Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

25Practice ManagementNov 26 - Dec 3, 2012United Kingdom Edition GET THE BEST DEAL NOT THE FIRST DEAL YOU MAY BE LOOKING TO BUY A DENTAL PRACTICE IN THE UK IN THE NEAR FUTURE. You’ll want to find somebody who can help find and finance this purchase and here is where we can help. So why talk to FT&A Finance? You probably know by now that we are the best evaluation agency in the UK. But did you also know that we can find you the best deal possible BECAUSE we know the industry so well. We’ll make sure that you are fully prepared for the funding; there are do’s and don’ts before you view a practice and there are ABSOLUTE do’s and don’ts before you approach a bank or anybody else for funding. So, if you are serious about buying a dental practice, or if you want our expert advice about finance, insurances, mortgages or investments, then call FT&A Finance, the experts in the dental industry. For a confidential conversation call us on 08456 123 424. Call us now on 08456 123 424 or email us at team@ft-associates.com Practice SaleS Practice PurchaSeS loanS eValuationS recruitment Financial SerViceS 1935 FTA finance advert A4.indd 1 30/10/2012 13:03 Y ou’ve bought the prac- tice of your dreams. You have invested a consid- erable amount of time, effort and money into kitting it out to your exact specification. You almost have the team of your dreams to go with, but not quite. There is that one key position that still needs to be filled. Whether it be associate, hygienist, practice manager or nurse, it can be difficult to find that perfect person to be that final piece. What advice can we give to make the pro- cess run more smoothly? • Sit down and plan exactly what and who you want. I wouldn’t be telling tales too much if I told you that a large number of principals come to us who haven’t really thought the role through or who the ideal applicant would be. Be honest and open about this – it will save a lot of time and trouble in the long-run. Specification • Prepare a full job specifica- tion. Leading on from the last point, you need to consider: - Duties and responsibilities of the role - Pay and Conditions - Temporary, Permanent or Locum? - Start Date - Staff Benefits - Contract and Terms - Probationary period • What form will the interview process and procedure take? The days of an informal chat in the saloon bar of the Dog & Duck have gone! Do not be afraid to go to multiple inter- views. If you are still not sure then don’t feel that you have to make a decision. Take a step back and ask yourself why you are unsure? Pay peanuts, get monkeys • Salary. If you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys. Have a realistic expectation of what the role is worth. You cannot expect staff to buy into your practice vision and go the ex- tra mile if you do not reward them accordingly. Staff who are paid what they are worth are more likely to stay and will increase the value of your practice. • Nursing and reception staff are as valuable to the overall business as dentists and hy- gienists. They are the ‘face of the practice’ – many of your patients will have more inter- action with them than they do with you. Consider carefully. • Flexibility. For instance, if it is proving a struggle to fill a full-time role, what about a job share or a locum? • Consider the costs of get- ting it wrong. As well as hav- ing to start the whole process again, there could be costs to your practice’s reputation and patients do not relish the idea of seeing someone different every time – just ask Boots Dentalcare. •Are you an expert in recruit- ment? Think very carefully about managing the process yourself. It is no longer just a case of putting an ad in the BDJ, seeing the responses flood in, and employing the candidate you struck up a rap- port with in a brief meeting. Employment law has changed a lot over the years and there is now so much more to con- sider. Also, what hourly rate do you need to make to en- sure that the practice can run at a profit? If you aren’t doing dentistry, you aren’t earning money. • An agency can take away the headache of the process. When choosing an agency make sure that: - Their fees are open and transparent - They are experienced with a high profile in dentistry - They are experts within the sector - Their approach to candidate selection is rigourous - They are members of the Re- cruitment and Employment Confederation • Having chosen your agency, ensure that you talk to them. Give them candidate feedback, changing of terms information – whatever it takes to make the process run more smooth- ly. You are likely to have more than one recruitment require- ment over the years – build a relationship with the agency for the long-term. At FT&A Medical we are in regular contact with so many practices and professionals – we are able to match up an unprecedented number of va- cancies with candidates. We are able to do this through the extensive trust, reach and awareness in the dental mar- ketplace that Frank Taylor and Associates have built. DT Complete the Jigsaw pt 2 Michael McCallion of FT&A Medical Recruitment offers practices and principals some useful advice to find that right member of staff... About the author Michael McCallion is Business Devel- opment Manager of FT&A Medical Re- cruitment. Michael has huge experi- ence in healthcare recruitment having worked in the sec- tor for over 7 years, initially helping provide the right medical and den- tal staff to the MoD and the NHS. He then worked as Business Development Manager for an agency that supplied the private as well as the public sector. ‘You cannot expect staff to buy into your practice vision and go the extra mile if you do not reward them ac- cordingly’