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Make Hiring Fun Again by Dr. Nick Riccio

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Categories: Practice Management, HR and Accounting;
Make Hiring Fun Again 

A choose-your-own-adventure game with three routes to hiring the right fit

by Dr. Nick Riccio

Who remembers the uncertainty and excitement of reading Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid?
Wasn’t that so fun? Feeling like the story was being written just for you, and that you were in control? Well, you’re in luck, because we’re about to make hiring fun again by turning it into a Choose Your Own Adventure-style game. Let’s begin!

First, a disclaimer: I know hiring has become a massive source of stress for business owners, who feel bombarded by a seemingly non-stop carousel of hiring as employees jump ship for “better opportunities,” while simultaneously, candidate pools are shrinking at an ever-increasing rate.
To address those feelings of instability and despair, I quote Helen Keller: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

So, with that in mind, prepare yourself to make a game of hiring, and it will become a fun and rewarding adventure, with three distinct routes you can choose from!


Route 1: Break away from the boring path and follow my step-by-step DIY process!
Step 1: The virtual meet-and-greet
Initiated by a premade prompt that can be instantly given to suitable applicants sourced from Indeed, Facebook or direct referral. Total time: One minute.
Total fun: Above average, especially if your prompt is as whimsical as mine!

The virtual meet-and-greet was born out of necessity during the COVID-19 lockdowns, but has persisted as my favorite method for an initial screening of applicants. That’s because it’s super simple to administer and sneaky effective at weeding out bad candidates, while also shining a spotlight on exceptional ones.

Orthodontic offices are like buzzing beehives of energy, with admin and clinical people bustling about doing their carefully orchestrated technical work while seamlessly socializing with patients and parents to create a comfortable atmosphere and pleasant customer experience. The best team members exude confidence, calming energy and a degree of extroversion above what is present in the average workforce member. These attributes, and so much more, come across instantly in virtual meet-and-greet videos.

Many poor candidates won’t even bother to complete this first step, which should not be disheartening, as it’s a strong indicator of someone’s work ethic, ingenuity and adaptability if they can complete this simple but highly unusual first step of the interview process. Anyone who refuses to complete the video, can’t figure out how to do it or does not bring the energy and enthusiasm to this fun task would have been a poor fit, and it’s a gift that they did not waste your time with interviewing.

For those that bring their A game, you next show the videos to your team, get their buy-in and reach out to offer in-person interviews. So far, you’ve spent very little time on traditional interviewing. Instead of weeding through flat resumes online, reaching out for 15–30-minute phone calls each, to wish you had never called in the first place, you have a prescreenable, dynamic application available to review at your leisure.

And everyone involved is already super excited to meet each other and see if it’s a good fit. The fun you already have with hiring is much higher than the traditional route. Keep the adventure going!

Step 2: The in-person interview
Total time: Less than one hour.
Total fun: Climbing, because you’ve dodged duds and already feel a sense of connection to the candidate.

By now, everyone’s excitement is peaking and you’re ready to get down to business. But don’t be boring! Keep the vibes immaculate and the energy high to select candidates who can perform their technical duties while entertaining your “guests.”

After a welcoming office tour, with friendly introductions to everyone on the team, and a concise review of the office’s mission/vision/values and the formal job description, give the applicant a quiet space to take a series of personality quizzes. This break provides much-needed time to digest and process while you and the team get back to the hustle and bustle.

Step 3: The working interview
Total time: Three hours.
Total fun: Depends. They might be your new bestie!

For those candidates who passed all of the tests, including the all-important “vibe check,” get excited, because now it is worth the time investment to bring them back in for a more extended “working interview,” where you gauge their actual ability, genuinely answer all of their burning questions and gain the peace of mind to confidently give them an offer if it’s a good fit for all.

Pro tip: Call their previous employers (with permission), and ask at least these three questions:
1. Did they show up on time?
2. Do they finish their work?
3. Would you hire them again?

You would be surprised at the level of insight you can gain from hearing a former employer’s answer to that last question. And, foreshadowing, this is the same question you should ask yourself at the new hire’s 90-day review to decide if they are staying on board!

Step 4: The offer—plus homework (for them, not you)
Total time: One minute.
Total fun: It is so much fun to be excited about a new hire, and it is infectious for the whole team!

Along with their offer letter, provide them with The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, and have them prepare a book report for you to review together at their 90-day review. It’s a classic inspirational book that everyone should read. Still, it can be incredibly helpful in transitioning someone new into your tight-knit, high-performing team, a daunting task that requires much grit and patience, especially for the new person trying to fit in.


Route 2: Leverage your best assets!
It’s quiz time!
The Wonderlic (IQ test), given to NFL quarterbacks at the combine, gauges intelligence.
Pro tip: Develop thresholds of acceptability. For example, a score of 17 or higher for the clinical team and 19 or higher for the admin team can be used as a screening cutoff . This may seem harsh, but a certain level of cognitive ability is required to perform in an orthodontic office, from doing the physical work on patients, speaking intelligently with parents, and being receptive to training and leadership by the doctor.

The DISC (behavior test) is commonly used across industries.
Pro tip: To best understand and most effectively hire, train and manage the different behavior types, read Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson. Specific roles in the office are better suited to different behavior types, and being familiar with them helps fill those roles and communicate with every kind of person. It can also help in your personal life!

The Values List (self-awareness test), developed by Brené Brown, asks candidates to select six values from a list of 100. Compare their selections with your own and your office’s values, ideally those that are established and visible around the office, and used to hire, train and fire.
Pro tip: Read Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead to understand how choosing and living/ working by your values makes things much better for everyone in your company.
Get yourself a Monica
What is a Monica?
She is:
  • hard-working
  • reliable
  • a consigliere
  • a boss babe
  • a friend
A Sanskrit proverb goes: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” I want to adopt a new proverb: “The friend of my friend is hired!” There is no greater honor than an enthusiastic new patient referral from a happy customer, except one for a potential new hire from a happy and loyal team member. Aside from the time and energy spent fostering your relationships with your team, which is invaluable and rewarding, this route is the most cost-effective, takes the least time and has the highest success rates. Your new friend/employee has been thoroughly vetted more than is possible with any other route!


Route 3: Outsource it!
Don’t trust yourself to DIY it? Don’t have a “Monica” (yet…)? Or don’t have the time/energy/desire for this adventure?
You can still choose this path, but it will cost you. Provide the hours, compensation range, skills required and retainer to a third-party company specializing in dental staffing, of which there are many nowadays. Then, sit back and get ready to plug in someone vetted by a pro, skipping right to the “working interview” stage, without spending any time or energy scrolling through Indeed or haggling about compensation. This luxury will cost you a few thousand dollars, but it has a high success rate, because most companies’ satisfaction guarantee reinitiates the candidate search at no cost if the new hire does not make it past 90 days.


Final thoughts: Choose your adventure!
Like most things in life, you will get out of hiring what you put into it. Hiring is inevitable but not necessarily a chore, and it doesn’t have to be a bore. I suggest having fun with the journey, injecting some humor and excitement into the process. Then reap the rewards of cultivating and maintaining a dream team of employees that you proudly display behind reception for all to marvel. Life is either a daring adventure … or nothing! 
Author Bio
Dr. Nick Riccio Dr. Nick Riccio is a board-certified orthodontist who trained at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. He co-owns and operates a dual-service pedo-ortho practice in Hinsdale, Illinois, with his dual board-certified wife, Dr. Susan Blair. He and Susan were honored with the distinction of “40 under 40” by Incisal Edge magazine. Riccio cofounded and runs a de novo study club called “Masterminds,” exploring a wide range of topics from clinical innovations to practice management to health and wellness topics.



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