Podcast: What this hiring expert wants you to know about dental staffing shortages in 2024

One of the biggest stories in the dental industry in 2023 was the continued battle inside dental practices to not only keep their teams together but to also find qualified candidates to fill open positions. But will dental practices find any relief from that stress in 2024? We asked a hiring expert that question and more during the recent Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) annual meeting in Bonita Springs, FL.

Shortly after she spoke at the DTA meeting, Kim Leifsen, a workforce strategist and founder of Hiring Strategies, sat down with me to discuss some of the main points of her presentation, including why she started working in this field.

“I grew up with a father who hated his job, and this is why I do this work,” Leifsen told me. “I want to create a workplace where employers and employees have relationships.”

During this episode -- which you can hear by clicking the Play button below or find on Apple and other podcast platforms -- Leifsen explained why she believed that today’s job descriptions must resemble a marketing piece so dental practices can gain the attention of the right candidate.

“The best thing to do is to ask yourself, ‘Why would I want to work here? What do I offer an employee coming in?’ Then, after you’ve answered those questions for yourself, ask your current employees why they stay and why they chose to come here,” Leifsen said.

“It’s typically things like culture. It’s things like leadership. It’s things like what sort of problems and challenges am I going to get to work on for you? It’s what kind of impact am I going to have in the organization, and am I going to be recognized for that impact? What sort of values does the organization bring to the table? Those are all things that, with candidates and employees today, if you don't bring those to the table, they’re going to walk.”

This interview is part of the "Future of Dentistry" podcast series, which is powered by Keystone Industries. You can hear the entire podcast, which lasts just over 11 minutes, by clicking below.