Interview with Alan Twigg from Bent Ericksen & Associates on dental practice culture, hiring and compensation

Alan and I sit down for a candid interview about the state of the dental industry hiring crisis, culture and total compensation. You can listen to our podcast with the link below or read through the transcript. FYI . . . the transcript was transcribed by Otter, so please forgive the grammar, spelling errors or duplicate words. 🙂

CLICK HERE to download Bent Ericksen’s FREE compensation worksheet

The High Performing Dental Team · #49 Interview with Alan Twigg from Bent Ericksen & Assoc

Dayna Johnson, founder of Novonee and a Dentrix expert, hosts a podcast aimed at helping dental teams work more efficiently and reduce stress. She welcomes Alan Twigg from Bent Ericksen & Associates to discuss the current hiring crisis in dental practices, focusing on total compensation, culture, and long-term retention rather than just hourly wages.

Alan emphasizes the importance of looking beyond hourly pay to include benefits, work environment, opportunities for growth, and office culture. He highlights a tool they use called the Annual Compensation and Benefits Summary, which helps candidates and employers see the full value of a job offer. He stresses that money alone doesn’t retain employees; feeling valued and having a positive culture are crucial.

They discuss challenges such as wage transparency among employees and the financial risks of hiring at unsustainable salaries. Both agree that practices should be patient in hiring the right people and avoid rushing to fill positions with “warm bodies.” Alan encourages recruiting outside traditional dental roles by focusing on personality and fit, since skills can be taught but attitude cannot.

They also mention Bent Ericksen’s HR conference focused on leadership and culture, with plans for future events. The episode closes with Alan offering a free worksheet for calculating total compensation to help practices and encourages listeners to focus on building a sustainable, engaging workplace culture.

If you want the worksheet or more info, you can get it through the show notes or contact Dayna directly.