human resources

This is Part Two of a three part series about Human Resources Myth. You can read Part One here. 

I want to stress that these HR myths are not unique to dental offices.  I have experienced these in companies large and small, but as business owners, I think it’s important for every dentist to read these.   

The Magical Overqualified Employee:

For each role that you hire, you need a clear process to ensure that you ideally understand what skills and attributes you are looking for.  Coincidentally (this is a shameless plug) I have a course on Spear Online that addresses this very topic.  I hear all the time from hiring leaders and dentists that a candidate is overqualified, too smart or will just get bored.  This drives me crazy as it is saying “I really want a mediocre person because I am afraid I might have to hire again in a year.”  I promise you that hiring a rockstar and retaining them for a year will do more for your practice than hiring a C player who stays forever.  Now that is not to say that you should not be suspicious of the CEO who is applying to be an assistant but just don’t rule them out all together.  Don’t you think it is worth twenty minutes of your time in a phone interview to find out WHY they have decided to make this career change?  Sometimes it truly will not be a fit but every so often you will find someone at a transition point in their lives and you will get an incredible asset that will take your practice to the next level. However, to make this work you need to be VERY clear about what the role is and what it isn’t.  You need to dig deep in the screening process, asking tough questions, calling all references and past employers but in the end if you do manage to find this unicorn it will be incredible for your practice. 

Adam McWethy, MA-HRIR, SPHR, is the Director of Human Resources and Faculty at Spear Education. 


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