logo 50 | the Camlog Partner Magazine logo 50 | the Camlog Partner Magazine 38 | Practice Management Practice Management | 39 PRACTICE MANAGEAndrea Stix, M.Sc., MBA Strategic consultancy which depression has greatly increased in this generation and describes young people as having low mental stability, being strongly influenced by social, hedonistic and materialistic values and with a high need for self-determination, fulfilment of purpose and self-realization. Status quo Consequently, post-millennials represent a generation which finds it harder to commit to an employer, is demotivated more quickly and therefore looks for more reasons other than an adequate salary to commit to a company long-term. This poses the question of how a practice should position itself these days to find suitable young staff. However, the situation has changed considerably and not only with regard to trainees - who represent the potential of tomorrow. The apparent increasing shortage of skilled staff also clearly affects all dental practices. While the ratio of dentists in general practice to employees has remained relatively stable over the past 10 years, increasing from 4.5 to 5, the market has nevertheless become an employee's market over the same period. Baby boomers, the cohort born between 1955 and 1969, are already having an impact on employment figures. The largest decline in personnel in the Federal Republic is therefore forecast for the coming years. One important measure will be, to start focusing specifically on qualified and loyal practice personnel now. Emotional proximity as a benchmark According to the 2020 Gallup study, 61 percent of respondents in a variety of industries stated they plan to stay with their current employer in the future, down from 73 percent for the same period last year. In this study, 83 percent confirmed little or no emotional commitment to their current employer. Feeling being burned out was experienced by 35 percent of respondents, which is nine percent more than in the previous year's survey. Same as in the AOK Absenteeism Report 2022, the study highlights the causality between employee loyalty as well as socially oriented management and absenteeism. In addition to absences due to training, there are absences due to illness as well as motivational absences. A high level of sick leave could therefore be an indicator of emotional detachment from the company. Employee loyalty through benefits Promoting healthy and motivating conditions in the company helps to reduce absenteeism. And it also strengthens health-conscious behavior: in a good working atmosphere, employees are more willing to compensate for absences by working extra hours. An important task for management is therefore to take a close look at absenteeism, analyze employee satisfaction and then draw conclusions. Benefits - whether rational or emotional - are essential in dentistry today, as they are the reason why potential employees are interested in a practice and why employees remain loyal to their practice long-term. In my next article, I will therefore take a closer look at various options for enhancing employee loyalty. A problem of our times In its current training report, the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) states that among 25 possible training options, the profession of dental assistants ranks second to last. Since 2016, training to become a dental assistant has already been ranked under the heading of "occupations with the worst ratings". And even within this sector, the popularity of an apprenticeship in this profession has declined steadily in recent years. In the survey conducted as part of a study by the Association of Medical Professions, 30 percent of DA trainees in their third year of training responded with a clear "no" to the question of whether they would like to continue working in this profession after completing their training; 42 percent were undecided. Only 27 percent of respondents envisaged themselves continuing in the profession after completing their training, compared with an average of 61 percent at the start. The Statistical Yearbook of the German Dental Association 21/22 substantiates these figures: across all apprenticeship years, there is in fact a discontinuation rate of 38.3 percent. However, this not only includes discontinuations, but also changes in employers. This high rate epitomizes how disillusioned or demotivated young career starters apparently feel during training and raises the question of what distinguishes them from previous generations. Reflections on generations Generation Z - the population cohort born between 1995 and 2010 - is growing up under significantly different economic, cultural and political conditions compared with earlier cohorts. According to the study "Youth in Germany 2022", Generation Z shows little confidence in the future. However, if the outlook for future prospects is lacking, this will have serious consequences for commitment to the present. A German meta-study from 2021 confirms that the generation, also known as post-millennials, stands out on the labor market as being security-conscious, success-oriented, inquisitive, digitally oriented and autonomously educated. However, it is also the most sensitive and anxious cohort measured to date. In 2019, the "Journal of Abnormal Psychology" presented a study according to » The fact is: satisfied employees are dedicated, productive and also take a greater interest in the future of a practice. This does not necessarily have to go hand in hand with genuine loyalty - but certainly with quality of work, stability and harmony in the team, because satisfied employees also consider themselves as being part of the company in the future. And vice versa, dissatisfied employees influence the future viability of a company. Particularly in the medical services sector, it is the team that shapes the corporate Indifferent or loyal? Lessons learned
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