How to Handle “Quiet Quitting” at Your Dental Practice

If you’ve noticed a dip in enthusiasm, productivity, or overall morale at your practice, you might be dealing with “quiet quitting.” 

By no means a new trend, the term “quiet quitting” has gained popularity in recent years. A symptom of it is when employees no longer go above and beyond their job responsibilities. They either do the bare minimum to meet the expectations of their role or even do less than that if allowed. 

These employees aren’t actively quitting. They’re simply disengaged — checked out mentally and emotionally. 

Let’s look at disengagement and how you can handle it at your dental practice.

What Are Some Reasons for Employee Disengagement

It’s important to understand that people don’t disengage from work because they want to. More often, it’s a result of unmet needs or feelings of frustration. Here are some of the most common reasons for employee disengagement:

Burnout and Workload Imbalance

Dental practices can be fast-paced environments, and sometimes employees get overwhelmed by heavy workloads. If team members feel they are shouldering an unfair load and are constantly running on empty, it can lead to burnout. 

Without a proper work-life balance or enough time to recharge, employees may withdraw to preserve their energy, only completing what is strictly necessary.

Lack of Recognition and Appreciation

Everyone likes to feel valued. When employees go the extra mile but don’t get recognized, it’s easy for them to lose motivation. Poor communication, especially when feedback is infrequent or negative, can exacerbate this feeling of being underappreciated.

Negative Work Environment

A negative or toxic culture can drive employees away — either mentally or physically. This might look like unresolved conflicts or even simple things like gossip or lack of support. When employees feel like they’re not in a positive environment, they’re less likely to invest their time and energy.

Signs of Quiet Quitting 

Here are some key signs of quiet quitting if it’s already happening at your dental practice: 

• Decreased enthusiasm and effort.
• Drop in initiative.
• Poor communication and collaboration.
• Increased absenteeism and tardiness.
• Declining quality of work.

As you can imagine, all of these behaviors may adversely affect your patients, your other employees, and the success of your practice as a whole. 

How to Prevent Quiet Quitting at Your Dental Practice

Let’s talk about ways to improve your practice culture and stop quiet quitting before it becomes an issue at your practice. Here are a few proactive steps you can take as you build a successful practice:

1. Foster a Culture of Open Communication and Feedback

Make sure your team knows they can approach you with concerns or ideas for improvement. Then take it one step further. Schedule regular feedback sessions, whether it’s through one-on-one meetings or team huddles, to create opportunities for employees to feel heard.

2. Provide Opportunities for Growth and Development

Most people have an innate desire to grow personally and professionally. You can help them meet this need by offering in-house training and workshops as well as other opportunities for professional development. If possible, create room to grow within the practice, through promotions, new roles, or skill-building opportunities. 

3. Recognize and Appreciate Contributions

Everyone wants to be appreciated. Make it a habit to recognize your team’s work with a simple “thank you” or a small gesture of recognition. Pair these more frequent recognitions with periodic opportunities to celebrate practice wins and appreciate the contributions of the entire team. A team that feels valued is more likely to remain engaged.

4. Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance

The demands of working in a dental practice can be hard on everyone — from the senior dentist to the front office staff. That doesn’t mean anyone at the practice should sacrifice their wellbeing. Provide a time-off policy that respects your team’s needs, then encourage them to use it. A well-rested team is more productive and engaged. 

5. Build a Supportive and Collaborative Work Environment

Create a culture where teamwork is valued. Encourage collaboration, and make sure there’s support for everyone, whether it’s through mentorship or peer feedback. When employees feel like they’re part of a supportive team, they’re more likely to stay motivated.

What to Do If an Employee Has Already Disengaged

Employee management is an ongoing duty of a practice owner or their dedicated HR person. If a member of your team is showing signs of quiet quitting, here’s how to handle it:

Have a direct and compassionate conversation. Have a one-on-one to understand how they’re feeling. Listen with empathy and acknowledge their concerns without judgment.

Address concerns and rebuild trust. Tackle specific issues like workload or team conflicts. Be open to adjusting your management style to rebuild trust.

Set clear, realistic expectations. Measurable and time-bound goals help restore accountability and give the employee clear direction.

It is important to make a good-faith effort for long-term retention, which can benefit you from a turnover perspective but may also be important in terms of employment law. 

Managing Your Dental Practice Team From Recruitment to Long-Term Retention

Quiet quitting can quietly affect the morale and productivity of your dental practice, but with a proactive approach, you can address disengagement before it becomes a bigger issue.

As an added benefit, these proactive steps can become the cornerstone of your people management philosophy at your practice. 

Effectively managing a dental practice team requires knowledge and skills you probably didn’t learn in dental school, but you can become more familiar with. Get started today with our complimentary Managing People in Your Dental Practice Ebook. 

About Treloar & Heisel

Treloar & Heisel, an EPIC Company, is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.

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