by Ginny | Feb 21, 2018 | Practice Leadership, Strategic Planning, Uncategorized
Congratulations! You’ve selected your new hire and today is day one of what you hope will be a long, mutually rewarding relationship. What’s your onboarding plan?
First impressions are powerful and lasting. The prospects for achieving success with a new hire will depend to a great extent on what you have planned for this new hire’s first day at the office. Putting your best foot forward matters, considering these statistics:
- Healthcare is tied with banking and finance in having the second highest turnover rate of 15% in 2016, behind hospitality (20%), according to Compensation Force, a workforce blog produced by Altura Consulting Group in Wayzata, Minnesota
- 40% of employees who have quit a job voluntarily did so within six months of starting the position, according to ClearCompany, the inventor of a software/service talent management system. The cost of replacing an entry-level employee is 30-50% of their annual salary, according to ClearCompany.
Do the math, it’s eye-opening.
What is your onboarding plan?
This the question is often met by a surprised, deer-in-the-headlights look.
“What do you mean, onboarding strategy? We hired an experienced dental assistant, she knows what to do, right?”
The reality is this dental assistant does know what to do in her previous practice. She doesn’t have any experience in how to best support your philosophy of care and protocols. She doesn’t know your perspective on the practice culture or the nuances of everyday life in your practice. Without this knowledge, there is a steep, stressful learning curve ahead of all of you.
“Hmm, I guess I don’t have an onboarding strategy.” This doctor does have a strategy; unfortunately, it’s not a good one. There’s a long-standing tradition in dentistry of introducing new hires through a process known as the “sink or swim.” For the uninitiated, this consists of basically throwing the new hire into the deep end of the pool and hoping they learn how to save themselves. Some will thrive, some will struggle; others will simply choose to get out of the pool and go home. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Want to learn what new employees really want and a better way to onboard? Click here to read my most recent article published in the Winter 2018 edition of Dental Practice Success.
by Ginny | Aug 30, 2012 | General, HR Compliance, Practice Leadership, Practice Resources
 “I walked into a treatment room today to find my hygienist texting while she waited for me to do a hygiene check.” REALLY?
Yes, really! I get calls from doctors every month who are appalled that team members are texting, tweeting and facebooking in the treatment room and at the front desk rather than engaging patients. While it may seem like an egregious violation of trust, the fact of the matter is that most employees don’t see their behavior for what it is. Often they are oblivious, simply doing what they always do … unless and until you set guidelines to address cell phone use.
In our uber-connected world, many people are attached to their cell phones 24/7, even sleeping with a smart phone that is being used as an alarm. The only significant time during the course of the day when many people are disconnected and at risk of missing a call or text is when they are in the shower!
So, what’s an employer to do when this electronic habit interferes with productivity, engagement and business profitability? Your best defense is a good offense. Create, introduce and enforce a cell phone policy for your practice that speels out exactly when and where cell phones are permitted in your office and whether a ring tone, vibrate tone or silent is the required status during work hours.
*FYI: The courts are siding against employers to the tune of millions of dollars when their employees are involved in auto accidents while using electronic devices . If your team members run errands during work hours or call into your office when running late, protect yourself and your practice. Put a formal written policy in place >>>more to follow in future post<<<< |
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by Ginny | Feb 13, 2012 | General, HR Compliance, Strategic Planning
While a Society of Human Resource (SHRM) survey reported that 68% of businesses are using social media, it’s most significant to realize one hundred percent of businesses are impacted by social media, leaving 32% of businesses as unwilling participants. The Eagles’ number one hit in the late 70s claimed that at the Hotel California “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” That’s precisely what happens with social media since the audience, made up of your current and potential customers and employees can control the message about your organization. You don’t even have to check in… you are there… you can never leave.
Do you have a social media policy? Do you have a social media strategy? You’ll need both if you want to positively influence your social media brand.
