The pandemic has forced dental leaders to be more robust and resourceful as the skill shortage hampers a full recovery for the dental industry. However, focusing on improving safety conditions for dental employees to feel safe, improved leadership strategies, and an increased reliance on dental temps have ensured that dentistry has remained steady amid the challenges caused by the global health crisis. 

Another significant way that dental leaders have been easing the transition to the new normal is the advent of job mobility. Job mobility focuses on sharpening or adding skills, helping dental professionals gain valuable experience in different roles and scenarios. A common occurrence in other industries, job mobility has gradually increased in the dental industry as well. The concept of job mobility is aiding the dental industry’s bounceback and affords new growth opportunities for dental employees to accelerate their career development.

How Dental Temps are Facilitating Job Mobility

Woman in Gray Scrub Suit Sitting on Black Chair

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the dental workforce has seen a seismic shift thanks to a wave of retirements and resignations as dentists increasingly considered their work-life balance due to the very real concerns the crisis has caused. 

To reduce the detrimental financial impact caused by the pandemic and accept more last-minute requests to make up for income lost, more dental leaders have been collaborating with recruiting agencies that identify various dental temping candidates who can take short-notice appointments. As a result, more openings for dental jobs have been created as dental temps are provided with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and work at their ideal office to boost their career advancement. 

Dental temps are flexible because they can fill in for various positions when employees are too sick to come to work. Whether as a temporary hygienist, administrator, or dental assistant, dental temps can fill in just about anywhere to help dental practices deal with the increased weight of client demand as patient volumes approach pre-pandemic levels, whether as a temporary hygienist, administrator, or dental assistant. 

Dental leaders can move temporary employees around and allow them to develop new skills, building their resumes while enabling them to work at any time, with no minimum amount of shifts to take on. As they can work and move around at any time, they benefit from multiple opportunities, and dental practices can reduce costs as dental temps are paid hourly and not a fixed monthly salary. 

Dental Leaders Increasingly see the Pros of Job Mobility

Dental leaders encourage job mobility in their practices to empower their employees, increasing retention efforts by ensuring their teams grow their capabilities and constantly do valuable tasks. Whether movement within the dental practice is upward (a promotion) or lateral (moving from one department to another), providing more internal opportunities for dental employees. Offering more options and the right work culture for employees to be productive leads to increased loyalty from dental staff, preventing them from looking at other practices or moving from the industry altogether. 

Dental practices encourage employee engagement by promoting job mobility as increased opportunities lead to more productive work. With a strong work culture and encouraging dental leadership style, dental leaders create more motivated workers with job mobility. While the risks of constant hiring and an ever-changing work dynamic are ones that dental leaders must manage when introducing job mobility in their practices, the cost-saving benefits outweigh potential concerns. 

Leaders must inform their employees about any job mobility strategies and involve them along the way before executing them.

Job Mobility Encourages Buy-In For Dental Employees

Patient having a Dental Check Up

As job mobility gradually permeates the dentistry space, dental temps and all other dental employees are embracing the concept as the potential advantages increase security and the ability to improve their resumes, making themselves prime candidates for better positions. 

Job mobility allows dental employees to prove their reliability and adaptability on the job, ensuring that dentists feel comfortable providing them with significant tasks whenever necessary. Permanent employees continue to receive critical benefits such as insurance and various perks. Likewise, dental temps increase their chances of making more money as job mobility allows all employees to receive potential pay increases with new roles/responsibilities. With the increased responsibility also comes greater satisfaction and helps dental professionals improve their positioning within their dental practice. 

Job mobility strategies will only work with complete buy-in from employees, both the employees who get to enjoy new roles/responsibilities and develop their skill sets and those who may be affected by the constant internal shifting. Dental leaders must assure all their employees that job mobility isn’t being encouraged to threaten anyone’s position but to encourage greater team collaboration and empower everyone, helping them to trust their abilities and showcase leadership capabilities when needed. 

TempStars helps dental leaders to identify dental temps and other employees who will be instant contributors to productivity and enhance your practice’s job mobility. Sign up today and learn more about our trusted services!