By Deborah Bush 

Imagine this: a valued member of your dental team walks in, resignation letter in hand. It’s a blow, not just to patient care, but to the overall morale of your practice. But what if you could have prevented it? Enter the “Stay Interview,” a powerful tool used by thriving dental practices to keep their top talent happy and engaged. 

Why Stay Interviews Matter 

Studies by Gallup and Pew Research show that money isn’t the only reason employees leave. Often, it’s a feeling of being undervalued, lacking growth opportunities, or simply not having a voice. A Stay Interview allows you to proactively address these concerns before it’s too late. 

Benefits of Stay Interviews for Dental Practices 

• Reduced Turnover: Replacing an employee costs a significant portion of their annual salary. Stay Interviews can help you identify and address issues that lead to departures, saving you time and money. 

• Improved Morale: When employees feel valued and heard, their morale soars. This translates into a more positive work environment for everyone, including patients. 

• Increased Productivity: Engaged employees are more productive. By identifying and addressing roadblocks, you can help your team work smarter, not harder. 

• Enhanced Patient Care: A happy, stable team provides better care for patients. Stay Interviews can help ensure your dental team feels supported and equipped to deliver top-notch service. 

Turning “Stay” into Action 

Here’s how to implement Stay Interviews in your dental practice: 

1. First, focus on high-performing team members, those critical to the practice and whose departure would be a major loss
2. Schedule private, dedicated time for the interview. Ensure a relaxed atmosphere. I recommend having a stay interview twice a year and strategically schedule one of the interviews before planned vacations. This way your valued team members have happy thoughts about their employment while gone and look forward to returning. If you are going through a practice transition, you may need to adjust when you do stay interviews to make sure you meet with each employee early in the transition to help them see the value of the transition for them. See Effective Strategies for Managing Transition in Your Dental Practice Part 3  – The Pankey Institute
3. •  Start and continue a conversation. Remember that “the relationship is the conversation.” Two-way listening and recognition are key. 
     • You might start the conversation with this question: “What do you enjoy most about working here?” 
     • Go deeper by asking: “What could make your job even more fulfilling?” “Have you considered leaving?”  
     • Trigger their professional drive by asking: “Do you feel challenged?” “Have I given you enough opportunities to grow professionally?” “What would you like to do more of?” 
     • Affirm their value. “I may not say it often enough, but I value you and recognize your contributions to the practice. In fact, recently….” “Would you consider leading on our next project to _______. It’s important to me that I have someone like you I can rely on to champion this and help make sure we make headway.” 
     • Ask: “What could we do to improve our office culture?” “Do you think I have been clear enough about the direction we are headed?” “Am I providing you with enough feedback?” “How do you like to get feedback?” See How Do You Like to Receive Feedback?  – The Pankey Institute. 
4. Actively listen and respond without becoming defensive.
5. Summarize the key points of the conversation and create a plan to address concerns.
6. Follow up with more conversations as needed. 

Remember, the key is to listen, respond, and act. Let Stay Interviews be the bridge to building a thriving dental team with happy smiles all around! 

About Deborah E. Bush: Deb is a contributing writer specializing in dentistry and a subject matter expert on the behavioral and technological changes occurring in dentistry. A graduate of the University of Michigan and a student of positive psychology, Deb has more than four decades of technical writing experience for medical and dental outlets and authorities. Before becoming a dental-focused freelance writer and analyst, Deborah served as the Communications Manager for The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education and as Director of Communications for the Preeclampsia Foundation. Her work with leading dental brands includes Curve Dental, Patient Prism, and Alatus Solutions (which includes DentalPost, Illumitrac, and Amplify360). She has co-authored and ghostwritten books and articles for multiple dental authorities.