Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

19Practice ManagementFebruary 2014United Kingdom Edition 19 page 20DTà Find out how Objet 3D printers from Stratasys can make digital orthodontics a reality for your lab. stratasysdental.com | marketing.emea@stratasys.com | +49 7229 777 2-0 Exclusively designed for smaller labs and clinics, the new Objet30 OrthoDesk is office-friendly, affordable and easy to use. It is the first solution that puts cutting-edge, 3D printing technology on your desktop. Now you can digitally manufacture stone models, orthodontic appliances, delivery and positioning trays, clear aligners and retainers faster than ever. Transition to a digital workflow and do away with bulky physical model storage. Take the leap to digital orthodontics today, and: • Increase your production capacity and accuracy • Accelerate production times • Eliminate traditional stone model storage • Stay ahead of the competition • Eliminate the inconvenience of physical impressions The Future of Orthodontics Fits on Your Desktop Objet30 OrthoDesk The Secret to Dental Lab Survival Go Digital W e all know that main- taining high stand- ards is essential for business success. This success largely comes from being able to attract and retain employee talent. We also know that it’s increasingly hard to source and keep great workers. In my experience the major head- ache for busy dental practices is staffing issues. Many practices don’t give staff retention the priority it deserves. You can pay a heavy price if it is ignored. Some of the main impacts of poor staff retention include: • the costs of recruiting permanent or temporary replacements • the loss of practice and/ or technical knowledge and skills • additional pressure on the practice manager who is responsible for recruiting to the vacant post and in- ducting and training the new recruit • service disruption, lower levels of customer service and loss of new business; and • a climate of uncertainty and low morale among remaining staff, particu- larly if several employees within the same section or team leave within a short timescale. Reasons for staff turnover vary from practice to practice and you will have to investi- gate the reasons and create a plan to address any com- mon causes of dissatisfaction. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to reducing turnover, but there are a range of strate- gies that you can use to boost staff retention. Start by selecting people who are right for the role and the practice. Commit to re- cruiting the best possible per- son for each position and don’t compromise. Be prepared to pay for the right talent. It is far less costly in the long run to pay more for the right employ- ee than it is to keep getting it wrong. Involve existing staff in the recruitment process. Create a pipeline of suit- able candidates. This is more easily said than done, so as well as using the more tra- ditional routes, for example, placing job advertisements in trade journals, think crea- tively to source candidates. For example, keep a list of pa- tients who inquire about job possibilities for future refer- ence. Other good sources are local schools, community col- leges, or referrals from other staff members. The use of commercial job boards, cor- porate website and social me- dia platforms are also useful. Identify the essential job- related selection criteria so Finders Keepers Solving staffing issues by Kate Russell, the HR Headmistress ‘There is no “one- size-fits-all” solu- tion to reducing turnover, but there are a range of strategies that you can use to boost staff retention’