best do those tasks once you kind of figure out what those personality types are expand on that What does that look like in their daily life? Like what would that mean as far as hobbies? What would that mean as far as interests and then I think? Use a use a screening tool right whether it is a personality test or questions

Tiffanie (11:12.529)

Mm-hmm.

Dana (11:15.382)

that align with your avatar so that you really are honing in and you're finding that right candidate that aligns with the traits know will help be successful.

Tiffanie (11:20.907)

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I love that. Um, what do you feel like somebody who doesn't have job descriptions done? Maybe they haven't listened to that podcast yet, or they haven't done the operations manual intensive with you yet. Um, they don't have job descriptions and they need to hire someone to help them create job descriptions. How do you think that if they don't know that, you know, to a T, how are they going to come up with their avatar without that job description?

Dana (11:50.806)

Yeah, so I think then it is looking at the department, right? And who is currently doing what and then what is left that we need somebody else to come in and figure out. So I think figuring out basically like what are the how-to's? What are all of the things that needs to happen in that department and who is currently doing those things and what's left, right? What is then left for another individual? And when you go to hire, it's certainly a great time to evaluate like are the people that are currently doing the things the right fit too?

Tiffanie (12:00.23)

Mm-hmm.

Tiffanie (12:10.089)

Yeah.

Dana (12:20.618)

Right? So maybe we shift some duties to really create a new position where we're leaving our current team with their strong suits and the things that they really excel at. And then we're looking for somebody else to kind of fit their remainder of the pieces. So I think assess the department as a whole look for, what do you truly need someone to come in and do and start to kind of create that job description from scratch and maybe from like what you already have or what you want to shift.

Tiffanie (12:21.118)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (12:32.408)

Hmm.

Tiffanie (12:38.561)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (12:45.588)

Yeah, I

Tiffanie (13:14.824)

you'd be a happier person. You'd love your job more. You'd love coming into the office more because someone else took that on. And then that's how you're gonna build, right? How you're gonna build out that list of at least initial duties and things that you hope to train them on. And think about who's gonna compliment you the best. I see a lot of times doctors will hire, like attracts like, right? So I'll walk into a practice for our.

an office visit for my platinum practices and sometimes I walk in and I'm like wow This is like six of the same person and they're like we're just not getting things done And I'm like well because you got six of the same person We got to get a different personality in here to figure out those pieces that your personality type

isn't able to accomplish, right? So we're complimenting each other constantly, whereas sometimes I think we like to hire people who remind us of ourselves and we're like, they're gonna be so easy to get along with. I'm gonna be able to train them so easily for sure, right? To a certain extent until you annoy yourself and then you're fighting all the time because you actually, you know, annoy you drive yourself crazy all day. But we forget to look for those complementary pieces and I walk in and I'm like, okay guys, like I think...

I think we actually need to move things around. Like you said, Dana, like right seat, right person, make sure people are in the right places and then see what are we lacking and who, what kind of a personality, what kind of a TV character, like who from friends, if I've got a bunch of, if I got a bunch of Rachel's, right, who are just like calm and passive and easygoing, but where like case acceptance is a little low and our schedule kind of falls apart, cancellations happen real easily. We're like, well, we need a.

We need a stronger personality in there. So start to see what are the personality traits? Who do I have now? And what character do I need to bring in that would compliment that person? I love that. This is why I love these collaborative podcasts. It's like you say something and my brain's like, oh my gosh, you're totally right. This is exactly what it would be. Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. So, all right, so steps to hiring.

Dana (15:08.673)

Yeah.

Dana (15:15.888)

Oh yeah. Ha ha ha.

Tiffanie (15:22.476)

Hiring your team and knowing your avatar, really guys, like Dana said it perfectly, have your job descriptions ready. If you don't have your job descriptions, you guys, first of all, that's okay. And second of all, if you need help with that, because it's not always easy and it's, we have a, we have a really cool job actually, because as consultants, we get to come in and we have this incredible vantage point and no emotional ties to it whatsoever.

So we get to come in and see everything from this bird's eye view, like I think of like a drone, right? A drone's just like flying around seeing all of the pieces. And when you look at that drone's map, you're like, wow, there's a perfect spot for a house right there. We get to be that drone and be like, wow, we can put a house right here. And we have zero emotional attachment to the land or the neighbors surrounding it. I'm like, no, this is the house that's going to work. I have zero emotional attachment, so it's easy for me to come in and do that. So if you guys need help with these pieces,

Email us, write in, like, let us know. We are here to help you guys. Hello at the dentalit team.com. That's truly what we love to do. We're here to serve. So know your avatar by starting with your job description. What are you missing in your practice? What position are you trying to fill and what duties are they going to fulfill for your ultimate dream practice, for the goals that you're trying to achieve? How are they going to compliment what you already have and then build out who will be the perfect person in that seat.

What's their personality like? How do they complement the personalities you already have? What's your TV character that you're looking for? Because when that person walks through the door, you're gonna be like, oh my gosh, I found them. And when they don't, when those other people walk through the door, you're like, dang, Tiff. But they had so much potential. Dana, she has experience. Like, what if she's a great biller later? I know I have a biller, but like, what if she could help her? And Dana's like, that's not who you need.

So it makes it so easy to be able to say yes or no to people. So get those job descriptions done, reach out for help if you need it. Know your avatar, know your TV character of who you're going to hire, and just say yes or no, just get through them. Hiring happens fast right now. So knowing this information makes it really easy and clear cut for you guys to just move on when you need to move on. Dana, do you feel like there's any steps that I missed that we need to make sure we take? The job descriptions I know are like number freaking one.

Tiffanie (17:44.256)

But is there anything in there that you feel like would be helpful that I missed?

Dana (17:47.762)

No, I love that you pointed out too, look at team members, how are they gonna be part of a team and how they're gonna support, not just in their position, but in the practice as a whole. I loved that tie-in.

Tiffanie (17:51.127)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (17:58.356)

Awesome. All right, guys. Go rock it out. Reach out for help. And also, you guys, we love to hear your successes. So reach out. Hello at thedentalatm.com. Drop us a five-star review. Let others know how helpful and beneficial this information was. Let us know if there's more on this topic or others that you want to know. We love hearing that. We always need help coming up with material, guys. We love it. So let us know. Drop us a five-star review. We can't wait to hear from you. And go hire your next best team.