Overview
A strong and well-balanced dental team is essential to the effective running of any practice, and to the delivery of high-quality patient care. When vacancies arise, whether through growth, retirement, maternity leave or staff turnover, taking a structured and objective approach to recruiting dental staff is critical. Clear planning at an early stage helps practices identify their needs, and attract suitable candidates. Good recruitment planning also reduces the risk of costly or disruptive recruitment errors.
Recruiting dental staff is not simply about replacing a role. It is an opportunity to strengthen your team, review how your practice operates and ensure that roles remain aligned with current and future demands. Considering the skills mix within the existing team, as well as the needs of patients and the wider business, will help you determine whether you are recruiting like for like, or reshaping the role to better support your practice.
This guidance takes you through the essential stages of the recruitment process, starting with the vacancy itself. You will learn how to assess how a new role can add value to your team and how to clearly name and define the job role to reflect responsibilities accurately and comply with professional expectations.
It then explores how to define the role in detail and develop an effective advertisement. This includes setting out key duties and responsibilities and producing a clear and lawful job description. You will also learn about developing a person specification that focuses on the skills, experience and attributes required. Guidance is also provided on setting an appropriate rate of pay, taking account of market conditions, fairness and transparency.
Finally, the guidance explains how to advertise the position effectively. It outlines what information should be included in an advertisement to attract the right candidates, meet legal requirements and set clear expectations. It also considers where to advertise, including professional channels and wider platforms, to ensure your vacancy reaches a suitable and diverse applicant pool.
It is important to note that when recruiting dental staff, all new employees will require a contract of employment to help you meet your legal obligations. Read more in our advice on contracts and rights of employees.
