The Three Compensation Levers to Attract and Retain Hygienists
Over the past three years, the dental industry has been facing a significant shortage of dental hygienists. An estimated 3,300 hygienists left the profession never to return after the pandemic (source), while an untold number of others have shifted to part-time or temporary work.? More than a third of dental offices are actively recruiting hygienists, and 95% of those practices report that the process is “very” or “extremely” challenging (source).? This pressure is driving dentists to innovate their compensation packages in a three different ways.
First, and most obvious, dentists have been increasing wages.? Nearly 90% of dentists have increased hourly rates.? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports average hourly wage of $37 in 2019 and $40 in 2022 (source).? However, a review of job postings on Indeed.com will reveal that some markets are offering wages as high as $75 per hour.??
?In addition to increased wages, some dental practices are also offering more comprehensive benefits packages to dental hygienists, such as health insurance (22%), paid time off (33%), and retirement plans (24%) (source).? Other non-wage benefits would include CE stipends and tuition reimbursement.
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Finally, dentists are answering the call for improved work/life balance.? 49% of dentists reported changing shift times to accommodate hygienists’ schedules (source).
Practice owners need to find the right balance of the above three compensation levers to pull, but they should also aspire to create a value proposition as an employer that goes beyond.? I’ve written previously about how dental practices can become a “best place to work.”? Practices should also think about things like career development, training new skills that allow hygienists to operate at the top of their licenses, and creating a happy and healthy culture.? These aren’t compensation levers, but they are just as (if not more) important to attract and retain hygienists.
Entrepreneur, Investor, Consultant
1 年Agree with all of this. The hardest one for me was the flexible schedule. I think gone are the days of having your entire team work the same hours. It’s a little scary at first but if you have the proper systems in place it can work out really well. I started offering flexible schedules post Covid. And most importantly it supports the mental health of our RDH colleagues. We all need a bit more focus on that arena in my opinion.
Certified Social Media Strategist (SMS)
1 年Delta Dental Institute has just launched a comprehensive campaign to increase greater diversity in the oral health workforce. It includes the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund of up to $1 million for pilots, ideas and solutions that inspire school-age children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health. The deadline to apply is June 12. https://www.deltadentalinstitute.com/fund/
Fee-Only Fiduciary CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER? Professional | Empowering Clients to Build Intentional, Prosperous Futures Through Thoughtful Financial Planning
1 年Matching retirement contributions would also be a great perk.
Co-owner, Assistance-on-Demand LLC
1 年I saw “training new skills that lead to the top” of dental hygienists’ abilities. This statement exposes the blind spot in dentists who see hygienists as resources rather than as colleagues. Dental hygienists already learned the skills that they are not using because of legal restrictions on scope and professional autonomy. I have seen dental hygiene schools open to satisfy complaints of dentists who claimed to have nobody to hire more than 20 years ago. Those dentists interviewed dental hygienists but didn’t hire. I have seen dental hygiene schools open to satisfy complaints that some counties have no dental hygienists , but legal restrictions prevented hygienists from working in those counties. The real solution is to remove the restrictions that prevent dental hygienists from working autonomously, owning their businesses, and practicing the full range of skills in their scope of practice.