Industry continues to struggle with employee recruitment and retention -

DSO thought leaders recently weighed in on how they feel 2021 is progressing for the industry and what they think will be the major issues going forward. Staffing and recruitment were the biggest challenges they highlighted. Because some employees made the decision not to return to work post-COVID and others continue to struggle with balancing kids at home with their work schedules, this has meant more creative scheduling and, in some cases, higher compensation in some markets.

This is an ongoing trend that an ADA survey began highlighting in Oct. 2020 where roughly one-third of dental practices said they were facing difficulty recruiting dental team members during the economic recovery following the spring lockdowns. They also found, and continue to report, that DSO-affiliated practices and large groups were recruiting more heavily than non-DSO and solo practices. Among dentists hiring for any position (i.e., hygienists, assistants, administrative staff or dentists), the majority said it had been extremely or very challenging compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 80% said it was extremely or very challenging to recruit hygienists and roughly 70% said the same for assistants.