Here is a friendly reminder to dental practice owners that March 2-8 is Dental Assistants Recognition Week. And that’s not all – Dental Hygienist Appreciation and Administrative Professionals Weeks are close behind, in April.
Employee recognition benefits the entire workplace
As the competition for talent escalates due to staffing shortages, the need for practice owners to show that they value their current employees is more important than ever.
Employee recognition software specialist Nectar surveyed full-time employees across the United States from 2022-2024 to discover the impacts of acknowledging employee effort. The survey found that 82% of employees agreed that being recognized for their contributions improved their engagement, while 71% of employees are less likely to leave an organization when they are frequently recognized.
Investing time and money into regularly acknowledging your employees’ good work pays off in dividends. Workplace culture experts at Great Place To Work share that 92% of workers are more likely to repeat a specific action after being recognized for it and that business productivity increases by 31% when employees are happy. Other benefits of a satisfied office team include improved patient care, reduced absenteeism and reduced workplace stress.
Several opportunities to show appreciation for your dental practice staff should be highlighted on your 2025 calendar:
- Dental Assistant Recognition Week (March 2-8)
- National Dentist Day (March 6)
- National Employee Appreciation Day (March 7)
- Dental Hygienist Appreciation Week (April 7-11)
- Administrative Professionals Week (April 21-25)
Making recognition meaningful
Celebrating annual employee recognition days/weeks is just one of many affirmative ways to draw new employees to your practice and reap the benefits of a workplace that retains satisfied employees. Here are six ideas for offering meaningful acknowledgement in the workplace.
- Be specific. When recognizing an employee, help the employee tie the accolade to a specific behavior. Saying a casual “Thanks for all you do” is kind. Stating that an employee provided helpful care for a particularly anxious patient is not only kind, but it also demonstrates that you noticed the employee’s efforts.
- Be timely. Praise that arrives days or months after the fact isn’t nearly as impactful as recognition that is offered promptly. Put formal recognition systems in place so that you (and other employees) can call out good efforts right away.
- Offer one-on-one time. Research shows that most employees don’t feel they get enough one-on-one attention from their managers and leaders. Make sure that these interactions with your staff aren’t taking place only when you have corrective feedback.
- Encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Consider implementing a system so that employees can nominate each other for special recognition regularly or provide positive feedback for annual reviews.
- Variety is key. Use a variety of methods to offer gratitude and praise beyond verbal affirmations. These might include acts of service (paying for lunch or sponsoring an office party), giving gifts (gift cards or performance bonuses), providing quality time (one-on-one interactions) and appropriate physical touch (high-fives, fist bumps or even a thumbs-up).
- Make appreciation an event. Set aside time to acknowledge the efforts of the office team as a group. Creating a space for employees to have fun together bolsters morale and connection to their employers and their work, making it an important retention and leadership tool.
CDA supports dental team growth
CDA’s Dental Team Summit on May 16 at CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry in Anaheim is an exciting opportunity to acknowledge and encourage your employees’ efforts. Bring the entire practice team for skill-building, team-bonding and the knowledge and empowerment to increase the practice’s productivity. Can’t make it to Anaheim? Come to the event in Santa Clara Oct. 17-18.
CDA’s many tools can help dental practice owners with staffing challenges, and members benefit from training programs that are easy to implement. Our dental assistant training resources include a training roadmap, online training curriculum, and Smile Crew CA Bootcamps. Practice owners might also review our recommendations for effective onboarding and positive communication to improve employee retention.
Dr. Philomena Oboh, a CDA member, took the initiative to launch a dental assistant training program in 2022 using the dental assistant training resources. Partnering with the San Fernando Valley Dental Society and CDA, the program has provided dental assistant training and certifications to 39 individuals. Thanks to funding from CDA Foundation, there has been no cost to the students or dentist employers they are placed with. “This collaboration has been instrumental in providing aspiring dental professionals with the education, hands-on experience, and support they need to build a successful career in dentistry,” Oboh explained. “It has been a joy to watch these students begin their career in dentistry.”
One bootcamp participant, Kenny Herrera-Leon, shared, “The instructors were incredibly supportive, offering valuable insights and real-world scenarios that truly prepared me for the fast-paced environment of a dental office.”
Herrera-Leon said the course was understandable, and she appreciated the opportunity to practice skills in a clinical setting. “The doctor gave me the opportunity to start a career that I never imagined enjoying as I do now,” she added.
Even if current workforce deficiencies have you scrambling to improve recruitment strategies and evaluate employee compensation packages, don’t lose sight of the best resource you have to deal with a staff shortage: your current employees. Make certain that they feel like valuable members of your team by offering your thanks and recognition regularly.
