Dental interview questions: what to ask and what to avoid

This post is general information from published sources. It is not legal advice. Have an employment attorney review your interview questions and forms.

What should a dental interview cover?

A dental interview should test whether the candidate can do the job and fit the team. Start from the written job description. Ask the same core questions of each candidate, and write down the answers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gives a view of what the work involves. For dental assistants, it lists duties such as preparing patients and the work area, sterilizing instruments, handing instruments to dentists, keeping records, and scheduling appointments. It also says duties vary by state and by office. Use that as a prompt, then match your questions to your own office.

What does the EEOC say about interview questions?

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says information requested in pre-employment steps should be limited to what is essential to decide whether a person is qualified. It says information about race, sex, national origin, age, and religion is irrelevant to that decision.

The EEOC page adds that employers are explicitly prohibited from making pre-offer inquiries about disability. It also says employers should not ask for a photograph, and that one may be obtained after an offer is made and accepted if it is needed for identification. A question that screens out people in a protected group may be used as evidence of intent to discriminate unless a business purpose supports it.

The page points to several topics that carry risk in pre-employment inquiries. These include race, height and weight, financial information, citizenship, marital status and number of children, religious beliefs, and medical questions.

Which questions help and which should you skip?

Swap personal questions for job-related ones. The table shows examples of the idea. It is not a legal clearance of any wording.

Pre-offer disability inquiries are a special case. The EEOC says the law requires reasonable accommodation for an applicant with a disability, unless it causes significant difficulty or expense. If a candidate asks for a change to the process, such as a sign language interpreter, the employer is required to provide it so long as that does not cause significant difficulty or expense.

What skills and behavior questions fit a dental office?

Ask about real tasks and past behavior in plain words. Examples that fit most roles:

1. Tell me about a time you had to follow a strict protocol. What did you do?
2. How do you keep track of tasks when the schedule changes?
3. A patient is upset about a wait. What do you say?
4. A colleague skips a step in a procedure. What do you do?
5. What do you want to learn in this job?

The BLS page on dental assistants lists qualities such as detail orientation, dexterity, interpersonal skills, listening skills, and organizational skills. It says assistants must follow specific rules and protocols, such as infection control procedures. Questions about protocol and detail match that description. See the glossary entry for infection control.

For other roles, use the job description for that role. The office manager vs. practice manager post shows how duties differ between offices. For a dental hygienist role, ask about dental hygienist duties allowed in your state, and check the Missouri Dental Board for current rules.

Should you use a working interview or a skills test?

Use one only after you check the rules. The ADA lists working interviews and skills assessments as two hiring tools in a resource for members, with a short description of the differences. The public page does not give details. Pay, insurance, and licensing rules for trial work vary, and tests must be job-related. The EEOC says a required test must be necessary and related to the job. Ask your attorney before you add one.

How do you run a fair interview?

A simple routine reduces bias and gives you better notes:

1. Write the questions before the first interview.
2. Ask each candidate the same core set.
3. Take notes on job-related facts only.
4. Score each answer against the job description.
5. Check references with the same questions for each candidate.
6. Keep records as your attorney advises.

The EEOC page also says it is illegal to give a negative or false employment reference because of a protected characteristic. Keep that in mind when you give references for former employees.

What comes after the interview?

Make the offer in writing, state the pay and schedule, and set up onboarding. Then start the employee handbook review on day one. See dental employee handbook contents for sections to include, and how to hire a dental assistant for a role-specific walkthrough.

Next step

For the full hiring process from job ad to retention, read hire and keep a dental team. To ask about hiring and team topics, Contact Dr. Copeland about consulting.