Annual reviews serve many purposes for both team members and management. These once-a-year meetings are usually associated with large businesses in the corporate world, but any business with at least one employee should have annual reviews. It lets the employee know how they’re doing, performance-wise, areas of opportunities, and it’s a chance for management to establish new goals for the team member. But there are some misconceptions about annual reviews, how they should be conducted, and which rewards to have in place. Our expert dental consultants share the importance of team member annual reviews and why a raise isn’t always everything.
A common misconception about employee reviews is that team members only want a review because they think that they will get a raise, and doctors dread these meetings because they assume raises have to be given to every employee. At Bryant Consultants, we believe that reviews should be performance-driven, not merit. Just because a team member has been with your practice for many years doesn’t necessarily warrant a raise every year. Raises are earned. Additionally, we believe that team members should review their own performance along with the manager or doctor. This means sitting down with your employee and going over the entire review together. There should be no surprises. If you’ve led your team the right way, team members should already be aware of areas needing improvement and whether or not they are on track to reaching the goals outlined in the review. Managers and doctors should never complete an employee review alone and send the results to the employee without any explanations.
Tips for a successful annual review
A formal meeting should occur with each team member’s annual review. Since this will be a reoccurring event, each employee’s review should be marked on the practice schedule ahead of time. We recommend setting a reminder about 1-2 weeks before the actual review.
Along with these recommendations, we have some additional suggestions to help the annual review go smooth
- Block 30 min for an employee performance review
- Employee and doctor/manager completes the same review form and bring it to the meeting.
- Keep it engaging.
- Set a follow-up date 30 days later on the Practice Management Schedule to check in on the goals set and the expectations set for the employee.
- Have employees sign the review form and make a copy for employees to take with them. The employer adds their signed review to the employee’s personnel file. The employee can keep their copy for comparison to future reviews.
What should an annual review cover?
Employee reviews may be unique to your practice but should cover the same areas for each employee.
Here are some examples of what an annual review might include for a dental practice team member
- Common goals of employee reviews:
- Individual professional development
- Personal and team Concerns
- Areas of practice growth that employee may be interested in learning
- Ideas that the employee may have to grow the business
- Refocus on doctor’s WHY for the business
- Reconnect team to practice
- Create loyalty
- Help the team member feel heard by asking for input, suggestions, or ideas to help improve the practice
How should team members be rewarded for positive annual reviews?
Employees across every business assume an annual review equals pay increases and that the amount of the increase is based upon how well their review goes. But wage increases aren’t the only reward you can offer your team members.
Issuing a raise to team members is something that can and should be done when deserved, but here are some alternatives for wage increases:
- Club memberships and dues (AADOM, AACD, Local and National organizations)
- Certifications (OSHA, HIPPA, laser, expanded function, N20, Sealants, lab fabrication, etc.)
- Added training in office
- CE trips
- Online courses to increase knowledge
- One-time Bonus for great work
- Swag added uniforms
- Added vacation time
What not to do with a team member annual review
Managers and doctors should never deliver an annual employee review without first having laid out the goals and objectives of said review with the team members. Team members must be notified of the annual review’s contents so that they can understand what they are working toward. If you’ve never discussed the option of implementing annual reviews with team members, they must be given notice before an annual review takes place.
Dental Practice Coaches
If you’d like to learn more about implementing annual reviews for your team or are looking for ways to maximize annual reviews for dental practices, Bryant Consultants is here to help. Get started by calling (877) 768-4799 to speak with one of our experienced dental practice coaches today!
