2020… What a year!!!!
During these last few days of this difficult year, I have been reflecting on all the amazing moments DirectDental has had, and I wanted to also share my thoughts on what 2021 might bring to the dental field.
Let us first recap 2020’s successes.
#1 We survived
Although I am not sure what the future brings, I hope that the worst of it is over and the future will be brighter.
#2 We implemented a new and affordable way for dentists to staff their practice.
This was a biggie. We had been developing the DirectDental staffing platform since 2018, but we couldn’t give it all the love and attention it deserved while we were still offering our traditional and outdated contingent staffing services. The 2 month shut down (although very tough mentally and financially) enabled us to spend the time needed to improve the site, thus when it was time to open up in May, offices were able to quickly post their jobs and find temporary and permanent staffing for a fraction of the price.
#3 And you guys loved it
We knew the site would be good, but you guys made it great! In the short time, since May of 2020, we have had 5000+ jobs posted on the site. Our dental professionals showed up too! With thousands of job seekers and dental temps signing up to help us fill these jobs!
Hundreds of dental practices also upgraded to our new staffing services. And the feedback on those has been tremendous.
Here are just a few of the rave reviews we have received.
and this one
#4 We are just getting started
Your feedback over these last few months has been extremely useful, and I hope you can see the improvements we have made because of that feedback. Expect to see even greater additions in the next few months. Such as:
- Improved Dental Professional Dashboard, making it easier than ever to find work and track your temp shifts.
- Better visibility to temp jobs (you can now search by a specific date) to fill temp jobs faster.
- More candidates and more jobs through new partnerships in the dental industry.
Predictions for 2021
Boy do I wish I had a crystal ball. Although, if someone had told me what 2020 would be like, I would not have believed them. But here is what I think is going to happen in 2021.
- Dental will continue to make a strong comeback.
Some offices are feeling a small lull right now, but from what I am hearing that this isn’t any different than other holiday season. Many of the dentists I talk to are expecting Q1 of 2021 to be just as busy as usual.
- There will be a switch where there will finally be more dental professionals than jobs.
Since 2017 there has been a shortage of dental professionals in the marketplace. Giving Registered Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienists and Front office staff their choosing of what jobs they want to work. But I am seeing many people who have left the field come back. I am also hearing chatter from the schools that registration is going up. Turns out many people in the other industries are enrolling in school to make a career change.
- Things will never be the same
And I am ok with that. I think 2020 has forced us to slow down and pay attention to what matters. I got to connect with more of my clients and candidates. I wasn’t always in a rush, it felt like we all got an opportunity to just breathe. Even though 2020 had more challenges than one year should hold, we got smart, we simplified, we found a way to survive and thrive and our mindset will forever be different.
In Closing
I just want to give you all a HUGE thank you! You are truly a gift to me and I feel so lucky to get to work with you. Please never hesitate to call for a chat. And in 2021, I hope you continue to feel gratitude and focus on yourself and those that matter most to you.
Cheers,
Holli
