Ask a busy dentist what they wish they had more of, and many will say time. Time to focus on patients. Time to think about the future of the practice. Time to go home at a reasonable hour.
A strong dental office manager can make that possible. A poor fit, or a good person in a poorly defined role, can make life harder for everyone. Hiring for this position deserves more care than almost any other hire you will make. Here is how to approach it.
"Office manager" means different things in different practices. In one office, it is the person who runs the front desk. In another, it is a true operations leader who handles the team, the numbers and the systems. Before you write a job post, decide what you actually need.
Make a list of responsibilities and group them, for example:
Then be honest about authority. What decisions can this person make without you? Can they approve time off? Address a team member's performance? Change the schedule template? A manager without clear authority quickly becomes a messenger, and both you and your team will feel it.
Both can work. An internal promotion brings someone who already knows your patients, software and culture. The challenge is the shift from peer to leader, which can be uncomfortable for them and for the team. If you go this route, plan to invest in leadership training and make the change in role clear to everyone.
An outside hire brings fresh eyes and may bring management experience. The challenge is learning your practice and earning trust. Give them time and support, and resist the urge to step back in at the first bump.
Dental experience is helpful, but it is not the only thing that matters. Look for:
Skills can be taught. Character, judgment and attitude are much harder to train.
Go beyond "tell me about yourself." Ask about real situations. For example:
Consider a working interview or a practical exercise, such as reviewing a sample report and explaining what they notice. Check references carefully. Our post on how to interview for your dental practice has more ideas for structuring the process.
As with any hire, check with your HR advisor or employment attorney on pay classification, job descriptions and anything else specific to your state.
The most common mistake we see is hiring a manager and then handing them the keys on day one with no plan. Even an experienced manager needs time to learn your office.
Have your new manager spend time in every role, front and back. They should learn your software, read your existing processes and meet one-on-one with each team member. Their main job this month is to listen and understand.
Start transferring specific responsibilities, one area at a time. Begin with reporting and team scheduling, for example, then add accounts receivable or insurance oversight. Meet weekly with the doctor to review progress.
By now, your manager should be running team meetings, owning the monthly numbers and identifying improvements. Together, set clear goals for the next six months.
Throughout the first 90 days, resist two temptations. The first is to hand everything over at once and disappear. The second is to keep doing the job yourself because it feels faster. Both send mixed signals to the team. Instead, be present, be patient and make the handoff deliberate and visible.
The relationship between the doctor and the office manager is one of the most important in the practice. A few habits make it work:
When the team sees that the doctor and manager are on the same page, it becomes much easier for the manager to lead.
Many office managers were promoted because they were excellent at their previous job, not because they were trained to lead. Leadership, communication and business skills can all be developed. Our practice management support is designed to help office managers grow into the role and to give doctors confidence that the business side is in good hands.
Thinking about hiring or developing an office manager? Schedule a free Practice Growth Call with AMP, and we will help you define the role and plan the next steps for your practice.
