We hear you. A lot of you are having great success in getting applicants with DirectDental. The problem is getting these candidates to call you back or show up for interviews.
While people are people and there is no exact science to get these dental assistants, hygienists, and front office dental personnel to come in for an interview, here are some tips and tricks from our Staffing Consultants to improve your odds of having candidates show up for an interview or at least call you back.
#1 Have a job post they remember
Please follow all these tips here to make sure your job post is great! If they are only slightly interested in the job, they most likely won’t return your call or show up for the interview.
If you don’t have time to write a compelling job post OR make sure it stays optimized on all the major job boards, sign up for our boosted plan, and we will make sure you get the applicants.
# 2 Call applicants at the right time
Now that you have applicants to call on, getting them on the phone to schedule an interview can be difficult.
If possible, try to call them within an hour of them applying for the job. That way, the job is fresh on their mind, and they are in job hunting mode. If that is not possible, try to follow up with them during lunchtime (between 12PM and 2PM) or after hours (between 5PM and 7PM). That way, they aren’t at work and are more likely to answer your call.
#3 Smile and dial
Whether you get them on the line or leave a voicemail, sound like someone they want to meet.
People can hear a smile over the phone, and if you sound excited to speak with them, they are going to be excited to speak to you.
When you get them on the phone, connect with them. Ask them how their day is going? And tell them how excited you were that you applied, and you can’t wait to meet them.
And also, make sure you take a moment to explain to them all the benefits you offer and how great it is to work with your team (but don’t sound pretentious, it really is a balancing act). You need to make them want the job before you even schedule the interview.
If you are leaving a voicemail, be genuine and cheerful. Here is the voicemail script that I use.
“Hi John, my name is Holli, calling from DirectDental. I was so excited to see your application for our Registered Dental Assistant position, and I would love to chat with you about the opportunity. Please give me a call back at your earliest convenience at 619-295-1002. I will follow up on this voicemail with a text. Talk to you soon!”
#4 Text Them
The numbers are undeniable. 98% of all text messages get read. I am not even going to include the source for that because I have read it in so many places; it is just common knowledge now.
So please text them. Follow up your voicemail with a text that reads…
“Hi John, my name is Holli. I just left you a voicemail. You applied for my RDA job with DirectDental, and I am excited to chat with you about the opportunity. Please give me a call on this number at your earliest convenience, or you can text me when would be a good time to call you back. Have a great day!”
And then follow up with another text in the evening.
“Hi John, I just wanted to make sure you got my message from earliest about our RDA job with DirectDental. Please let me know if you are interested in an interview.”
#5 Be flexible on your interview times
The best applicants usually have jobs. And the even better applicants usually feel guilty for taking time off of work to go on an interview. Especially a formal interview.
So if possible, ask them what times work best for them to interview and try to accommodate.
If you two really just can’t meet in person, either go right to a working interview (more likely to take the day off if they know they are being paid) or do a FaceTime or ZOOM interview.
My clients who hire the fastest – do a phone or FaceTime interview, and then schedule a half-day working interview. And will make an offer same day or next day so they don’t lose the candidate to another office.
#6 Sell them on you and your practice
Back in the day, you had many candidates to choose from, and your applicants had to sell you on why you should hire them. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and now you have to sell the applicants on why they should want to work with you over all the other offices that are desperate to hire them.
So make sure you are fun, approachable, and connect with them and their long-term goals. Make sure they know all the benefits you offer and how amazing your patients and staff are. Do your due diligence and ask about their experience, but make sure you keep telling them why they should want to work for you throughout the interview.
Ultimately, if you and another office are offering the same pay and benefits, the candidate is going to pick the office that gave them the warm and fuzzies. So be that office!
#7 Don’t have a lengthy interview process
The offices that are hiring are the offices that are hiring fast. If you have a lengthy interview process or make the candidates jump through hoops to prove they want the job, another office will hire them, and you will miss out on great candidates.
So please remember, this is a seller’s market, you must sell the applicant on working with you.
We hope this helps. If all this sounds too challenging, sign up for our Full-Service Staffing Plan, and we will do the heavy lifting for you.
Smiles,
Holli Perez
DirectDental
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