Adding a new doctor to your dental practice—be it an associate or a partner—can offer financial advantages and the ability to distribute practice responsibilities to create work/life balance. When you’re mentally and financially ready for a new doctor, taking the steps to find the right person will involve more than a job posting.

While many employers often think it’s the candidate’s responsibility to impress, the reality is it falls on both parties to leave a lasting mark. If you truly want to find the right match for you and your practice, Arthur | Marshall, a permanent dental search firm, reminds that it’s a good idea to create a positive experience for the candidate throughout the interview process. This can be done by putting yourself in the candidate’s shoes and considering how they may be feeling in this situation.

The interview process is essentially a courtship, and while the candidate certainly needs to ensure they leave the employer with a good impression, one key objective for the owner is to make the candidate feel at home and excited to join the practice.

The Experience: Rolling Out the Red Carpet

Rolling out the red carpet for your candidate can look different for every practice owner. The main purpose is to treat them as someone who’s going to come in and play an integral role in your practice, rather than simply a job applicant. This is especially true if you are looking for a future partner.

This involves considering every detail from how fast you respond, what you say, how you engage, to the steps you take to make them feel welcomed. Find ways to show them that you value them even though they haven’t accepted an offer yet.

Take the time to get to know the candidate and their family, recognizing that this decision will typically be made with their partner and children in mind. Make a reservation at a quality, local restaurant for you with the candidate and their family. If the housing options in your area are difficult to navigate, set the candidate up with a real estate agent, so they can learn the area and begin to see themselves as members of your community.

While every candidate and location may present different ideas and opportunities for creating this experience, you’ll set yourself up for success by looking at it from the candidate’s perspective.

Don’t Dwell on the Outside Variables

As you consider how you’ll make your candidates feel welcomed, understand that you can’t immediately change or control certain variables, and that’s okay. This can include aspects like the practice location, housing options in the area, community offerings or even the current financial success of the practice.

If these factors don’t exactly work in your favor or if they make your practice opportunity seem less appealing, try to be honest about the current situation and highlight other opportunities or positive aspects. For example, if new patient starts have been down the last few years, but the city has zoned the surrounding area for a new high school or multi-use development, you should draw attention to this new opportunity for growth.

If these factors do work in your favor, know that these aren’t the only aspects that will persuade a candidate to choose your practice. Regardless of what the variables look like for you, focus on what you can control: the experience.

Practice Ownership is a Journey

At NDP, we aim to help you through the big and small milestones of your practice ownership journey. Whether you’re looking to bring on a new doctor or hand off your practice to a new owner, our team can lead you towards your goals. Contact us today.