Join us today for our 4 predictions for HR trends in 2026! Alan covers what he sees coming this year, including:

1. The impact of AI on employee awareness

2. The pace of HR legal changes

3. Hiring and onboarding people from outside dental

4. Mental Health in the workplace

What trends do you see coming in 2026? We'd love to hear your thoughts: https://bentericksen.com/podcast-suggestions/

To learn more about Bent Ericksen's HR Director system and HR consulting, check us out: https://bentericksen.com/

Have a great day!

Happy new year! To kick off 2026 we're discussing the common scenario of employees not following policies. We're joined again by Trisha Lincoln SHRM-SCP. Learn the steps and key management materials. Enjoy!

Got an idea for a future episode? Please tell us here: https://bentericksen.com/podcast-suggestions/

To learn more about Bent Ericksen's HR Director system and HR consulting, check us out: https://bentericksen.com/

Join us to discuss holiday parties and paid holidays!

We are joined by Trisha Lincoln SHRM-SCP to discuss whether holiday parties are paid/unpaid, reducing liability, how to serve alcohol, what if marijuana is legal, religious accommodations, and when holidays are paid.

To learn more about Bent Ericksen's HR Director Management System and HR consulting, check us out: https://bentericksen.com/

Got an idea for a future episode? Please tell us here: https://bentericksen.com/podcast-suggestions/

Today we're joined by Olivia Smith with OS Dental Consulting to discuss Situational Leadership! We discuss what it entails, how it helps you lead your team throughout the employment lifecycle, and how it relates to your big practice goals. This is great stuff for all practice leaders!

Olivia Smith is a trusted consultant, coach, and national speaker with a passion for helping dental practices thrive. With experience supporting over 100 practices across the country, Olivia brings a wealth of knowledge in operations, practice transitions, team coaching, and training.

Connect with Olivia at osdentalconsulting.com or email: [email protected].

To learn more about Bent Ericksen's HR Director system and HR consulting, check us out: https://bentericksen.com/

Trisha Lincoln SHRM-SCP joins us again to discuss the common topic of Working Interviews and Skills Assessments. As more practices hire from within and from outside the dental world, assessing a candidate's abilities becomes super important.

The resume and interview only tell us so much. While it's logical to want to see a candidate in action, we will explain the nuances of both methods, the pros and cons, and the compliance risks.

Bent Ericksen Clients: please refer to the Forms area of your HR Director account for the two agreements mentioned in today's episode.

To learn more about Bent Ericksen's HR Director system and HR consulting, check us out: https://bentericksen.com/

Do you ever feel like you're just running from one crisis to the next?

Today we explore the HR craziness of turnover using two analogies. Many practices struggle with turnover (both resignation and termination). With the costs of turnover painfully clear, how can we break the cycle and walk upstream to find the root cause?

You can learn more about Bent Ericksen & Associates and our HR support here: bentericksen.com/

Today we're concluding our 3-part series on Pregnancy! This episode focuses on the return-to-work phase, when our employee comes back to the practice after the birth and the leave of absence. We have our fantastic senior HR Specialist Trisha Lincoln SHRM-SCP back with us. Join us to learn about nursing, pumping, what if the employee doesn't want to return, or doesn't want to return full-time, and more!

You can learn more about Bent Ericksen & Associates and our HR support here: bentericksen.com/

Today we're back with Part 2 in our series on pregnancy in the dental practice. We have Trisha Lincoln SHRM-SCP back with us to discuss the necessary steps right before, during, and after the leave of absence from your practice. Learn about terminology, including Baby Bonding vs Maternity Leave. Also learn general recommendations and some of the requirements in dentistry.

You can learn more about Bent Ericksen & Associates here: https://bentericksen.com/

Today we kick off a 3 part series on Pregnancy with our fabulous HR Specialist Trisha Lincoln SHRM-SCP. We will cover all 3 phases of pregnancy: the first phase when the employee is pregnant and still working, the second while they are out on leave, and the third when they return to work.

In Part 1 today we discuss radiographs, nitrous, accommodations, morning sickness, discrimination claims, paperwork, and other key topics.

Enjoy!

Are you in a business partnership with one or more dentists? Are you considering this someday? We have seen several dental partnerships dissolve recently, including some for preventable reasons.

Don't wait until there's a conflict, get ahead of things and proactively discuss your goals, beliefs, values, expectations, and more. Taking action now will make for a successful and rewarding partnership!

Check out our free guide on successful partnerships: https://bentericksen.com/guide-to-successful-partnerships-download/

Learn more about our recommended personality, communication, and team building tool the Drake P3: https://bentericksen.com/drake-p3-assessments/