Dental offices are generally small, with only a few workers that closely assist patients. Even in the case of large chains, each office employs only a few workers, each of whom is responsible for interacting regularly with patients. Due to this close-knit set-up, it’s very important that each person working in the office be knowledgeable, personable, and able to represent the company.

HR Responsibilities of a Dental Practice

Since every employee is so essential to the operation, dental offices must work hard to hire and retain the right people. HR software can help with recruitment, retention, and a host of other human resources needs that dental practices must contend with.

HR Policies

HR policies are essential to the smooth running of a business and dental HR is no exception. No matter how large or small the practice, it’s important to have all policies written in an employee manual. That way, all employees are clear on the expectations for behavior, job performance, and more.

Time Off

Every employee will need to book time off at some point. Keeping track of days off taken and how many days of PTO employees have left is another HR responsibility. It’s important to ensure that all staffing needs are covered will still allowing employees to take the time off they need and deserve.

Performance Management

Performance management doesn’t have to focus only on the dental practice’s staff. In fact, it’s the process of making sure that the practice’s business goals are being met. Employee performance is included in this process, but it also covers business performance and department performance. 

Dental Recruiting

It’s important for a dental practice to recruit the right people. The wrong hire can make or break a dental practice and can make the difference between patients leaving happy and leaving to look for a different dentist. The person responsible for recruiting must check each applicant’s credentials to ensure that they’re fully qualified. They’re also responsible for interviewing and checking references. The recruiting process can be long and involved as well as stressful.

HR Software Solutions

HR software solutions are designed to make HR processes easier to manage. Some HRIS solutions are designed specifically for smaller businesses such as a dental practice that may not employ a full-time HR manager. A HRIS can automate many of the HR responsibilities that the dentist or administrative professional was handling. That can free up valuable time for focusing on more important aspects of the job, such as attending to patients.

Benefits of Using HR Software

There are many benefits to using a HR software system. These benefits quickly outweigh the overall cost of the software. This is especially true when it comes to how much time a HRIS can save a dentist.

Recruiting

Whether an office is looking to hire a dental hygienist, a receptionist, or an employee for another position, being able to quickly post the job to the right places can help fill the vacancy faster so that customer service and revenues aren’t affected. Putting the right screening tools and accurate job descriptions in place can help ensure that quality employees with the right qualifications are hired.

HR software can assist with job description creation and posting, resume parsing, communication with applicants, background checks, personality, and psychological screening, interviewing, and onboarding. This can help dental offices to find and hire candidates that are uniquely suited to the position and the practice.

Managing Benefits and Payroll

Many dental offices make errors when it comes to payroll. Failing to pay employees overtime due to perceived exemptions, misclassifying employees as independent contractors, and improperly reimbursing employees for training and travel time are a few areas that dental offices often get payroll wrong. It’s not always easy for dental offices to keep up with changes in laws or understand what they are required to provide employees in terms of benefits.

HR software helps dental offices stay up to date with laws by providing information and regular updates. While it’s still important to work with a professional to establish fair and correct payroll and benefits practices, HR software can make it easy to track overtime, provide reports when necessary, and comply with laws.

Training and Employee Development Features

Dentistry is a field in which new ideas and treatments are continuously being introduced. As such, there is a need to make sure that all staff is familiar with the most current methods and information pertaining to dental health and treatments.

Many HR software solutions come with options for assigning training courses and tracking certifications. Some solutions may even link with learning management systems (LMS) so that employees can review modules and take quizzes online to further their training and development. This can help to keep staff as knowledgeable as possible, while also helping to enhance some ambitious employees’ careers within a practice.

Performance Management and Rewarding Tools

Employees that are recognized, held accountable, and rewarded for good performance can elevate a dental office. Patients come back to an office where there are friendly faces and consistent practices. HR software can help you keep track of employee performance, perform reviews, and distribute recognition and rewards.

If you want to implement HR software into your dental office, but aren’t sure where to start, we can help! Visit our Software Match page so that we can get an idea of what you’re looking for and provide information about a few vendors that might meet your needs.