AADOM PODcast – How Office Managers Can Hire and Retain Right-Fit Associates
Episode Summary
Hiring the wrong associate can cost your dental practice time, money, and morale. In this episode of AADOM Radio, we sit down with Bryton Nield, CEO of Hiring Pros, to uncover the proven strategies for finding and keeping the right-fit team members.
You’ll learn how to avoid costly hiring mistakes, streamline your recruiting process, and ensure your new associate not only fits your culture but stays long-term. Whether you’re hiring your first associate or replacing a key role, these insights will help you build a thriving, happy dental team.
AADOM Radio & Hiring Pros Present:
Bryton Nield, Co-founder and CEO of Hiring Pros
Bryton Nield is co-founder and CEO of Hiring Pros, the industry-leading associate doctor recruiting and retention firm. Since forming Hiring Pros with dental consulting veteran Bob Spiel, Bryton has been featured on some of your favorite dental podcasts, discussing building high-performing teams and partnerships, as well as strategies for ending the industry’s 75% associate hiring failure rate.
Hiring Pros’ innovative Hiring and Retention Systems are changing the way Dental Practices hire, onboard, lead, and build their dream teams. Bryton is passionate about helping dentists build more successful and less stressful private practices.
Over the past decade, Bryton has been instrumental in building two startups into thriving, 7-figure businesses. His mission is now focused on transforming the Dental Industry’s approach to hiring and retention.
Learn more about Hiring Pros: https://hiringpros.com/
The Right-Fit Formula: How Dental Office Managers Can Hire and Keep the Best Associates
In the fast-paced world of dental practice management, hiring the wrong associate can be one of the most costly mistakes you make. It’s not just about the financial impact—although that can be significant, with lost production often reaching $50,000 to $80,000 per month—it’s also about the toll on your culture, your team’s morale, and your patients’ experience.
For office managers, finding the ‘right-fit’ associate isn’t just a task—it’s a mission-critical responsibility that can define the future success of the practice.
Why the Right Fit Matters
Too often, hiring is approached as a race to fill an empty chair. But filling a seat quickly is not the same as finding the right person for it. In dentistry, technical skills are important, but they’re only half of the equation. The other half is culture fit—shared values, communication style, work ethic, and a vision for patient care that aligns with your practice.
A well-matched associate can enhance your brand, build patient trust, and reduce turnover. A poor fit, on the other hand, can lead to conflict, burnout, and expensive do-overs.
Step 1: Defining Your Ideal Avatar
At Dentist Partner Pros, we start every hiring engagement by creating an “Ideal Avatar” for the associate role. This is a blueprint of 15–20 key characteristics that define your perfect candidate—from clinical expertise to personal values. This clarity ensures you’re not just reacting to résumés but proactively identifying candidates who align with your vision.
For example, one of our clients was struggling to find an associate who would embrace a collaborative, learning-focused environment. By articulating that in their Ideal Avatar, we attracted candidates who valued mentorship and growth, leading to a lasting placement.
Step 2: Streamlining the Vetting Process
The hiring process should be both thorough and efficient. Our vetting process includes résumé screening, a 15-minute intro call to sell the opportunity, a career survey, multiple structured interviews, DiSC behavioral assessments, reference checks, and background verification. This process ensures we gather both objective data and personal insights to evaluate candidates.
Importantly, office managers should remember that they’re not just interviewing candidates—they’re also marketing the role to top talent. A structured, respectful process signals to candidates that your practice values professionalism and culture.
Step 3: Onboarding for Long-Term Success
A great hire can turn into a short-term disappointment without proper onboarding. At Dentist Partner Pros, we’ve seen that retention starts before the associate’s first day. Clear expectations, a warm welcome, mentorship, and regular check-ins during the first year make all the difference.
Our Associate Retention System is designed to guide practices through these critical first 12 months, increasing associate longevity and satisfaction.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
There are three common traps that office managers should avoid: hiring under pressure, relying solely on gut instinct, and ignoring red flags. Rushed hiring often leads to mismatches. Gut instinct can be helpful but should be backed by objective data and structured processes.
And when red flags appear—whether in work history, references, or behavior—it’s essential to address them before making an offer.
The Payoff of Getting it Right
When you hire the right-fit associate, everything changes. You can step back from the constant stress of micromanaging, focus on strategic leadership, and enjoy a team that works together seamlessly. Patients notice the difference too—from consistent care to a positive office atmosphere. Ultimately, the right hire boosts production, enhances culture, and supports the long-term stability of your practice.
Take the Next Step
If you’re ready to save time, reduce stress, and hire the associate who will help your practice thrive, we invite you to download our free guide: How to Save 150 Hours Hiring Your Next Associate. In it, we share our step-by-step process to avoid costly mistakes and attract the best candidates.
Visit https://hiringpros.com/hiring-solutions/ to get your copy.
