Candidate’s form an opinion about your dental practice long before they decide whether they want to apply for a position or not.   Candidates are more informed today than in the past due to the social media and recruiting sites which contain employee reviews.   These reviews can be submitted by both candidates, employees and past employees so it is critical that we ensure that the candidate, employee and past employee experience is as positive as it can be, as there is power in everyone’s voice given the internet.

In interviewing candidates on a daily basis, I have learned that their process today is one which involves a great deal of research and has a defined methodology to it, almost similar to the process you might take when deciding which type of car to buy!  Candidates will view your job posting or offering.  They will next go to your website. If that can’t even find your careers website, that speaks volumes to the importance of personnel in the company.   At a minimum, be sure you have a Career webpage.  Some candidates will stop right there not having found one on your website.  Then, they will put you through the ultimate test and check out Glassdoor and Indeed reviews, Linkedin information about your company and social media sites such as Facebook, to get a clearer and in their minds, more credible picture of what it is actually like working for your company.  If you are suffering from a meager applicant flow, it may be because you are not portrayed in a positive manner on these sites.

What can we do? 

First, you can engage in a Glassdoor campaign with your current employees asking for folks to post their experience on the site.  This will hopefully generate multiple positive comments from current employees.  Are you risking that an employee will post a negative comment?  Yes, you are.  If you have a good workplace culture and treat people right, my bet is you won’t have to worry about that.  One negative comment will not turn away a candidate when they see a bevy of positive ones.

One caveat here is, you have to launch this campaign more than once as outdated posts are not given as much weight as current ones.  There is no one and done for this initiative.  It has to go on your calendar for the future, and you must roll it out in a positive way, not a mandate.  Offer free ice creams Sundays and a group get together for the kick off of this campaign so that everyone gets a chance to talk about the “why” behind what you are asking them to do.  When employees understand the why behind what you are asking, they can get behind generally, the what you are asking them to do.

Second, you can actively manage your Linkedin and Facebook sites with positive happenings in the company on a continual basis.  Candidates are looking for organizations that actively post and are current, offering new and improved methods, equipment, technology, perks and benefits.  Yes, they want it all.  Show all that is happening on these sites.

Lastly, you can post employee testimonials and video’s on your website as candidates view employee testimonials more credibly than anything a company may say about the worklife experience.

Candidates are savvy buyers and will not make the decision to apply for a job you post if what they see on the internet does not present a pretty picture to them.  Make sure what they see is positive, and you will see an increase in applicant flow!  Without really having to spend any money to do it!!


Culture is nurtured, not manufactured.

Debra J. Parent, PHR, SHRM-CP, CHHR helps outline how the seed is planted and cultivated.Debra J. Parent, PHR, SHRM-CP, CHHR has 34 years of HR Management experience, an MBA, three national HR certifications, a certified coach, is currently teaching the capstone senior Strategic Management course at UMASS Dartmouth, former adjunct business professor at Bristol Community College, and Supervisory and Leadership Skills Grant Trainer for Bristol Community College.

She is an active member of the UMASS Dartmouth Charlton College of Business Advisor Board, ProVisors, and successful business owner of an HR recruitment and consulting firm with clients throughout New England.

Debra assists companies develop and implement effective recruitment and retention strategies, fill key hard to recruit positions, design a well-thought out HR program, smart HR policies, and provide workable HR solutions to respond to workforce challenges. She leads with integrity, balancing company and employee interests, and has a forward-thinking approach.

For more information, contact Debra J. Parent, PHR, SHRM-CP, CHHR at
rightfitrecruiting@comcast.net,
(508) 884-6798.
Or connect with Deb via LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-parent-11941b163/