You’ve got a job posting to hire a new team member, yet the listing has received many hits. What gives? You certainly want to hire the best candidate around, but it may be hard to find the right one when very few people apply. Bryant Consultants, a consulting firm that offers coaching and training to dental practices and other small businesses, wants to share tips on how to attract more job seekers to your job posting.
Make your practice stand out
Whether you realize it or not, you’re in competition with other dental practices in your area. What makes your practice different from all of the rest? What makes your practice an enjoyable place to work? Make it clear to job seekers who you are, and what they should expect working with you. Highlight your core values, too. Providing applicants a glimpse into the environment of your practice will really help them decide if your office is right for them right from the start. No one really has any time to waste.
Be prompt, honest, and responsive
The familiar saying, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, applies in this sense as well. Be prompt and honest with your responses to applicants. If someone doesn’t look like a good fit on paper, let them know. Job seekers want to know where an employer stands. Good or bad, just be responsive to applicants.
Include all relevant information in your listing
Be clear about the job duties, office hours, and any other pertinent information about the job itself. Also, make sure that your listing is clear, concise, and free of any typos! Just like a resume with poor grammar and typos is a turn off for you, so is a job listing where it seems as though little effort was put into the posting.
Add keywords in your listing
If you want qualified applicants to find your listing, add keywords that are relevant to your industry. For instance, seeking a full-time expanded-functions dental assistant, part-time dental hygienist, or dental practice manager job with competitive pay and benefits. Always be sure to add the city where the job will be located.
Ask your current employees for referrals
As a dentist, the idea of referrals is nothing new to you. In fact, a lot of your patients probably started coming to your practice because someone they know and trust referred them. Job applicants work the same way. Ask your current team members if they know anyone that would be a good fit for your practice. This approach may be difficult if you’re hiring to replace a current team member, though.
Protect your reputation
Hopefully, you’re already doing this, but it’s important to keep a good reputation even when dealing with job seekers. Word of mouth gets around, so treat applicants respectfully by being responsive, and honest about the type of environment at your workplace.
Be open to diversity
Be open to applicants of various ages, gender, and ethnicity. Diversity makes things work together better and faster, and it shows that your practice is all-encompassing.
Be clear about your follow-up intentions
No one likes to be ghosted, especially a job seeker! If you wouldn’t want it done to you, then don’t do it to others. Let applicants know where you stand. Be clear about your follow-up. Are you going to call them back or send a follow-up email within in a specific time frame? Do what you say you’re going to do. Job applicants don’t want to be left in the dark.
Be flexible
Understand that some applicants may have a full-time job and a work schedule that isn’t flexible with time off. Be flexible and consider offering interview slots before or after work, and even on the weekends if you can swing it. We understand that you probably have better ideas on how to spend your Saturday, but if sacrificing a little bit of time means you find the right candidate to support your practice’s mission, then it’s worth it.
Finding the right job applicant can be a challenge. How do you know that the person you hire is going to be the best fit? After all, there is only so much you can tell about a person in a 30 minute to an hour-long interview. If you would like professional assistance on hiring a team player, or with listing your job posting, Bryant Consultants can help. You can reach us by calling (877) 768-4799. We provide consulting services to help you realize your vision and set processes in place to grow your practice. No office is out of reach for us. We will even come to you!
