Join Dr. Richard Offutt as he sits down with Kara Kelley, founder and CEO of Clinical HR, to discuss how dental practices can strengthen their teams and reduce turnover through strategic HR. Kara shares how culture, compliance, and communication can be powerful tools for recruitment and retention—especially in today's competitive dental job market.
Learn why "competing with culture" matters more than competing on pay, how to create systems that support your people, and how simple communication can transform team loyalty and performance.
00:00 – Welcome and guest introduction
01:15 – How Kara found her way into HR and dentistry
03:25 – The evolution of HR awareness in dental practices
06:30 – What today's employees actually want from benefits
09:30 – Balancing rising costs and team expectations
11:20 – Using HR as a recruitment and retention tool
13:15 – Building culture and compliance together
15:25 – Competing with DSOs through culture, not dollars
18:40 – Retaining employees in a shifting job market
20:35 – Educating your team on total compensation and benefits
23:10 – The importance of recognition and appreciation
25:30 – Lessons Kara wishes she had learned sooner
28:00 – Final thoughts and how to access Kara's free resource
Strategic HR Matters
Culture Over Compensation
Retention Through Recognition
Education & Transparency
Kara Kelley is the founder and CEO of Clinical HR, a consulting firm that helps dental practice owners build compliant, people-first teams. With a background in HR and business development, Kara specializes in strategic solutions that help dentists recruit, retain, and engage great employees.
Website: simplifydds.com
Podcast: Available on all major platforms
Topics: dental HR, team retention, dental culture, employee appreciation, HR compliance, dental recruiting, leadership in dentistry, practice management, dental business strategy