For most practice owners, the dentistry is the easy part. What’s hard is managing your team, especially with the current dental staffing shortage.

So, what factors contribute to this shortage of staff? What can doctors do to solve this systemic issue?

David Schwab, PhD,  is a professional speaker, author and dental practice management consultant who helps dentists grow their practices, educate their patients and train their teams.

On this episode of the Dental Board Room Podcast, David joins host Wes Read to explain what’s behind the dental staffing shortage and how we might address it with virtual workers, part-timers and temps.

David offers advice on addressing employees who chronically call in sick, conducting performance reviews, and responding to requests for a raise.

Listen in for insight on the Ritz-Carlton concept of lateral service and learn David’s top strategies for building and managing your team through the current dental staffing shortage.

Topics Covered

Why managing your team is the most difficult aspect of running a dental practice 

Why there’s a shortage of dental staff and what doctors can do to solve the problem

The evolution of virtual work in dental practices

David’s take on hiring virtual assistants from places like the Philippines or Africa

What dental office tasks are likely to be outsourced moving forward

The advantages of hiring part-timers and people without a background in dentistry

How the emergence of online marketplaces might impact the dental space

How well-documented processes allow doctors to leverage temporary employees

David’s advice on addressing employees who chronically call in sick

David’s ‘open book test’ system for performance reviews

How dentists should respond to employee requests for a raise

The benefit of open-book management that allows staff to understand overhead

What dentists can learn from the Ritz-Carlton concept of lateral service

David’s background and experience as a dental management business consultant

Connect with David Schwab

David Schwab Dental Practice Management Consulting

Connect with Wes Read & Drew Phillips

Practice Orbit

Email [email protected] or [email protected] 

Practice CFO

Practice CFO on Instagram

Practice CFO on Facebook

Practice CFO on YouTube

Resources 

Trainual

SweetProcess

The E Myth by Michael E. Gerber

Entrepreneurial Operating System