By Rob Rector and Terry Lane
As a physician considering new opportunities, there is a valuable resource available to you – the physician recruiter. Today’s physician recruiter is a storehouse of knowledge and contacts, and in most cases, you can take advantage of the many services the physician recruiter offers at absolutely no cost! The following tips are from Rob Rector, Vice President of Recruiting at Pinnacle Health Group. These tips will help you to maximize this relationship and will give you a brief look at the world of physician recruiting from the recruiters’ perspective.
Tip #1: Choose Wisely
- Choose a recruiter who specializes in physicians ONLY. Reason: Physician recruiters spend all of their time concentrating in one area, therefore, they know the market, they know physicians, they know the terminology, they know about contracts and licensing, they have better contacts. You will get better service from a recruiter who specializes ONLY in physician placements.
- Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Legitimate recruiters/recruiting firms will not expect you to use them exclusively.
- Be wary of firms that throw your CV around indiscriminately. You should know when and where your CV is being submitted BEFORE it is sent. Some firms send out CVs en mass in the hopes that someone “will bite”.
- Choose recruiters/recruiting firms who are members of the National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR). NAPR members must adhere to strict ethical guidelines and standards.
- Choose recruiters/recruiting firms with a record of success and a minimum of five years’ experience in the physician recruiting field.
- Be wary of recruiters who charge you money for their services. The client generally pays all of the fees associated with the recruitment process. Ask your recruiter up front if there are any fees that you will be expected to pay.
Tip #2: Lay Your Cards on the Table
- It is a universal understanding that there are three types of people who won’t divulge any of your secrets: a priest, a lawyer, and a doctor – right? Well add one more, your recruiter. Now is the time to lay your cards on the table. Be open, honest, up front, and don’t hold back. Your recruiter needs to understand what you want and need, what has worked for you, what hasn’t and why not. Are there gaps in your employment or educational history? Have you been terminated or do you have other issues that could be misinterpreted or considered as negative? It’s better to bring them up right away than to let them be “discovered” down the road.
- Talk to your recruiter about your family. What are their needs? Do you have a child who requires special education? Does your family have a strong love of the arts or sports? Do you care for an elderly parent who requires specialized services? All of these requirements need to be considered and factored in to your overall job-hunting strategy, and the more your recruiter understands your family’s needs, the better he or she will be able to find you an opportunity that will be beneficial for everyone.
- Be honest about salary. What are your expectations? Where are you now and what are your goals? Discuss salary goals with your recruiter as part of your planning strategy.
Tip #3: Expect Superior Service
- Some recruiters will help you with your CV. Pinnacle Health Group will re-type and re-format your CV before sending it out to clients. A good recruiter wants to present you at your best.
- Your recruiter should spend time getting to know you. This requires some time talking on the phone, or perhaps an in-person visit, prior to your client interview. A good recruiter wants to get a feel for your personality and likes and dislikes so he or she can place you in an amicable position.
- You should feel that your recruiter is patient, knowledgeable, and informative. He or she should take the time to explain things to you, answer your questions, and help you to make the right decisions.
- Professional recruiting companies often negotiate contracts and signing bonuses. “We’re actually the one that sets up the contracts, we know contracts backwards and forwards,” explains Rector, adding “we can also provide help with licensure and credentialing.”
- Some recruiters like Pinnacle Health Group take the time to actually visit and experience each opportunity. These firms give you a much more detailed description and do a better job of matching you to the best opportunity.
Tip #4: Formulate a Strategy
- The recruiter will try to give you as much information up front as possible. If he/she is familiar with the client, he/she will tell you how they operate, what kinds of things they will expect, etc.
- The recruiter will want to fully understand what your primary interests are, the needs of your family, what kind of community you want to live in, if you require special schools, etc.
- You will discuss your salary range, where you are, where you want to be, if they offer a signing bonus, if you have outstanding student loans, if you’ve experienced financial difficulties in the past, if you’ve declared bankruptcy, if you have malpractice coverage, etc.
- Your recruiter will provide you with a blank copy of the contract prior to your visit. It is important to the recruiter that you have looked at and understand the contract.
- Before going on your interview, your recruiter wants to take a step back and see “the big picture”. This is so you can get the most out of your interview trip. When you and your recruiter plan a strategy, you will incorporate into your plan all of the questions you might have, places you want to visit, and people you want to meet. This strategy does not only include needs pertaining to the opportunity, but to the community and your family as well. Here are some of the elements that you will need to outline with your recruiter when planning your strategy:
- With the strategy plan in place, there won’t be any “surprises” on your interview, you will be fully prepared and will make the most efficient use of time and money by knowing ahead of time what questions to ask and what tasks need to be accomplished during your trip.
Tip #5: Get Out of Your Own Way
- Inflexibility – Often, a physician may set down very rigid criteria concerning their expectations (specific minimum salary, specific town, specific practice type), the more inflexible your criteria, the fewer opportunities you have to consider. Rob Rector recommends using the “80% Rule” – if the position provides 80% of your criteria, you should go for it, because that is rare.
- Holding back information – In today’s age of electronic information, it is nearly impossible to hide records for very long. No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, there is a record of it somewhere and it is bound to turn up sooner or later. Holding back information makes for an awkward situation down the road, and puts you, your recruiter, and your employer in a tough spot. It is best to be honest up front and share your concerns with your recruiter. He/she has dealt with an array of human problems during their career and has the experience necessary to give you sound advice. Your best bet is to proceed honestly on all counts.
- Communication problems – Being hard to reach or not getting back to your recruiter delays progress. Your recruiter needs to be able to reach you. If you interview for a position and decide it’s not right for you, don’t delay, tell your recruiter immediately so he/she can begin looking for something else for you, and can continue to look for another physician to fill that opportunity. Delays in communication waste time and money.
- Sometimes, a physician may limit his or her own opportunities by failing to take advantage of the many services and tools the recruiter is able to offer. The most common ones are outlined below:
It’s important to point out that while the recruiter is paid by the client, it is just as important to him or her that the physician is successful and happy in their new position. “You can’t put a square peg in a round hole,” explains Rector, adding “It doesn’t help us out if we place somebody who is a bad fit, the bottom line is, if you look at our role, we are a third party, we’re like a real estate agent-our job is to bring two parties together. In addition, good information from both parties will keep the recruiter candidate relationship efficient and affective. Many of the tips above rely on good communication and good service from the recruiter or the recruiters you choose.