The severe shortage of qualified general dentists in the United Kingdom (UK) is well documented and has disproportionately affected dental practices providing NHS funded services to adults and children across urban and rural areas. Many dental practices have oversubscribed patient lists and long waiting lists for treatment. The lack of services has caused deterioration of oral health across communities as dentists struggle to provide services.

The recruitment of international dentists has been suggested as a solution to this crisis and yet can provide only a partial relief because the General Dental Council (GDC), the professional regulator for dentists in the UK, restricts the number of applicants who can sit its licensing exam each year. This poses severe challenges for dental practices which must compete to attract the limited pool of qualified and licensed candidates.

The Recruitment Brief

It is in the context of this critical shortage of dentists, that Odyssey was approached by a dental practice in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, UK to recruit an experienced associate dentist for a full time position. The practice, owned by two partners, operated across two sites and serviced a large demographic of NHS patients. The dentist was required urgently to fill a position recently vacated by another dentist and service the growing patient base.

Exacerbating the scarcity of qualified and GDC registered dentists ready to practice, competition between practices for candidates was intense and time was a constraint.

The Recruitment  Strategy

A digital candidate sourcing strategy was designed by Odyssey Recruitment to attract a candidate, preferably local to the practice, and implemented across multiple resources. Candidates who met the basic eligibility criteria for the position were screened with pre-recorded solo video interviews to assess English language proficiency, personal presentation and motivations. Those who performed well were invited for initial telephone interviews followed by on site personal interviews.

The three sequential interview process streamlined the recruitment process and effectively eliminated candidates who were not a good cultural fit for the practice or were merely curious about the position but not sufficiently motivated to commit to the job.

The on site personal interview with the partners of the practice was time consuming but crucial for both parties. The candidates benefited from the visit to their potential place of work with exposure to the equipment and facilities available for the performance of their duties and opportunities to question the partners about any issues which concerned them. Similarly the partners could assess the candidates' suitability for the job and cultural fit with greater certainty.

Negotiations and Counter Offers

Good candidates are in short supply and rarely have just one job option. Dental practices around the country are fighting for their attention. The dental practice favoured one candidate Dr EG who had recently obtained GDC registration and had over 20 years of dental practice experience in her native Russia. She seemed ideal, experienced and was resident within easy commuting distance of the practice. However she had job offers from several practices in the area and favoured one offer which provided a guaranteed salary and funding for additional courses.

Salaried Associate Dentists are unusual in the UK where most dentists work as self employed contractors with income dependent upon level of activity and patient encounters. For international candidates who are unfamiliar with this system and may have come from countries where they have worked for a fixed salary, this can be daunting. Income is not guaranteed, may be difficult to predict and there is the added burden or managing one's own tax liabilities.

The management of further negotiations with Dr EG featured detailed breakdowns of projected patient encounters, potential for practice growth and career progression. Dental practices usually have limited options for negotiation solely on the basis of income. Therefore sound information about practice culture, support and mentoring for new recruits, practice development strategy and market potential are crucial in helping candidates make the right decision about a job offer.

After some deliberation and research, Dr EG eventually accepted the job and joined the practice helping to restore the service capacity for patients in the local community.

If you have a difficult to fill position, the team at Odyssey Recruitment is eager to share our expertise and execute our proven digital recruitment strategy. Contact us today to begin a dedicated medical recruitment partnership.

Key Takeaways

• A sound recruitment strategy, swiftly executed with clarity of communication maintained between all parties is crucial to ensuring success.
• Live on site personal interviews with a tour of the dental practice enhance the recruitment process for both candidate and employer
• With limited scope for financial negotiation, alternative benefits such as practice size potential, practice culture, location, transport links and participation in further training can be crucial in securing the right candidate.