How Do I Onboard and Retain My New Hires?

When you go through the effort of finding and hiring the right person, it’s just the beginning, because without the right experience in the first 90 days, a new team member won’t feel confident, connected, and committed. They need a great onboarding experience to help them understand how to succeed and feel like they belong, and without it, new hire retention will plummet.

The typical new hire process is, as Kirk would say, less onboarding and more “waterboarding,” because it’s usually paperwork, policies, and a tour of the office. A great onboarding experience should go beyond by including several essential elements:

• Belonging. Create a warm welcome so the new hire feels expected and valued.
• Clarity. Define the role, responsibilities, standards, and measures of success.
• Connection. Introduce key relationships and explain how the person’s role supports the rest of the team.
• Training. Use a structured training plan instead of relying solely on shadowing.
• Feedback. Schedule regular check-ins to answer questions, reinforce progress, and address concerns early.
• Support. Organize a small group of individuals to act as a committee that’s there to champion new hires.

To truly set your new hires up for success, you need a system that guides them through their first 90 days, which we call the 3-3-3 System. The idea is to set goals for the first three days, weeks, and months, and by the end of that period, the new hire will be successfully integrated into the practice.

The first three days are about creating belonging, reducing uncertainty, and providing the basics needed to function successfully. At the end of this period, the team member should:

• Feel welcomed and begin developing a sense of belonging.
• Understand the practice’s purpose and values.
• Know where to find information and whom to approach with questions.
• Have access to the systems and tools needed for the role.
• Perform a few foundational tasks with guidance.

In the first three weeks, the focus shifts from orientation to developing competence in their primary responsibilities, and by the end of this timeframe the team member should:

• Complete foundational responsibilities with decreasing guidance.
• Participate actively in daily team routines,
• Communicate professionally with patients and teammates.
• Demonstrate reliability, initiative, and a willingness to ask thoughtful questions.
• Understand how their role supports patient care and the rest of the team.

During the first three months, and goal becomes moving the team member from learning the role to confidently owning it, so by the end of the period, the team member should:

• Perform their role confidently, efficiently, and independently.
• Demonstrate the practice’s core value through teamwork and patient care.
• Build trust and rapport with patients.
• Contribute ideas and help solve problems.
• Seek feedback and take ownership of continued growth.

By the end of this three-month period, your new hires will feel confident and prepared to execute their responsibilities successfully. What’s more, they’ll feel like they belong, which makes them want to stick around.

Remember, people are more likely to stay when they feel welcomed, prepared, connected, and clear about how to succeed; with the right onboarding process, you can lay the groundwork to achieve all of these. That first 90 days is about more than simply training your new hires — it’s about building the confidence, connection, and commitment they need to feel like they’re an integral part of the practice.

To learn more about how to build a Better Practice and a Better Life, visit us at www.actdental.com!