The current shortage of skilled workers is also affecting dental practices. Recruiting staff is often very difficult. Recruitment options, such as newspaper ads or employment websites, that used to work well in the past have long since ceased to be successful. Social recruiting is the new and promising method. But what is it all about? How do you go about it? In this article, we answer your questions.
Why recruitment has become a challenge for dental practices
The labor market has changed in recent years. For some time now, we have witnessed a shift from an employer-driven market to a candidate-driven market. What does that mean? In an employer-driven market, the supply of skilled workers exceeds the employers’ demand. There are too many job candidates for too few vacancies. For this reason, employers have greater decision-making power and “call the shots” in the hiring process. In the current candidate-driven market, the situation is exactly the opposite. There are more job openings than candidates. Accordingly, employers must work harder and offer incentives to attract employees.
This is precisely the reason why it has become more difficult for dental practices to recruit new staff. Many skilled employees have already been hired by other practices. As a result, different practices are now competing for new candidates. With that in mind, we recommend that you choose your recruiting methods wisely. Where would you like to place your ads? On online portals or in newspapers? Do you have enough time and energy to invest in employee recruitment or would it make more sense to consult an agency? What other ad placement options might work for you?
From newspaper ads to online recruitment
There is no one right way to recruit employees for your dental practice. However, we would like to present some novel approaches to give you food for thought. The number of candidates who have grown up in the age of digitalization continues to rise. Thus, the way candidates search for job offers is also changing. Classic newspaper ads are now being replaced by a simple online search. As a consequence, employment websites for job listings such as StepStone or Indeed are the new go-to option. Make sure your ads are as appealing as possible – a good structure is essential. Use bullet point lists to clearly describe tasks or employee benefits, for example. Try to bring a personal touch to the ad and, most importantly, make the application process as straightforward as possible for potential employees. Do you really need a cover letter or is a resume enough for the first step? If you receive an application, process it as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary waiting times for the candidates.
When potential employees find a job ad, they usually look up the employer on google first. Here, it is up to you to make a positive impression. Start with your website: A modern design with a clear structure and all the necessary information is a good basis. Tell site visitors about yourself and show pictures and videos of your practice. You will find more tips on how to design a good website in this article.
Prospective candidates also check assessment platforms such as kununu. Here, employees can rate you as an employer on a scale of one to five stars. If you achieve good or even very good ratings, you can be awarded the label ‘top employer’. This is an additional asset for potential employees and shows that they can expect good working conditions at your practice.
Social recruiting for your dental practice
Finding new staff via employment websites often proves to be a major challenge. Only prospective employees that are actively looking for a new job or are currently unemployed will use them. They are also referred to as active candidates. Passive candidates, however, account for the much larger share of potential employees –these are dissatisfied employees who are willing to switch. They are open to offers but you must reach out to them, for example via social recruiting.
Social recruiting gets you into contact with this target group because it uses the same channel passive candidates use: social media. You can easily reach them by placing targeted job ads on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. But how to proceed?
1. Preparation
Decide how you want to present yourself and your practice. Do you want to advertise on Facebook and Instagram or only on one of the two channels? What are your values? Who is your target audience? How do they act online? Draw up a detailed plan of how you want to proceed and, most importantly, what content you want to post. Think about concepts for image and video material in advance. For example, show insights into your day-to-day business. Your goal should always be to receive job applications. Again, try to keep the process as simple as possible.
First of all, we recommend setting up a dedicated landing page with a job application form on your website, listing all the necessary information about the open position and you as an employer. Job candidates will be redirected to this page if they click on your ad.
It should also be possible to submit a job application without too much trouble. Bear in mind that you optimize your website for mobile devices, so that it is displayed in the correct format on smartphones. Once you have done all that, we move on to step two.
2. Structure
Create corporate accounts for your dental practice on the chosen platform(s). Should you only want to run ads on Instagram, you will still need to create a Facebook account. Ads on both platforms are placed via the Facebook Ads Manager. First, you will have to create engaging profiles with images and information on your social media channels. As you will only have a few followers in the beginning it makes sense to place paid ads. However, you are free to determine your budget. The higher the budget, the greater your reach. Here, a good balance should be found between costs and results.
3. Your first ad
As mentioned above, you place your ads via the Ads Manager on Facebook where you can select all the settings you want. What should the ad look like? Where should it be placed (e.g., via Instagram stories or the Facebook homepage)? Who is the target group? You can specify demographic data such as place of residence, age, or gender, but you can also choose more specific settings such as interests or the current industry in which the target group is employed. As a result, you have less waste coverage and are more likely to reach only the most relevant target groups.
4. Evaluation
Once your first ad has been placed, it is important to monitor and optimize it, if necessary. Try out different strategies: Which target group settings are the most successful? Which ad format makes the most sense? Is your budget sufficient or even too much?
Conclusion: there is no right or wrong
As is often the case, there is no secret recipe when it comes to recruiting employees for your dental practice. Be it classic newspaper advertisement, employment websites, or social recruiting: the decision is yours. However, it is always important that you remain authentic and pick an approach that feels right for you. In terms of social recruiting, the only thing that should be added is that it can take quite a bit of time. Some expertise in online marketing and an understanding of how target audiences use social media platforms is also an advantage. It may therefore be advisable to consult a marketing or recruiting agency. Whichever of those approaches you choose, always emphasize quality. This will significantly increase your chances of attracting suitable job candidates.
