As one of the UK’s leading dental recruitment agencies, Dental Elite is proud to maintain an expert team that offers comprehensive support to both clients and candidates. The newest addition to Dental Elite is recruitment account manager, Lee Fletcher. He explains what his new role entails and how he utilises his experience to help clients and candidates navigate the potential pitfalls of the recruitment process, sharing, “I come from a childcare background, recruiting candidates for local positions in various different areas across the UK. In my previous role, I was a project manager responsible for managing client projects and regularly liaising with stakeholders to understand project scope. I also looked after key corporate accounts, which often involved managing external stakeholders, from directors through to administrative staff.
“The position at Dental Elite was an opportunity that became available and suited my experience in recruitment and managing different corporates. My role involves looking after Dental Elite’s key corporate clients, who need a dedicated team member focused purely on supporting them. I draw on my skills and experience to help clients find and recruit suitable candidates, whether on a permanent or temporary basis.”
Dentistry is new to Lee, but he believes he has already learnt a great deal in the short time since he joined Dental Elite.
“One of the challenges I’ve encountered so far relates to client pro-activity when candidates are put forward for recruitment,” he says. “The risk of failing to act quickly is that clients can miss out on recruiting the right candidate for positions they are looking to fill. Many dental corporates offer fantastic remuneration that can help attract excellent candidates. However, if a candidate is put forward for consideration and clients don’t respond swiftly enough, then the candidate may feel discouraged and, therefore, look elsewhere.
“Equally, candidates have been put forward and agreed with a client’s requirements that they can, for example, work full time. The client has conducted lengthy interviews to find out what employment package they can offer the candidate, who has then backtracked and changed their availability and remuneration requirements, as they’ve managed to secure a part-time position elsewhere.”
Lee is determined that he can leverage his recruitment knowledge within other sectors to help Dental Elite’s clients find the right fit for their practice teams.
“We understand and appreciate that dental corporates/dental group clients are often extremely busy, which is why my goal is to support them as much as possible through the recruitment process,” Lee comments. “When I worked in childcare recruitment – especially in terms of placing candidates in temporary roles – clients would contact me daily looking to fill positions quickly. I maintained a database of candidates who were actively seeking employment and were available immediately. My experience in this area helps me within my current role at Dental Elite when it comes to finding the ideal candidate quickly.
“My approach is to contact clients regularly to follow up on whether they are still looking to fill a position, or if a role has just become available. I’ll then ask the client what type of candidate they’re looking for. For instance, do they need someone with at least two years’ experience? Is it a dental specialist they require? Then I’ll carry out a search of all the candidates that are available through Dental Elite. I typically go through each CV to check that the candidate has the right experience before submitting them for consideration.
“Standout candidates include those willing to work full-time, which is what many of our corporate clients typically seek. I will use different search engines to find these sorts of candidates and advertise positions according to clients’ specifications. Candidates with experience in specialist areas such as endodontics are often highly sought after as well.”
Lee offers some words of wisdom to ensure potential employers avoid missing out on securing top talent, “As soon as an interested candidate is submitted for consideration, it’s important to interview them straight away over the telephone or in-person – pandemic restrictions permitting, of course. If an interview is conducted in-person and the candidate you want to recruit is still interested in the role afterwards, it’s worthwhile sending them either a draft offer or a letter confirming you will offer them the position. This can help to speed up the recruitment process and promotes confidence among candidates.”
Client care is key to Lee’s approach at Dental Elite. He is confident that Dental Elite’s exceptional service is what makes it the first-choice recruitment agency for many dental corporates. He adds:
“As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, I hope to meet Dental Elite’s corporate clients in-person. You can do so much over the phone or video call, but this can’t replace in-person interaction. My aim is to ensure that clients know exactly who I am and understand that Dental Elite is available to provide reliable recruitment support as and when they need it.”
For more information call 01788 545 900, email info@dentalelite.co.uk or visit www.dentalelite.co.uk