Dental Placement Agency vs Job Boards: Which is Better for Staffing?
One of the most common questions a dental practice asks when looking to staff up is about the dental placement agency vs. job boards. It is a challenge to find the right dentist or dental assistant, and the manner in which you choose to find that dentist or dental assistant can make a significant impact. Job boards provide a much faster and immediate way to create an opening online and receive countless resumes of potential candidates.
A dental placement agency provides a service that helps you find qualified and pre-screened talent. Each option provides its own pluses depending on the needs of your practice, finances, and timing.
What is a Dental Placement Agency?
A dental placement agency is a helpful professional service that supports dental practices to find appropriate team members efficiently and quickly. The agency works as a bridge between dental professionals and employers to facilitate the hiring process.
A dental recruitment agency mainly offers services like hiring candidates, matching proper candidates with available roles, and following up with dental practices to ensure a good placement.
What Are Job Boards?
Job boards are websites that allow dental practices to advertise job openings for dentists, hygienists, or assistants. Then dental job seekers can use these lists to search and apply to job openings. The upside of job boards is that they are a tool that will achieve a large volume of applications fairly quickly. Additionally, they are user-friendly and typically either free or very low-cost.
What Makes Dental Placement Agencies Different from Job Boards?
Dental practices can choose between a dental recruitment agency for personalized staffing or job boards for a wide candidate reach, depending on their hiring needs.
Feature | Dental Placement Agencies | Job Boards |
Candidate Quality | Candidates are pre-screened, experienced, and carefully matched to your practice. | Attracts a large number of applicants, but many may not be the right fit. |
Time & Effort | Saves the practice time as recruiters handle screening, interviews, and follow-ups. | The practice must manage all applications, screening, and shortlisting. |
Price | Costs vary based on services but include expert support and guidance. | Generally low-cost or pay-per-post, with no additional hiring support. |
Support | Provides advice on contracts, compliance, and hiring trends | Offers minimal guidance, mainly serving as a job posting platform. |
When to Choose a Dental Placement Agency?
A dental staffing agency can simplify and accelerate the hiring process for your dental practice. Here are the main reasons you should consider one:
- Immediate Staffing Needs: If your practice needs staffing quickly or if you need a specialized candidate, a dental staffing agency can quickly find potential candidates.
- High-Quality Candidates: When you work with a dental staffing agency, the candidates presented to you will have been carefully screened for experience, confidence, and fit. This will save you time while ensuring that you are able to hire professionals for your practice.
- Long-Term Recruiting Plan: A dental recruiting agency helps develop a strong team for the future. They provide continuous support and advice to retain staff and develop your practice.
- Professional Support and Guidance: Dental recruiters assist clients when it comes to contracts, compliance, and industry trends. The expertise provides a smooth and reliable process in hiring talent.
Read More – High Paying Dental Careers in Canada
When Job Boards Actually Work?
In some scenarios, job boards can be a beneficial option for dental practices.
- Hiring Limited: For dental practices that have a limited budget available for searching, or only hire occasionally, job boards will often be less expensive than engaging a dental recruitment firm or agency.
- Entry Level or Temporary Positions: Job boards are very effective at engaging entry-level helper positions, temporary assistants, or simply short-term positions. Clearly, entry-level positions that need minimal screening are easy to post for, and will save you time and energy.
- Broad Audience and Fast Exposure: Job boards receive many applicants, allowing your job posting to be seen by a large number of dental professionals. This can help you to find multiple candidates quickly if needed.
- Straightforward and Simple to Use: Most job boards are extremely easy to use and allow you to post jobs in just a few minutes. Job boards do not provide any additional support or follow-up like a dental recruitment agency, but they are great for simple hiring needs.
Overall, job boards are a great fit when you are looking for an affordable and quick way to reach potential candidates for seasonal, entry-level, or, on occasion, hiring needs without the additional service of a dental recruitment agency.
Read More – Top Dental Recruitment Agencies in US and Canada
What Works Better for Staffing?
When weighing options between a dental placement agency and job boards, it ultimately comes down to your practice’s needs, timeline, and budget.
- Quality vs Quantity: Dental placement agencies and dental recruiters are focused on quality and prescreening candidates to ensure they are experienced and a good fit for your practice. On the other hand, job boards can be good for generating interest and getting many applicants. However, they can require a lot more work to find the right candidate.
- Time & Effort: A dental recruitment agency will save your practice time in the hiring process, as they will do the screening, interviews, and follow up with candidates. The job board process will require you to do most of the hiring yourself and will be more work.
- Cost: Job boards are cheaper and work well for entry-level or temporary hires. An agency may cost more up front, but the expertise and time spent hiring for a targeted position will often warrant the cost.
- Long-Term vs. Short-Term Requirements: A dental placement agency is most appropriate for long-term staffing or specialized positions, while job boards can be sufficient for occasional or temporary positions.
In short, if you are looking for top-quality hires with minimum effort, a dental placement agency or dental recruiters would be your best option. Job boards can work for quick, low-cost, or entry-level hiring, but it takes a lot of time and effort to find the ideal candidate.
Final Verdict: Dental Placement Agency vs Job Boards – What Works Better for Staffing?
Selecting a dental recruitment agency or a job board all depends on what your practice needs. If you are looking for quality, pre-screened candidates or want to recruit for positions that will be long-term, a dental placement firm or dental recruiter will be the best choice.
On the other hand, job boards work well for entry-level, temporary, or miscellaneous on-call hires, especially when money is tight. Knowing your priorities will help you choose which option is most efficient and effective in helping you with your dental staffing needs.
Read More – Endodontist & Oral Surgeon Recruitment in the USA & Canada: A Hiring Blueprint
FAQs About Dental Placement Agency vs Job Boards
Q1. What is a dental staffing agency?
A dental staffing agency is a professional service that assists dental practices in finding dental staff who have been pre-screened and qualified.
Q2. What is the difference between dental recruiters and job boards?
Job boards allow you to list dental job openings online for applicants to view, while recruiters actively seek to match candidates with your dental practice.
Q3. When do I need to use a dental staffing agency?
You need to use a dental staffing agency when hiring urgent, specialized, or long-term staff for your practice, and quality and fit are important.
Q4. When is a job board a good fit?
A job board is good for finding low-cost, entry-level, temporary, or part-time hires to supplement your staff.
Q5. Do dental placement agencies save you time?
Yes, dental recruiters handle screening, interviewing, and follow-up, all while working with your practice team and your time.
Q6. Are job boards cost-effective?
Yes, they are often either low-cost or pay-per-post, but you may have to work extra hard to find the right candidate.
Q7. Can a dental agency improve the quality of dental hires?
Yes, dental placement firms focus on the candidate’s experience, fit, and retention, which ensures satisfaction for years to come.
Q8. Should I use both methods?
Yes, some practices prefer to use a dental staffing agency for key staff and hire entry-level, temporary, or part-time positions through a job board.
