DTUS1310

“Experience.” It’s a word that con- veys different meanings to different people. When seeking employment, applicants naturally want to convince their prospective bosses that they bring the necessary experience to the position. Meanwhile, employers — dentists specifically — often are in the dif- ficult position of trying to fill vacan- cies quickly. Many don’t typically need a lot of convincing that the applicant with the pleasant smile and friendly demeanor is the one for their office, particularly when the appli- cant asserts that she/he has what it takes to do the job. A scenario Let’s look at “Dr. Carrel.” His busi- ness employee of 12 years decided it was time for a change of scenery and accepted a position out of state. That left Dr. Carrel frantically trying to fill the position. In walks applicant “Amanda.” Amanda has worked as a recep- tionist and a clerk in the children’s department at a large retail store, which must mean that she’s good with people and well organized. “Both are very important qualities for this job,” a stressed Carrel notes to himself. During the interview, Carrel duti- fully covers the usual questions with Amanda, listening closely for those things he wants to hear. “Do you have experience with scheduling?” asks Carrel. “Certainly,” Amanda says. Mean- while, she’s thinking to herself: I have to get in the shower by 7 a.m., make the train by 8 a.m., be at work by 9 a.m., at the gym by 5:30 p.m. so I can be out with friends by 8 p.m. “Yes, I am very good at scheduling.” “Do you have computer training?” “Of course,” Amanda says emphat- ically. In her mind she ticks through a variety of point and click responsi- bilities. I know how to buy and sell on eBay, I have all the important web- sites organized in my Favorites List and I have the absolute best Facebook page, just ask all 500 of my Facebook friends. “Yes, I have lots of computer experience.” “How would you rate your experi- ence in effectively communicating with others?” asks Carrel. “Very high,” answers Amanda. You should see my thumbs go. I can text message while driving, applying make-up, even during a movie. “I consider myself to be an expert com- municator.” As the story goes, Amanda is hired with the understanding that she is bringing all her “technical expertise” to the position. While the scenario above may be somewhat exaggerated, it is not uncommon for practices to hire new employees that bring “experi- ence,” “knowledge” and “training” in numerous areas, but oftentimes, it’s not what the practice needs or what the job really requires. Specific computer literacy is essential Practice needs and expectations have changed. Managing a dental practice has always demanded excellent cus- tomer service skills and knowledge of dental business systems such as scheduling, financial arrangements, insurance processing, collection and billing, recall. etc. Yet, today the need for specific computer literacy is significantly greater. Even jobs that would not neces- sarily be described as “technical” commonly require computer expe- rience or technical skills. Dental practice employees — both clinical and business — are often expected to understand and use spreadsheet, word-processing and database soft- ware. Although an applicant may bring some computer experience, it doesn’t mean she/he has the compulsory knowledge to access and interpret necessary reports or compile spread- sheets. Historically, a college degree in business was not a requirement to get a position in the dental business office, and many people employed at the front office were former den- tal assistants or people who were trained on the job in another prac- tice. In addition, although most of the Generations X and Y and Millenni- als (those coming of age in the new millennium) have been exposed to computers virtually their entire lives, if they do not go on to college or receive specific training, the skills often remain elementary. Yesterday’s expert is today’s amateur When hiring someone to manage a busy practice, formal business train- ing and more than a basic knowledge of computer software is essential. The practice management reports that can be generated by today’s sophisticated software will tell you virtually everything you must know about your practice: • whether it is growing or declin- ing, • what procedures are your “bread and butter,” • what other services or products you need to market, • how many new patients are com- ing in and how many patients are leaving, • how many children you see and how many adults, • what percentages of your prac- tice is insurance and what is private pay, • what percentage of the insur- ance base is this company or that and so on. The wealth of critical information is virtually boundless provided that your team knows how to access and use it. If the job requires the employee to compile spreadsheets using Excel, but the applicant only has superficial knowledge of the program, find out before she/he is on the job. If staff are expected to compile letters to patients, doctors, insur- ance companies and others using Microsoft Word and the applicant has no idea how to use the formatting DENTAL TRIBUNE | May 2010 Practice Matters 7 AD options within the program, better to learn that now than discover it in six weeks. Don’t allow yourself or your team to be surprised by what a new recruit doesn’t know. Test applicants’ skills before you ever offer them a front row spot on your team’s bench. For example, if you’re hiring a new office manager, this applicant’s skills should be evaluated in a num- ber of areas. Consider this approach. First, make up a “dummy” patient on the computer and ask the appli- cant to put together a treatment plan and then schedule the patient for multiple appointments. Next, ask the candidate to post from the treatment plan. From there, the applicant should be asked to gather insurance information on the “dummy patient.” Finally, the applicant should be By Sally McKenzie, CEO ‘She has computer experience …’ (just not the kind your office needs) g DT page 8 How to determine if a potential employee has the necessary skills and experience a position requires