Daniela Coughlin discusses her methods of talent recruitment and retention for Select Dental’s 38+ locations.
DSOPro: Describe your background, how you got into dentistry, and joining Select Dental Management.
I have a background in healthcare and started in the dental industry in 2021. I previously worked for a home healthcare company for almost 10 years where everyone was responsible for recruiting, regardless of their title or position.
After a few years, I became the recruiting manager and really loved it. I stayed with that company for a long time because they really valued me. I had just gotten married, then I had kids, and they were very flexible regarding what I needed at the time. In 2021, I decided I was ready for more—I wanted to be a part of something greater and help build a department from the ground up. That’s when I came to Select Dental Management.
I began working with Select in April 2021 when we had 23 practices and I essentially organized and created their recruitment/talent acquisition department. It was a lot of hard work that included getting the buy-in from the practice leaders, which was not always easy. We are now up to 38 practices and have a great recruitment model.
Luckily, with so much collaboration from the executive, operations, and HR teams, we were able to build a department that is a true value-add to the organization and individual practices. They appreciated the streamlining of the processes, and it has been received very well.
DSOPro: How is Select Dental Management structured?
We have a partnership model, which means that Select assists with all the operational, financial, and back-end support for the practices, and the doctors maintain clinical autonomy to operate their practices the way they want to operate them. That allows for Select to really focus on the people. We are there to enhance and elevate what the practices already have in place.
I think promoting a people-centric partnership is what really drives our success. We believe that by providing the tools, training, and technology for our team members to succeed, it empowers them to contribute to unparalleled levels of care for our patients. All our teams and departments are on the same page, and we focus on what drives growth, which is the people.
DSOPro: What is your role and how do you approach it?
As the Director of Talent Acquisition, I supervise the recruiting process for corporate, dentists, and practice positions, as well as strategize on the best ways to bring quality people in and retain them.
I have to say that because the Select Dental philosophy and my personal philosophy align so well, it just works naturally. I’m in the business of putting the appropriate people in the appropriate roles so that they last, and we can increase retention and reduce turnover. Otherwise, we would have a revolving door.
My core philosophy is putting the correct personalities with the right backgrounds in the appropriate positions that will mesh well within each practice. Because of our partnership model, every practice that we work with is different. They each have their own culture, their own feel, and their own community. So, it is my responsibility to make sure that the people we’re hiring to work in our practices align with their individual cultures.
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DSOPro: How do you manage that logistically with multiple locations in different geographical areas?
Because we can’t be at every office when they are interviewing people, we have weekly meetings with the practices and the regional leaders. This allows us to discuss who is working out and who is not, and we analyze what specifically about the situation is not working. With that information, during the interviewing process for a replacement we can hone-in on the details of what is really needed. We are getting constant feedback from the office managers on who is a good fit and why so we can find someone who is a great match.
DSOPro: What are some of the best strategies for team member growth?
You have to start with retention. You can’t achieve growth if you have a constantly revolving door of people. Additionally, if you have great retention and you start adding people, then you’re naturally going to have growth. If you’re not thinking about what is keeping team members there, then how are you going to start bringing in the right additional people? You also need to make sure your core team is solid and happy before you can allow for that growth.
DSOPro: Do you have any tips for accomplishing that?
Communication and building relationships are key in Talent Acquisition. When we do trainings for practice leaders, we focus on building and fostering those relationships so that we create a cohesive team that will help us understand the practices’ needs better. Because we are checking in with practice leaders weekly, we are finding out what each practice leader and practice needs, what each office is looking for, what will make each practice and their team thrive, and then we adjust our recruiting strategies to attract the correct people. By doing this we are attracting top talent with a high retention rate.
What also helps with retention is being able to promote from within. That is huge and means so much to people. Let’s say you have a dental assistant who is not thrilled with her role and wants to try out the front desk. If you have a front desk opening, why not let her give that a try before hiring for that position? That is such a simple way of depending on your team and putting it out there that you are open and eager to see them grow.
Another strategy for team growth is referrals. Offer a bonus to current staff members who make referrals. It works out for everyone because the employees who are referring someone know the culture of the office better than anyone. So, they will know if their colleague from 10 years ago, or their friend from down the street who is a hygienist or a dental assistant or a front office coordinator would be a good fit. It’s a win-win for all.
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Another way of building relationships is by staying in touch with qualified candidates who for one reason or another were not ready to commit to your role or practice when they interviewed. If they have a good experience, those candidates may come back 6 months later and ask if we’re still hiring for the position, or if we have an opening in the area they relocated to, for example. It takes just a minute to reach out to someone, see how they are doing, ask how their move went or if they have recovered from surgery, etc., and it goes a long way. People remember the times you reached out and cared, and eventually come back.
DSOPro: What methods do you use for finding candidates?
We use a combination of online advertising, networking with schools, internal referrals, etc. We have an internal applicant tracking system where we post out all our positions. Job notices are posted to our website, and to sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn. We also always ask for referrals from our practices and dentists, go to local schools for career events, and ask department chairs to send out emails, etc. So, it’s really a team effort.
DSOPro: Do you have any tips for people thinking about switching practices, or who need advice on how to proceed and succeed in a job search?
Yes! Come on over! We’re happy to talk to anyone who is looking for a new position, whether we have an open role or not. There is a good chance that if we don’t have an opening for what they are looking for, we may know someone who does. I also always say that I have an open-door policy if anyone needs a little help with their resume, wants tips on interviewing or what to wear to an interview, etc. I’m happy to help whenever I can.
DSOPro: Since you’ve been in the industry, what changes have you seen, and think are coming?
I have to say it’s been quite tough during and post-COVID, but I’m sure you hear that in every industry. COVID really affected dentistry because dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, etc., are all directly exposed to patients whose mouths are wide open in the dental chair. We’ve seen that many hygienists and dental assistants have left the profession for non-clinical and/or remote opportunities, which has reduced the pool of qualified people that we are working with. Additionally, because some of our offices are located in rural areas, it has made it even harder to fill some roles.
I am really hoping that we start seeing an influx of applicants in hygiene and dental assisting from the 2022 and 2023 graduating classes. I recently spoke with the Massachusetts Dental Hygiene Association, and they shared that they are back up to the normal range of graduating students this year from before COVID, so that is encouraging and very good news!
DSOPro: Do you see any trends in what people are looking for or what they want?
People really want to work in a collaborative, culture-driven environment where they’re treated well and can have work-life balance. I think if COVID taught us anything it was that we should have and are allowed to have work-life balance.
Employees also want to be recognized and valued for their work. Here at Select, for example, I do feel that from the CEO and the rest of the executive team to my peers, which creates a positive culture. People crave that feeling of belonging and being valued.
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Daniela Coughlin is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Select Dental Management where she oversees the recruitment efforts for 38+ dental practices and corporate support departments. With over a decade of healthcare talent acquisition experience, Daniela’s passion lies in building positive relationships with internal clients, applicants, and new hires, and scaling teams to increase operational efficiency and company growth, while ensuring that teams provide the utmost level of service.
Originally from Chile, Daniela attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she earned a double major in Business and Psychology. She lives with her husband and two beautiful daughters in Morris County, NJ.
Select Dental Management
Select Dental Management is a Dental Partnership Organization providing dental management services that currently supports 38 dental practices in 8 states and Washington D.C. from the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic. Select has more than 100 dentists and 700 employees providing care to over 110,000 patients each year.
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