For years, working interviews have been the gold standard in dental hiring. They offer a hands-on way to assess candidates, allowing them to immerse themselves in your practice and giving your team a chance to evaluate their skills in real time. But as labor laws become increasingly complex, more practices are turning to skills assessments as an alternative.
Both approaches have their pros and cons. Let’s break them down so you can determine which is best for your hiring process.
The Case for Working Interviews
A working interview is essentially a paid trial where a candidate works alongside your team for a set period. This allows both parties to evaluate fit before making a long-term commitment.
Pros of Working Interviews
- Full immersion in your practice – The candidate gets to experience your office culture, workflow, and team dynamics firsthand.
- Better hiring decisions – You see how they perform under pressure and how patients respond to them.
- Candidate preference – Many applicants expect a working interview and may even demand one before committing.
Cons of Working Interviews
- Legal and financial obligations – You’re required to pay them, and depending on your state, this could mean additional paperwork and compliance with employment laws.
- Limited evaluation opportunities – You might not get to directly assess their work, as they’ll likely be shadowing another team member.
- Time commitment – If they’re scheduled for the day, you may be stuck with them, even if they’re not a great fit.
- Potential liability – They’re new to your office, and allowing them to treat patients could introduce risks.
- Hiring delays – If your interview process takes too long, you might lose a great candidate to another practice that moves faster.
The Case for Skills Assessments
A skills assessment is a structured test or scenario-based evaluation that helps determine whether a candidate has the competencies required for the job—without the risks of a working interview.
Pros of Skills Assessments
- Control over evaluation – You can create specific scenarios to test exactly what you need to know.
- No financial obligation – Since they’re not performing actual work, you don’t have to pay them.
- Faster hiring process – You can assess candidates quickly and make decisions before another practice hires them.
- Immediate filtering – If they don’t meet expectations, you can part ways immediately without investing additional time.
Cons of Skills Assessments
- Less team involvement – Your full team won’t get a chance to work directly with them.
- Candidate expectations – Some applicants might feel uneasy about not having a working interview and could request one.
What Does a Skills Assessment Look Like?
If you’re new to skills assessments, here are some simple ways to implement them based on the role you’re hiring for:
For Dentists
- Present them with patient cases and ask how they would diagnose and treat them.
- If any of your employees need dental work, ask if they’d be comfortable having the candidate perform it.
- Have them shadow you and ask questions throughout the day to gauge their clinical approach.
- Request images of work they’ve completed in the past—they’re usually eager to share.
For Front Office Staff
- Role-play a phone call where they verify a new patient’s insurance.
- Provide a treatment plan and have them input it into your software, then present it to you.
- Ask them to submit an insurance claim and double-check their work before you send it.
- For billers, always have them prove they can submit claims before hiring. Many offices regret skipping this step.
For Hygienists
- Show them X-rays and intraoral photos, then ask them to role-play how they’d explain findings to a patient.
- Have them role-play how they’d discuss perio treatment with a patient in need.
- If possible, allow them to clean an employee’s teeth and evaluate their work.
For Dental Assistants
- Ask them to walk you through the process of taking an X-ray.
- Have them set up trays for various procedures.
- Have them demonstrate how to run the sterilizer.
Which One Should You Choose?
While working interviews provide real-world experience, they come with legal risks and financial obligations. Skills assessments, on the other hand, allow for a controlled and focused evaluation without the extra complications.
That said, even if you prefer working interviews, incorporating a skills assessment before the working interview can help weed out unqualified candidates—saving you time and money in the long run.
By blending both approaches, you’ll set yourself up for a smoother, more efficient hiring process—one that ensures you’re bringing the best possible talent into your practice.
Need candidates to interview? Head to DirectDental and post your job today!
Holli Perez
DirectDental
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