Managing your dental practice comes with a unique set of responsibilities, both to your patients and your staff.
As the owner of a dental practice, you are responsible for maintaining a team of dental professionals that are not only skilled and competent but also highly efficient and motivated to develop.
So, if you’re asking ‘how do I manage employee performance in my dental practice?’, this is the article for you.
What Is Employee Performance Management?
The goal of performance management is to ensure that every employee is working to the very best of their ability and that their performance in the workplace aligns with the ethos and goals of your practice.
How you undertake performance management and the strategies you employ will vary from company to company and there are no set appraisal criteria against which to measure an employee’s performance across the board. However, there will be many similarities regardless of industry, for example, willingness to learn or ability to meet targets or deadlines.
What Are the Benefits of Performance Management?
Performance management is critical to the long-term success of any dental practice and there are multiple benefits for both you as an employer and your staff.
What Are The Benefits Of Employee Performance Management For Employers?
● Improves efficiency
● Reduces staff turnover
● Highlights areas for improvement
● Keeps staff engaged and motivated
● It helps you meet your business goals.
What Are The Benefits Of Employee Performance Management For Employees?
● Sets out clear expectations
● Enhances job satisfaction
● Increases opportunities for growth, development and promotion
● Reduces conflict between employers and employees.
In a dental practice, performance management also has a direct impact on your patients, who in turn will benefit from being cared for by staff who are highly-trained, efficient and motivated.
What Factors May Affect Employee Performance?
Numerous factors could affect employee performance, such as;
● The workplace culture and atmosphere in the practice
● How satisfied staff feel in their work
● Whether or not staff feel appreciated and if staff are recognised or rewarded for excellent performance
● How often performance is assessed
● The training opportunities available
● How well your staff understand their role and expectations
● How work is managed and allocated
● How well the team works together
● Individual personalities of staff.
What Are Some Performance Management Strategies For Success?
If you’re unsure how to manage staff performance in your dental practice, here are some best practices for performance management.
Make Feedback Regular and Timely
Gone are the days when you should wait for an employee’s annual review before discussing their performance at work. To improve standards in your dental practice and help keep employees on track, feedback should be offered at regular intervals.
If issues arise, bring them to attention immediately with clear suggestions for improvement and set a timeframe for review. Likewise, if patients or colleagues have praised the performance of a member of staff, be sure to pass this on in a timely way to show recognition of a job well done.
Be Clear About Targets and KPIs
If staff have targets or objectives that need to be met, these should be communicated to all staff in advance and a date given for when these will be measured, so that employees have a clear understanding of what they’re expected to do and by when. This ensures that expectations are understood, and that your staff are aware of when they’ll be evaluated and on what parameters their performance will be judged.
Offer Training and Development Opportunities
No matter how skilled, well-educated or highly-trained your team is, learning should be seen as a life-long process, and your employees should be encouraged to explore their own learning and development needs.
Regular appraisals can help both you and your employees identify any skill gaps or training needs, as well as identify candidates that might be suitable for upskilling or promotion in the future.
Offering ongoing training and development opportunities not only improves performance but also makes appraisal easier, as staff can clearly show added value when they have increased their knowledge and skills or taken on additional roles within the practice. A robust training offer also helps to future-proof your workforce and reduces the likelihood of staff leaving to seek development opportunities or promotion elsewhere.
Recognise and Reward Excellence
You should take time to acknowledge and reward employees who have exceeded expectations or delivered excellent service. This not only makes staff feel appreciated and valued but also sets an example for other employees and helps to create a culture of high performance.
Get Advice From Your Local HR Specialists
Metis HR are specialists in providing HR advice that is uniquely tailored to the specific needs of you and your business. We work with you in order to reach a considered decision that is best for your business. If you need advice on managing employee performance in your dental practice or want to know more about the services we offer, just get in touch with the experts at Metis HR.
Send us a message via info@metishr.co.uk or, if you would prefer to speak directly to an experienced HR Consultant, call us on 01706 565 332. We look forward to hearing from you.
