As we all know, digital media and communication channels are a flurry of activity lately!  Our team at TempStars has been seeing a couple of conversations online and received a handful of e-mails discussing the topic of hourly rates of dental hygienists and assistants lately.  So I thought it would be a good idea to clarify a few points that have come up, in terms of how our service operates.  Especially in these crazy times where there are such opportunities for misunderstandings and misinformation, I think it’s critical that we keep communication transparent and flowing.  

Case in point, we’ve had some questions from dentists and office managers wondering if TempStars might have an influence on the hourly rates of dental hygienists and assistants.  As TempStars success grows and we become more prominent on the dental scene, it’s natural to wonder if the rise of hourly rates is related to the growth and success of TempStars.

In this case, the famous scientific dictum “Correlation does not equal causation,” applies here.  It turns out, when we looked into the matter deeply, that while TempStars is operating in an environment where hourly rates are going up, we are reflecting the trends in the job market, rather than influencing them.

How do we know this?  Our team is constantly reaching out and having conversations with dental office owners, managers, hygienists and assistants in new areas.   And whether we’re reaching new cities in Canada, or expanding further in the United States, I can tell you, even in areas that had not even heard of TempStars, the experience is the same for every dental office owner and manager – it’s extremely hard to find people to hire, and the hourly rates have been going up over the past 18 months.  

And this is true for all industries – trades, hospitality, health care – everywhere we’re seeing a shortage of available good people and wages are on the rise.  

It’s human nature when there is stress or frustration to search for a simple cause.  And it’s tempting for some, because we as a service are successful and growing quickly, to point a finger at TempStars and wonder “Might TempStars be having an impact on this situation?”  

But for those 1000’s of dental offices across North America who trust and use our service daily, they know that we don’t set or dictate hourly rates.  Our Proposed Rate and Counter-Offer features provide a balanced approach to hourly rates, putting control of hourly rates in the hands of dentists & office managers and the dental hygienists and assistants they connect with.  So you can see, the hourly rates flowing through TempStars are indicative of the underlying dental job market forces, not the cause of them.

By reducing the friction and making it fast and easy for good dental offices and good dental professionals to find and connect with each other for temping and hiring, we’re committed to making a positive impact on the lives of all dental professionals.  And as a practicing dentist myself, I take that responsibility seriously to ensure that as we grow and evolve, that TempStars is serving the wants and needs of everyone who uses our platform.

TempStars is always a work in progress, and as we all know, these past 18 months have been a rodeo – but our whole team is listening and responding to the feedback, insights and frustrations of dental office owners, managers, dental hygienists, assistants and all dental professionals, and continually refining and optimizing how we provide our service.  We’re always working to improve the ways we foster trust, transparency and happy connections between everyone involved.  Be well, everyone!