How to Hire a Dental Hygienist: A Guide for Practices

Key Takeaways

• Practices are increasingly competing for a smaller number of dental hygienists with a high job outlook and fewer professionals.

• To hire a dental hygienist, practices should position themselves as a fulfilling and reliable place for professionals to work, while creating detailed job listings and developing an internal culture that supports staff retention.

• Hiring a dental hygienist is only half of the journey, as practices should also have a staff retention strategy that includes competitive pay, benefits, and strong support systems.

• Dental practices may consider using a staffing platform like Toothio to keep roles filled with qualified professionals.

Why Hiring Hygienists Has Become More Competitive

Between the growing demand for dental care and the considerable skills needed for the profession, the demand for hygienists is high, and there may not always be a sufficient number of qualified hygienists out there to fill open roles. With a high career outlook for dental hygienists, there is a constant need for professionals amongst practices and a naturally limited pool of skilled candidates.

These factors create a competitive hiring environment and make hiring skilled hygienists a challenge. The most successful practices recognize that hiring is more than just posting jobs; it is effectively recruiting and retaining qualified professionals. Dental practices should be able to offer competitive benefits, create a positive work environment that hygienists will want to be a part of, and structure a strong hiring process to find the best fits for their practice.

Understanding both how to hire a dental hygienist and retain them long-term is important for ensuring your practice has the team needed to carry out daily responsibilities and deliver quality patient care without losing pace in a challenging hiring environment.

What Strong Hygienist Candidates Actually Look For

To attract and hire strong hygienist candidates, it’s important that practices know what candidates are looking for in a workplace and can deliver on everything from quality pay to a positive culture.

Qualities of a dental practice that hygienists seeking work look for include:

• Schedule flexibility – Hygienists often value the ability to work select shifts throughout the week, often with the ability to work across multiple practices.
• Compensation – Fair and appropriate compensation is valuable to any employee, and especially in a profession like dental hygiene, where professionals have a high level of skill and work in demanding environments.
• Workplace culture – In any workplace, a positive culture is important for creating an environment where staff want to work, often grounded in strong support systems and friendly staff interactions.
• Support staff – Having a substantial team of dental assistants, receptionists, and support staff is important to hygienists who want to feel confidently supported as they handle their daily responsibilities and facilitate patient treatments.
• Patient load expectations – Hygienists appreciate a manageable, realistic patient load that allows them to anticipate their day without fear of being overwhelmed.

Factors like unclear expectations, inflexible scheduling, and a reputation for a poor workplace culture can all stifle applicant interest. It’s important that practices consider all the factors employees are looking for in a workplace and present a complete picture that showcases their office as a fulfilling and valuable place to work.

Writing Job Listings That Attract Better Candidates

Job listings are typically the first point of contact between prospective hygienists and a dental practice. In a competitive field like dental hygiene, it’s important that job listings capture candidates’ attention and cover the details they value when looking for their next role. Generic job descriptions are easy to overlook and often fail to stand out in competitive hiring markets.

It’s advised that practices provide as much detail as possible about the job role so that there is no confusion about what the job entails and what candidates should expect.

Job listings should include some of the following details:

• Compensation: How much the role pays

• Scheduling: What days and hours hygienists should expect to work

• Responsibilities: What daily functions hygienists will be responsible for in addition to clinical functions

• Benefits: Benefits that staff can expect to receive in addition to financial compensation

• Office environment: What the pace and culture of the work environment are like

• Team structure: What staff exists on the team, and what the support system looks like

• Technology: What software, tools, and technology hygienists should expect to use

Candidates are more likely to pass up on job descriptions that don’t provide detailed information and call attention to the parts of the job that matter to them. Transparency in job listings improves applicant quality, retention, and long-term fit; a detailed job description gives candidates a complete picture of the role before they apply.

Interviewing Beyond Clinical Skills

Hiring decisions should extend beyond just clinical skills, credentials, and technical ability. Intangible skills are also incredibly valuable to evaluate to see how well a candidate will fit in with the day-to-day functions of the practice. Practices should consider structuring interviews to assess candidates beyond their clinical skills, including their contributions to the work environment and practice operations.

Consider the following qualities and skills for dental hygienist candidates:

• Communication style
• Adaptability
• Professionalism
• Patient interactions

In addition to these intangible skills, practices should assess whether candidates align with the office's pace and workflow, and whether they will be good fits within the workplace culture. Posing interview questions that focus on hypothetical situations can help assess a candidate’s character and demeanor in addition to their skill set.

For example, recent graduates from dental hygiene programs make for excellent employment candidates. While they may have strong clinical skills, their clinical experience and credentials may not be as extensive as those of other candidates. Still, their demeanor and willingness to grow may be enough to set them apart. It’s always important that dental practices consider the complete candidate and what they will contribute to the overall culture.

Why Retention Should Influence Hiring Decisions

Long-term employee retention should be an important consideration in hiring decisions, as practices must think beyond short-term staffing gaps for the health and success of the business. With the pool of hygienists as competitive as it is, it’s important that you retain the staff you hire and be proactive in your hiring process—otherwise, you risk losing a diamond in the rough and going back to square one.

Employee turnover disrupts scheduling, diminishes the patient experience, harms team morale, and impedes long-term practice growth. Practices should consider the long-term implications of staff retention when carrying out the hiring process by building a strong culture and choosing candidates who reinforce it.

Common reasons hygienists leave practices include:

• Burnout
• Scheduling issues
• Feelings that they are lacking support
• Workplace culture concerns

Successful practices tackle these concerns head-on by building a healthy infrastructure that benefits employees and provides foundational support. It’s key to communicate these initiatives during the hiring process and carry them forward in daily operations to maintain staffing consistency.

Building a More Flexible Staffing Strategy

A strong staff is critical to a successful practice, crucial for creating a positive patient experience, ensuring a smooth scheduling flow, and continuing to deliver a high standard of care. Practices must consider how to bring in experienced staff through a detailed, proactive hiring strategy and retain them with a strong workplace culture.

Toothio is an excellent resource for recruiting and retaining staff, making it easy to connect with qualified dental professionals and fill in staffing gaps as they arise. Our easy-to-use platform is beneficial not only for finding staff but also for finding more flexible solutions during hiring gaps, upticks in seasonal demand, and unexpected absences. Whether you are looking for a temporary role in a pinch or a permanent staff member to strengthen your team, Toothio can help.

Sign your practice up with Toothio to start finding professionals and keep your operations flowing smoothly.