Proper planning is essential when setting up interviews with physician candidates. What’s your style? Are you an impromptu interviewer or do you plan it out down to the last detail? It is important to keep in mind that how much consideration you put into the interview can be the difference between getting the right physician for the job, getting no one, or worse, getting the wrong physician.
Recruitment firms are great to work with while you are looking for a candidate that fulfills your requirements. They investigate your needs, find qualified candidates who are open and available to your opportunity, facilitate interviews, and act as a liaison between you and the interviewing candidates to ensure a smooth running process from start to finish.
If you use a recruitment firm, they will do most of the initial legwork for you by comparing the job qualifications of the open position with the candidates’ qualifications. Before setting up interviews, candidates that meet your qualifications will be presented to you along with all pertinent background information. You will then choose which ones to interview.
Once you and the candidate have decided to proceed with an interview, the recruitment firm should help you coordinate the event. Be aware that physician interviews generally last one to two days and comprise of not only the interview, but also a tour of the medical facilities, residential areas, and town. The interviewer should reimburse the candidate for all related trip expenses. If the candidate has family, you will want them to be included since they will play a definitive role in the physician’s decision.
Below we have outlined some important things to keep in mind when you plan and execute your interviews. Some of these tips may be obvious to you while others may not. Remember that the more effort you put into the interview, the more successful you will be at signing up the right doctor.
Before An Interview:
• Define your goal and set clear objectives. Always keep in mind that you must select the best candidate for the job and promote your organization to them.
•Organize your interview strategy and plan things out beforehand. Remember the candidate will be watching and making his/her own judgement calls based on the interview experience.
• Know what skills and behaviors a candidate must have to successfully fill the position. Do not overlook such things as the physician’s personality and demeanor.
• Be prepared by reviewing the candidate’s curriculum vitae and all other background information before the interview.
• Plan a detailed itinerary that includes such things as a meeting with a real estate agent for a tour of the community, tour of the medical facilities and offices, luncheon with important members of the medical staff, and dinner with key members of the community. You may also include a tour of available recreational activities, an introduction to people of similar backgrounds and interests, and a visit to the local schools.
• Prepare your questions ahead of time and be ready to answer the candidate’s questions. You may want to write down your questions and research answers to possible questions that the candidate will ask you.
• Formulate a comprehensive job description of the position you want to fill. This will help you focus your search and identify the right questions to ask.
• Make sure the questions you will ask are legal and not biased by sex, age, race, religion, marital status, or disability.
• Before beginning the interview process, organize a short meeting with all parties involved to stress the importance of the interview and the significance of being flexible with schedules. Keep in mind that the interview process will become more complex as more individuals become involved.
• Get proper rest the night before the interview so you are alert and in the right frame of mind.
During The Interview
• Do not be late for the interview as it is rude and unprofessional.
• Recruit the spouse as well as the candidate. S/he will play an important role in the decision-making process.
• There exists a highly competitive market for physicians. Therefore, do not compare physicians but rather evaluate each one based on his/her own qualifications.
• Show courtesy by holding all your calls while you are interviewing.
• Be pleasant and help the candidate feel comfortable. You may want to use easygoing small talk to find a common ground at the start of the interview. In addition, you may choose to conduct the interview away from your desk.
• Actively direct the interview and follow a preplanned schedule. Otherwise, you will lose control of the process and, thereby, lose the candidate.
• Use empathy, not sympathy. Empathy means you understand while sympathy means you feel sorry for the person. When you become emotionally involved during the interview process, you can lose your objectivity.
• Read between the lines in order to determine what is being said versus what is meant. You may ask the candidate to share three accomplishments s/he is proud of and ask for more detail if the answer is too general. This can say a lot about who s/he is and what motivates him/her.
• Accurately explain and describe the position to the candidates. Ask them if they have any questions.
• Project the proper image of your organization to the candidate and nurture their interest. However, always be honest. Never exaggerate or lie.
• Remember that the candidate is watching and interviewing you just as you are interviewing and watching him/her.
• Give the candidate your business card and stay in contact with him/her and the search consultant.
• Respect the candidate’s desire to keep the process confidential and be mindful of his/her time. Candidates do not want to show signs to their employer that they are interviewing by frequently being away from the office or leaving town on short notice.
• Little things mean a lot. Focus on details like: convenient rides to and from the airport, smooth transitions from one interviewer to the next without giving a feeling of being rushed through; evening activities planned if the candidate is in town for several days; welcome baskets at the candidate’s hotel, and a meeting with interviewers at the end of the visit to exchange feedback and explain the next step.
• Understand the candidate’s position. By taking the job, s/he will be uprooting family and saying goodbye to friends. If the spouse works, s/he will also need to find a new job and children will have to adapt to new schools and make new friends. Consider how you can make this transition easier for the selected candidate.
• Try to make your decision based upon the first on-site interview. If you and the recruiter have implemented things properly, there will not be a need for a second interview.
After The Interview
•Convey hiring decisions right away. If a candidate is not going to work out, let the recruitment firm know as soon as possible. They will be grateful for your honesty and for getting back with them promptly. Recruitment firms are a great resource in this situation since they will contact the candidate with your decision.
• Reimburse the candidate’s interview expenses as quickly as possible.
• Remember to use the recruitment firm as a third party mediator. This will help you maintain a positive relationship with the chosen candidate and avoid any possible miscommunications.
Keep in mind that an on-site interview is 20 percent professional and 80 percent social. You may be the interviewer, but the candidate will also be evaluating you, the opportunity, and the community. If the physician has 80 percent of what you are looking for, you should offer him/her the contract. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.