1106: Great Onboarding — Secret to Long-Term Retention - Jenni Poulos

Great onboarding does more than teach a new team member how to do a job. It creates clarity, connection, and a path toward long-term success in the practice. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Jenni Poulos, ACT Dental coach, about why retention begins before a team member’s first day and how a structured onboarding process can help new hires become confident, independent contributors. You’ll learn the essential elements of effective onboarding, how to create a support system for new hires, and how to use the 333 framework to guide development through the first three days, three weeks, and three months.

For a practical roadmap to improve onboarding and team retention, listen to Episode 1106 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Retention begins during onboarding, when new team members start deciding whether the practice matches what they were promised during the hiring process.
• New hires need clarity around their responsibilities, measures of success, decision-making authority, and where to go for help.
• Belonging is created through intentional preparation, including having systems, logins, trainers, and team members ready before the new hire arrives.
• Shadowing alone is not a complete training process because new hires need a structured development plan rather than learning only from what happens during the day.
• A small committee of leaders, trainers, and culture-focused team members can provide different types of support and feedback throughout onboarding.
• The 333 framework establishes milestones for a new hire’s first three days, three weeks, and three months, with increasing levels of competency and independence.
• Consistent feedback throughout the first 90 days ensures that expectations are clear and prevents the formal review from being the first time a new team member hears about a concern.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Why great onboarding supports long-term retention

02:11 Onboarding should be an intentional experience

04:07 The questions new team members are asking

08:12 Defining roles, responsibilities, and measures of success

12:59 Why shadowing alone is not training

14:03 Creating a committee of success and normalizing feedback

16:00 Introducing the 333 onboarding framework

20:39 What success should look like after three weeks

28:00 Final thoughts and the 333 Onboarding Guide

Guest Bio:

Jenni brings to dental teams a literal lifetime of experience in dentistry. As the daughter and sister of periodontists and a dental hygienist, she has been working in many facets of the dental world since she first held a summer job turning rooms and pouring models at the age of 12. Now, with over 10 years of experience in managing and leading a large periodontal practice, she has a firm grasp on what it takes to run a thriving business. Her passion for organizational health and culture has been a driving force behind her coaching career. She has witnessed firsthand how creating an aligned and engaged team will take a practice to levels of success that they never believed possible!

Episode Resources:

333 Onboarding Guide: https://hub.smilesource.com/c/resources/3-3-3-onboarding-model

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: gina@actdental.com
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
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