Three ways to improve job satisfaction in the coming year
Key Takeaways
- Understanding what motivates staff to change jobs can help practice owners know where to focus to retain staff in 2025.
- Practices that focus on improving workplace culture have an advantage when hiring and retaining staff.
- Benefits such as financial planning services or a bonus structure can help to improve job satisfaction.
Almost every business sector across the United States is still dealing with the fallout of the pandemic. Specifically, dental practices are still experiencing lingering effects that feel hard to shake.
According to the 2024 DentalPost Dental Salary Survey, job satisfaction continues to lag behind pre-pandemic numbers. Even with salaries rising 11% and benefits offered to hygienists and office staff increasing by double digits versus the year prior, a whopping 45% of respondents said they were considering changing jobs before 2025.
This comes as no surprise to practice owners, who have been dealing with staffing and retention challenges, salary inflation, and growing employee expectations for years.
The question now is, how can owners use the 2024 survey data to improve in 2025?
Elite vendor Alatus Solutions, the firm responsible for the DentalPost survey, outlines three key areas where practice owners can turn the tide on job satisfaction in 2025.
Understand Your Team’s Motivators
Survey data from the last two years shows that the top three motivators for changing jobs were more than income.
“Knowing what drives staff to look elsewhere can help practice owners know where to concentrate their efforts,” says DentalPost. “For example, starting conversations with staff about a better work environment and more appreciation can reveal easy areas for improvement.”
Focus on Improving Workplace Culture
Breaking the survey findings down even further, DentalPost says those wanting a better work environment were focused on:
- Reducing stress
- Finding an environment that offered greater respect
- Working in a positive culture that prioritizes good relationships, collaborative teamwork, learning, gratitude, and optimally serving patients
Practices that actively focus on cultivating a positive team culture have a leg up in both hiring and retaining staff.
Some of the ways practices can improve culture include:
- Implementing a backup plan for employees who need to care for a sick child
- Providing competitive benefits and finding ways to improve them
- Proactively hiring temp employees when things get busy, not after
- Offering ample time off and encouraging employees to take it
- Crafting a well-defined purpose, vision, and values for the practice — and living it
To the last point, involving the entire team in the purpose, vision and values process is critical to staff not only adopting, but truly exemplifying the culture. Start the conversation by identifying what the company values internally, then look at how the practice can extend those values to the community.
Make Compensation About More Than Salary
According to the survey, the average full-time income of associates rose to $217,867 (+11.25%). Despite this, compensation dissatisfaction rose significantly (30% year over year).
“Inflation is playing a big part in making pay raises feel less impactful for associate dentists and all staff,” says DentalPost. “Even with inflation easing downward, it will still be a factor causing salary dissatisfaction in 2025.”
One tactic that could benefit high-earning employees like associates is offering financial planning services as a perk. Giving associates a path to plan, protect and grow their money, such as the personal planning services offered by CWA, can help offset less-than-desirable salary increases.
For hygienists and staff, consider a bonus structure that rewards high performers. Bonuses tied to office efficiencies or new patient starts can pay big dividends for team morale and help practice owners achieve higher goals. Here’s a guide to help determine the best way to structure employee bonuses.
Regardless of the tactics practice owners implement to improve job satisfaction in 2025, the survey underscores the need for practices to continually adapt to meet changing workforce priorities to compete in a dynamic job market.
To take a deeper dive into the 2024 DentalPost Dental Survey findings, access the full survey here.
To learn more about ways your practice can navigate today’s ever-changing economic and financial environment, talk to a CWA advisor. We’re here to answer any business planning or personal finance questions you may have.
