With the competition for talent heightened by staffing shortages, the need for practice owners to show they value their current employees is more important than ever.
Recent analysis by Gallup found that employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they will quit within a year — making employee recognition “one of the greatest missed opportunities for leaders and managers.”
Besides boosting individual employee engagement, recognition can increase productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention. Recognition can also “reinforce the desired culture of the organization to other employees” by demonstrating what success looks like, according to Gallup.
Here are five opportunities to show appreciation for dental practice staff in 2026:
- Dental Assistant Recognition Week (March 1-7)
- National Dentist Day (March 6)
- National Employee Appreciation Day (March 6)
- Dental Hygienist Appreciation Week (April 12-18)
- Administrative Professionals Week (April 19–25)
Specific, timely and varied: Making recognition meaningful
Celebrating annual employee recognition days or weeks is just one way to attract job candidates and retain satisfied employees, but job seekers and employees will find acknowledgement more meaningful when it’s personalized, invites collaboration and offered year-round. When recognizing an employee:
- Be specific. Help the employee tie the accolade to a specific behavior. Saying a casual “Thanks for all you do” is kind. Stating that an employee helped 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 praise good efforts right away.
- Offer one-on-one time. Research shows that most employees don’t feel they get enough individual attention from their managers and leaders. Make sure you don’t only interact with your employees when you have corrective feedback.
- Encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Develop a way for employees to nominate each other for special recognition regularly or provide positive feedback for annual reviews.
- Variety is key. Use different 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), and providing 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. Reserving a dedicated time and place for employees to have fun together bolsters morale and connection to their employers and their work, making it an important retention and leadership tool.
Recognize employees through career and team training
Individual and full-team education and training is another way employers can demonstrate their investment in employees. CDA events and resources can assist with both.
Bring the whole practice team to the Dental Team Summit on May 14 at CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry for an opportunity to discuss team challenges, simplify systems and design effective morning huddles and team meetings. Teams can also problem-solve together in breakout sessions. Lunch and a friendly team competition are included in this half-day event that offers up to 4 C.E. units per attendee.
Additionally, these CDA training programs support members who are recruiting, training and onboarding dental assistants:
- Dental assistant training roadmap: Recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training materials include a sample job advertisement, application for employment, interview questions, onboarding checklist, table of permitted duties and more.
- Dental assistant online training curriculum: Provide on-the-job training in core competencies.
- Smile Crew CA programs across the state combine online and hands-on instruction to prepare for entry level roles, essential certification and RDA licensure.
Nova Aghbashian, DDS, FICD, director of Benevolence Health Center Dental Clinics in Southern California, said this about his practice’s participation in the Smile Crew CA program:
“CDA’s DA Boot Camp came at the perfect time for our organization,” he said. “Post-COVID, we were facing an unusually challenging workforce market, particularly with filling multiple dental assistant vacancies. Finding qualified and experienced DAs had become increasingly difficult, and it was significantly impacting on our ability to maintain smooth operations.”
Dr. Aghbashian noted that while hiring inexperienced dental assistants comes with initial challenges, “the outcome has been incredibly successful and rewarding.”
“With careful planning on our end and the outstanding support from CDA—especially the hiring incentives and structured program guidance—we were able to build a strong foundation for success,” he added. “The incentive support was a meaningful boost and gave us the confidence to invest in this talented and diverse group of Boot Camp graduates. We are sincerely grateful for this partnership and for the opportunity to be part of such a well-designed and impactful initiative.”