Pro DSO Recruiter Linda Ryan’s advice on building relationships with dental students and prospective dentists: find out what they need, offer support, and amp up your business model.
I’ve been in the dental industry for a very long time with 4 decades of experience ranging from being a dental assistant, to a regional manager, purchasing manager, regional support manager, regional marketing manager, senior dentist recruiter, and regional director of operations. I have always been a utility player, happily working in areas with the most need for various group practices and large DSOs. I am currently the Director of Talent Acquisition for Elite Dental Partners and manage the talent acquisition process for all positions.
I truly know the industry inside and out after all these years. I have an incredible passion for recruiting. It has always been part of my role, as far back as when I was involved in starting a small DSO in the early 1990s and we actually advertised our open positions in the newspaper! Though times have changed, I have always felt that developing wonderful relationships with dentists and the communities that I’ve served and worked in was in my DNA.
Many DSOs struggle with recruiting doctors—they just aren’t attracting enough candidates. My initial approach was to focus on working with dental schools and attending conferences and networking events to build relationships. My motto is, “I go where dentists gather,” including supporting state dental associations and attending their events. You will find me right in the middle of all the places you can find future and current dentists!
COVID impacted that strategy for a while, but I kept in touch with the students and others in my network and partnered with them in creative virtual ways during that time. I absolutely love participating in American Student Dental Association (ASDA) events, fraternity and sorority events, and anything else dental students are involved in, such as vendor fairs or activities where I can support them. At networking events, I don’t really try to “sell” them on our company, other than answering questions they may have. It is really more about getting to know them and being a useful resource.
I truly care about students as future dentists and, more importantly, as people. I have realized that people don’t seek out or accept jobs when they don’t know anything about the company or the people working there. This is why I work hard to build very solid relationships with students, the schools, and even their professors and administrators. Students invite me to their weddings and baby showers! This is because I truly connect with them, play a more advisory role, and develop true friendships.
I ask students what they are looking for and about their goals and help them get there. Some want to go into residencies, some want to join a DSO, and some want to go into private practice, open their own practice, or go into public health. I have a natural curiosity and ask a lot of questions. Then I guide them, and they utilize me as a resource and appreciate the support. When they have offers on the table, they will even ask me what I think and for my advice. For me, the entire process is extremely relational and very enjoyable.
After they graduate, it may be a year or two before they reach out to me or we connect again, but when they do, I am ready to help! They also refer their dentist friends who are looking for opportunities. I feel that’s why I’ve been successful in the DSO space with recruiting. I truly do care about them as people whether or not they choose working with us as their career path. I don’t concern myself with that. It’s more about helping them get to where they want to be.
There is really quite a bit of strategy to successful dentist recruitment. It will be a story for another day to share some of the other things I do, but I started out by contacting the ASDA and working with the presidents and the people managing their events at individual schools and in various districts. I let them know I’m interested in partnering with them or sponsoring their events. I keep a keen eye on what the schools are doing, and I show up. That’s how it works. It’s literally grassroots efforts and being a boots on the ground road warrior.
You have to build those relationships and offer them something they need. I always ask the student leaders, “What can we do for you? What do you want to know more about or learn? How can WE help you and your classmates get prepared for life after dental school?” You can’t go at it all salesy, trying to pitch your business, or think handing them a branded water bottle will pique their interest in your organization. It’s very important to get to get to know them first, and at that time you can let them know about your opportunities, when you have a captive audience.
Typically, new grads have no desire to be in an office by themselves. So, if doctors are looking to add somebody who is just coming out of school to their practice, they must be ready to mentor them and give them time to get up to speed. It’s situational and depends on what the DSO is looking for. There are situations when bringing on a new graduate is just not feasible, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t meet them, partner with them, and talk to them about your future opportunities. Invite them to shadow a day in your offices, take them to lunch or dinner, build that relationship. Invite dental students you meet to your practices, that is where the magic begins! They’re not going to be in school forever or be a new dentist for long! When they graduate, they will remember their time with you and keep in touch for future opportunities.
The students I built relationships with years ago are still communicating and reaching out to me. We have several providers now in our organization from my previous relationships with students from several dental schools. It’s really about playing the “long game” for me, and it takes time to get to know them and earn their trust. Patience is key.
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Figuring out where you’re drawing candidates from is part of the process. Often, students are accepted to dental schools in other states, or their state doesn’t have a dental school. As a recruiter, I tell students not to limit themselves to practicing in the states where they went to school or going back to their hometown. If they are open to relocating for a couple years, it opens many more lucrative opportunities up for them, and they can pay off their student loans faster! If you ask the right questions, you will be surprised at their answers and their interest in doing this. People from Wisconsin go to dental school in Texas, or people from Colorado go to school in Utah and so on. As a recruiter, you want to have the bandwidth to work with many dental schools. Most of the bigger DSOs are partnering with the top-rated dental schools, but don’t limit your school partnerships. There are great future dentists in every single dental school!
New graduates should look for mentorship and verify that another dentist will be practicing in the office or nearby to help them get acclimated. They should also consider the continuing education (CE) opportunities available. Will courses be paid for by the DSO? What are those opportunities, implants or endodontics? Or is CE offered for the more expansive procedures? Make sure these align with the dentistry you want to provide to patients. Understand how you are paid and what additional benefits are included. Is there an opportunity for ownership or profit sharing, what is the payor mix? Know and understand the business model. Ask meaningful questions.
New dentists should also determine what type of schedule fits into their lifestyle. Will they be expected to work nights and weekends? Maybe that doesn’t fit their current family dynamic. Or if they want to work six days a week, does that opportunity exist? These details are really important to communicate so everyone is on the same page. If candidates do their due diligence ahead of time, they can steer clear of situations that are going to become a problem.
Ask about the opportunities for new patients each month and what the continuing care and current patient base consist of. Will there be enough patients for everybody to be productive? How are the schedules templated, do you have autonomy for time needed for each procedure, how are new patients assigned from the front desk when calls come in for multiple-doctor practices? The worst thing you could do is get into a situation where there are not enough patients coming through the door and you can’t do any dentistry. Ask if there is steady patient flow and if they are able to open the schedule and provide more access to care.
DSOs should keep in mind that everyone in dental school is incredibly intelligent and will be serving patients and starting a long career in the industry upon graduation. They are all there because they are the top 1% or 2% of the students that were accepted to a dental school. They must pass their boards and meet all requirements. Some will ramp slower than others, but they are all dentists. Talk to every single student dentist you can because that’s how you build a pipeline, cultivate relationships, and get more dentists to join your organization.
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As a recruiter, regardless of what is indicated on a CV or resume, I want to talk to every single candidate who applies, or who I find through sourcing platforms. This has proven to be super effective for me because I don’t set limitations. I have a conversation with everyone! There is a very small pool of dentists when you consider only about 10% of all the dentists in the US are working in the DSO space. So don’t throw up any roadblocks or look for something in particular on resumes or CVs. There are no guarantees with any candidate and having preconceived notions of what you think should be on these will 100% derail your efforts, and you will miss out on some fantastic dentists! Be open and ready to support their growth and development. Hire for how their personality and values fit with your current team and who you can enjoy working with every day. The rest will come, can be taught, nurtured, and refined.
I have gained a lot of wisdom over the years and my approach is definitely not traditional. Some recruiters or executives spend a lot of time asking old school HR type questions instead of just talking to the dentist and getting them excited about the opportunity that exists in their organization. They’re busy picking at them and interrogating them versus simply communicating, “We want you to join us and here’s why you will love working here and how we can support you.” For some reason, it seems to be engrained in people to pick apart a resume or CV and ask questions that have no impact in predicting their success. I just don’t do that and have coached my team not to do it either. That’s one of the reasons it is easy for us to bring really amazing dentists into our organization. We do not spend time stressing them out and otherwise being hard to do business with. Dentists have way too many options to choose from, so make sure they have a great experience throughout your hiring process if you want them to entertain joining your team.
You can usually predict who your biggest success stories are going to be in an interview when you consider these things:
Do they connect well? Are they humble and hungry? Do they have high energy or low energy? Do they have confidence? Are they decisive? Do they align with your patient care standards? Would you sit in their chair and accept treatment? Because if you wouldn’t, they probably are going to need additional mentoring, especially if they don’t connect well. Remember, the providers you partner with need to be able to educate patients and influence them to accept the often-asymptomatic treatment that they are presenting. The ability to connect with patients and ensure trust and confidence is more important than what their CV or resume says, in my opinion.
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I think that the best advice I could give any DSO is to be flexible, transparent, and always look for the good in your candidates. Build those relationships, get connected with the dental schools, build strong networks and pipelines. Really figure out how you can help make the providers in your organization’s lives better. It’s all about partnership. Having your provider’s best interests at heart is how you win at the end of the day.
What will make dentists want to join your organization is really believing in your mission and business model, and that you will support their growth and development. The more you can amp up your business model and show them why you should be the DSO of choice, the more successful you will be. Make sure you have a solid “Value Proposition” and an amazing “Brand Ambassador” that represents your company well and helps you manage and improve your brand reputation.
I have consulted with many DSOs, large and small, through the years. When they me ask for advice, I freely offer my best and most effective tips and tricks. People ask me why I would share my secrets of success with those who I am in direct competition with, and my answer is easy: there is no joy for me in hoarding information or relationships. I truly love to help people, and if Elite Dental Partners is the right fit for a dentist or any other role, they’re going to choose us. Every DSO has something unique to offer, and we can all share the dental space, support each other, and learn from each other. It’s that simple. I take pride in being helpful and sharing my wisdom and many years of experience in operations, marketing, recruiting, and university relations. I believe this gives me good mojo and it brings me happiness. I intentionally attend many networking events where I can share and collaborate with others in our wonderful industry. We all can help each other grow and shine!
Linda Ryan started her dental journey as a clinical dental assistant. Over her 4-decade career, through grit and perseverance, she has mastered virtually every aspect of clinical and operational dentistry. Her diverse experience and expertise have been integral to the success of multiple dental support organizations.
An early pioneer of the DSO model, Linda had a critical role in the development and implementation of best practices, including staff training and development, procurement, facilities management, compliance, marketing, recruiting, and opening and managing the process of over 100 DeNovo practices. She was a finalist for the 2022 Women in DSO Leadership Award in the Business Category.
Her passion for dentistry is only rivaled by her love for people. Her dedication to leading teams and creating a people-centric culture is admirable. Linda is a positive role model and a mentor to many. She always makes herself available to serve others and has been instrumental in helping the people she leads grow and advance in their careers.
Linda currently is an award-winning talent acquisition director setting records for attracting and retaining talent. Linda’ s career trajectory and success are proof that hard work and commitment to excellence pays off. She wants every dental aspirant to know that regardless of where your journey starts, barriers are meant to be broken and to always believe in yourself and your ability to succeed. Linda can be contacted at lryan@elitedentalpartners.com.
Elite Dental Partners supports 98 dental practices in 12 states with non-clinical challenges by providing industry-proven business management support services. Elite Dental Partners collaborate with their affiliated dentists to scale their businesses while improving efficiency and profitability while still allowing the individual practices and clinicians to shine. The scale of the Elite Dental Partners network allows it to access continuing education certifications and leadership development.
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