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able to create a treatment proposal and a financial option sheet. These are the basics. When the applicant performs these tasks, you will be able to observe skill level and decide the need for additional computer train- ing. Will the investment necessary to bring this person up to speed be too great or do her/his strengths outweigh the weaknesses? Can the shortfalls in her/his skill levels be overcome with proper technical training? You’ll have clearer answers to those important questions if you carefully evaluate the applicant’s current skill level. If you choose to train, make the most of the teaching opportunities across the entire staff. If you’re planning to train the new employee in-house, consider exactly who is going to take on that respon- sibility. If it’s you, the dentist, do you plan to see patients in the morning and clear your afternoons so that you can teach the new employee how to use the systems? Chances are great that you have neither the time nor the inclination to take on this responsibility. If the responsibility falls to another staff member, do you plan to pay her/him extra so that training the new recruit can take place after hours? What is the competency level of the person training the new employ- ee? Is this person the “beneficiary” of layers of information that have been passed down from one worker to the next and still just trying to figure things out herself/himself? Alterna- tively, is the trainer truly an expert on how to use the systems fully and effectively? Training? Make it real and relevant Certainly, well-trained staff can be helpful in familiarizing new employ- ees with computer systems, but plan to budget for professional training and make the most of those dollars spent. Take specific steps to build a line- up of software superstars with an effective training system. Bring the software trainer in to teach the employee specific skills and document each session so that the new employee, as well as others in the practice, can review steps for completing specific tasks and check their level of mastery. Keep the documentation in your Dental Business Training Manual along with a checklist of computer system skills specific to your prac- tice that each employee should have mastered. Each time you integrate new tech- nology or make use of a new tool in your computer software, add the training steps to your training man- ual. This will allow seasoned staff to review procedures that they don’t use regularly and new staff to mas- ter new systems more quickly and efficiently. Finally, remember the three- month rule of thumb. In general, it takes three months of super- vised training to get a new hire up to speed. Don’t assume that new hires know every aspect of their job because they say they do. Monitor a new hire’s performance during the 90-day training period and have a senior team member check the accuracy of the work with the intention of coaching, not criti- cizing. Front office accuracy in new patients, collections, production and retention can be checked by the daily and monthly reports run by the computer. tInstructions on reading these important reports should also be incorporated into the curriculum no matter which system you are using. DT Practice Matters DENTAL TRIBUNE | May 20108 AD Visit us at the CDA Anaheim, booth no. 415. f DT page 7 Office manager skills test for new hires Step 1: Create a ‘dummy’ patient in the computer. Step 2: Ask the applicant to: • assemble a treatment plan for this patient. • schedule multiple appointments for this patient. • post from the treatment plan. • gather insurance information on this patient. • create a treatment proposal. • create a financial option sheet. Step 3: Now that you know the applicant’s skill level, ask yourself: • Will the investment necessary to bring this person up to speed be too great? • Do the applicant’s strengths outweigh her/his weaknesses? • Can the shortfalls in her/his skill levels be overcome with proper technical training? About the author Sally McKenzie is CEO of McKenzie Management, which provides success-proven man- agement solutions to dental prac- titioners nationwide. She is also editor of The Dentist’s Network Newsletter at www.thedentists network.net; the e-Management Newsletter from www.mckenzie mgmt.com; and The New Den- tist™ magazine, www.thenew dentist.net. She can be reached at (877) 777-6151 or sallymck @mckenziemgmt.com.