yeahIn my last article, we talked about which paid job board I recommend using and why. So what if you don't have any money?

Let's be clear – for the most part when it comes to job postings, you tend to get what you pay for. My suggestion would be to budget annually for turnover. If you use it, great; if you don't, then your profit margins just skyrocketed!

In previous articles I have discussed the cost associated with turnover, but in a small independent office, this cost is multiplied significantly. If your only front desk person is a bad fit, how many new patients will you miss out on? Alternatively if you have no front desk person for three weeks, is your voicemail going to explain the value your practice brings to a new patient? What do 'holes' in your schedule cost? I think you get my point. My guess is, it is more than the $200 to $400 to run an ad on Indeed.

That being said there are a number of low-to-no-cost ways to push out your jobs:

  1. School job boards: Most colleges have their own job bards that you can post on for free. The downside to this is that to avoid paying you will have to post on each one individually and this can be a little cumbersome. School job boards can be helpful when it comes to hiring assistants and hygienists, as there are only so many schools in a given area that have those types of programs.

  2. Craigslist: After creating an account, posting to Craigslist is a fairly easy process. However, in many cities there are now fees associated with job postings on Craigslist, reducing the biggest advantage this method had. When posting on Craigslist, it is important to understand what the job seeker sees. Make sure your job title is descriptive, specific and, if possible, in all caps. This will make it stand out when people browse the site. Secondly, make sure you include a salary range and your website when you post on this site. There are a lot of spam job postings on this site; by including your website and the salary, you establish your credibility as a legitimate employer. Finally, on Craigslist timing is everything. Your ad will not be on the first page long – so make sure your job posting goes up during a time that the best candidates will be searching. If you are gainfully employed, when would you have time to search? When you're not at work. For most people this would be evenings and Sunday morning; for clinical positions, a great day would be Friday when there is a good chance their current office is closed.

  3. LinkedIn: I have said it before but I will state it again. If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, stop what you are doing and take 15 minutes to build one out. Seriously, right now. Connect with as many dental professionals as you can. Then post your job asking for referrals. You can also use a free tool called bullhorn reach to post them for you on a regular interval until the job is filled. Join as many groups as you can and post your position in there. For more on using LinkedIn to recruit, check out this article. Also make sure everyone in your office is posting to their social media profiles. This is an easy way to expand your reach.


Again, my suggestion would be to use these to supplement any other efforts – but if budgets are tight, then use these as your total strategy. In future articles, we will dive into how to write a compelling job description.

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

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