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The business
Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH) was launched in 1996 by third-generation dentist David Hudaly. The firm works in partnership with local primary care trusts and the Department of Health (DoH) to provide access to NHS and private dental care.
IDH has grown into the UK's largest owner of NHS dental practices with more than 150 branches nationwide and a headcount of 2,000. In 2006, the public firm reverted to a private company with Legal & General as partner. IDH now has an annual turnover in the region of £80m.
The challenge
On the eve of 2003, the UK was facing a serious dentist shortage. Too few qualified graduates were coming through the system, and a DoH paper suggested a shortfall of approximately 1,000 dentists and growing. IDH alone was down by about 100 staff.
The solution
IDH knew it had to act fast to fill its staff gap. Recruitment consultant Jo Weir, who had previously worked with the company, was brought in full-time to hatch a plan to source experienced dentists from abroad.
The planning was meticulous. Weir and chief executive Hudaly travelled to a number of European countries, including Poland, Spain and Portugal, to research the market and observe clinical standards. "We were very impressed by the standards we encountered," says Weir.
IDH was keen to recruit from countries with a surplus of dentists. "We did not want to be seen to 'rob' dentists from other countries," she explains.
Within the year, Weir put in place recruitment agency partners in target countries and created a direct recruitment team in-house. "When I joined, the business was relatively unsophisticated, with an emphasis on growth," she says.
She reorganised the business and put in place a team of three recruitment professionals, including a relocation manager promoted from within.
However, a major hurdle was looming: government foot-dragging meant IDH was still unsure
