Physician Recruiting Marketplace - Part 2

As a member of the National Association of Physician Recruiters (http://www.napr.org/), I've recently had the privilege of seeing an article prepared by Tammy Jamison, a Senior Physician & Executive Recruiter with the Lehigh Valley Hospital & Health Network in Allentown, PA. Tammy's article is filled with statistics about the physician recruiting market. I'd like to share some of her well researched details with you.

The Changing Face of Medicine
International Medical Graduates (IMG's)

Not too many years ago, by far the majority of physicians were Caucasian males born and raised in the US. Today, 27% of physicians in training are international medical school graduates (IMGs). According to the AMA, IMGs make up 25% of the total physician population in the US.

The specialties that have the highest percentages of IMGs in residency programs are:

• Pathology - 44%
• Internal Medicine - 40%
• Neurology - 35%
• Psychiatry - 35%
  

Women

In 2004, women accounted for 25.2% of the physician workforce, and 41% of physicians in training programs were women. This number will increase because women make up the majority of medical school applicants for the first time in the 2003-2004 school year. It is predicted that by the year 2010, approximately 40% of US physicians will be women.

The specialties with the highest percentage of women in training are:

• OB/GYN - 74%
• Dermatology - 58%

The specialties with the lowest percentage of women in training are:

• Orthopedic Surgery - 9%
• Urology - 15%
• Otolaryngology - 21%
  

Orthopedic surgery is considered one of the last "holdouts" in the field, and yet orthopedics is one of the areas of greatest need. Due to historical dearth of women in this field, we unfortunately cannot look at the female physician candidate pool to meet the needs in orthopedics in the near future.


Women are more likely to be in employed arrangements than self-employed. According to the AMS, 60% of female physicians are currently employed compared to 31% of their male counterparts. Also, female physicians on average work 25% fewer hours than male physicians.

Employer/Candidate Differing Goals

While we have shown that the face of medicine has changed in educational background and gender, there has been another less obvious change, and that is a change in attitude. Today's young physicians are just as interested in practicing good medicine as were their predecessors, but they are more interested in balancing work and free time than their predecessors were. Also, they are not as likely to spend their entire careers in the same practice.

New physicians in increasing numbers are seeking part-time or flexible hours, and this interest is not just limited to women. Recent surveys of graduating pediatric residents found 58% of the females and 15% of the males have a strong interest in part-time work. Since by far the majority of practices are seeking full-time physicians, this, too contrasts with the preferences of physician candidates.

Employers must understand the extreme change that has occurred in our culture over the past 25 years that has influenced this generation, resulting in:

• A lack of organizational loyalty
• Greater focus on leisure and personal activities
• More time required with family
• Increased occurrence of relocation for spouses' careers
• Aversion to financial risk due to high debt load

These factors not only impact which jobs new physicians will consider, but also which specialties graduating medical students will select. Students are increasingly drawn to" controllable" specialties; such as anesthesiology, dermatology and emergency medicine. According to the National Residency Matching Program, from 1997 to 2002 the numbers of new physicians pursuing residencies in anesthesiology and dermatology have increased by 288% and 39% respectively.

Physicians who are seeking new associates are not responding well to the expectation of their potential partners. Older physicians often have the attitude that they paid their dues (for example four years to partnership), so their new associates should, as well. This is creating a significant cultural clash, and is making recruiting more challenging.

The changing face of medicine will require different strategies for practices and systems which employ physicians. The shift will be complicated and those who "can't" bridge the generations may fail in their quest to have a full complement of staff for their practices....we will learn more from Tammy's article in the next installment. For now,

Happy and healthy hiring,
Lynden

Physician Recruiting Marketplace

As a member of the National Association of Physician Recruiters (www.napr.org), I've recently had the privilege of seeing an article prepared by Tammy Jamison, a Senior Physician & Executive Recruiter with the Lehigh Valley Hospital & Health Network in Allentown, PA. Tammy's article is filled with statistics about the physician recruiting market. I'd like to share some of her well researched details with you.

Healthcare systems and independent group practices across the country are realizing that recruiting top quality physicians is becoming increasingly challenging. Factors creating these challenges include a shortage of available candidates, more competition for that limited number of candidates, a change in the complexion of the candidate pool, differences between what employers expect and what physicians are seeking, and economic pressures.

The key to being successful in recruiting physicians is to take a strategic approach that involves continuously analyzing the market, identifying obstacles, developing strategies to overcome those obstacles and monitoring the effectiveness of those strategies.

Candidate Shortage
We are now in the midst of a greatly debated though generally agreed upon shortage of physicians to meet current and future needs. The methodologies used for calculating supply and demand vary, but organizations such as the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association are taking the shortage prediction seriously. AAMC is considering expanding medical school capacity by 15%, and the American Medical Association favors increasing residency positions.

A growing body of evidence supports the viewpoint of Richard Cooper, MD, Director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Policy Institute, who predicts a shortage of 50,000 physicians by 2010 and 200,000 by 2020. Recent statistics provided by the National Study of Graduate Medical Education support Dr. Cooper's predictions and report that from '95 to '02 cardiology fellows declined by 27%, gastroenterology fellows declined by 19%, hematology/oncology fellows declined by 25%, and pulmonary fellows declined by 55%. Also, the American College of Cardiology reported the estimated need for cardiologists will increase by 66% by 2030, while the supply will only increase by 1% each year. Further, nearly two out of three practicing cardiologists are over the age 45.

Surveys of practicing physicians across the country have reveled widespread dissatisfaction. It is reported that as many as 30% of physicians over 50 plan to quit practicing in the next five years. While efforts are being made to increase the number of physicians for the future, practicing physicians over 50 are more likely to leave practice sooner than may be expected, depending on the economy and stock market. The American Medical Association reports that 38% of all physicians in the US are 50 years old or older.

Increased Competition for Candidates
As the need for physicians escalates, so must the efforts to recruit potential candidates. In a 2003 survey of final year residents, 43% of the residents surveyed had been contacted over 100 times about job opportunities, compared with 7% in a 2001 survey.

Today there are over 418 hospital-based physician recruiting departments with over 1,700 recruiters, and more than 750 physician recruitment firms in the US, all of which are competing for the same candidates.

I'll share more of Tammy's observations in another post (catch me to get her contact info if you'd like to contact her directly), but the overwhelming conclusion to be drawn from her statistics are that the physician shortage only emphasizes the need for recruiters and hiring authorities to be vigilent in their approach to hiring and to retention. It is crucial that those who are hiring recognize there simply aren't enough physicians to go around and that those that are available need to be considered based on their significant contribution to the communities they serve and the practices, and hospital systems they support.

More to come.

Happy Hiring and Interviewing Success,

Lynden

75% of Decision to Hire or Not is Based On......

From the moment you walk through the door of a potential new employer you experience what psychologists call the "threshold effect." From their first impression they determine the following:

-Your education level
-Your trustworthiness
-Your social position
-Your level of sophistication
-Your economic level

75% of the decision to hire or not hire an employee is based on appearance.

First impressions ARE important. Within the first three to four seconds of meeting someone they are already sizing you up. Within seven seconds of meeting someone they are already making judgments about you. Within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone new they have already made ELEVEN critical assumptions about you - all based on first impression.

When someone looks at a person they start with the eyes, quickly take in the rest of the body and go back to the eyes, BUT in one media study they found that if a person was wearing expensive, highly fashionable shoes, the body would be scanned twice, stopping at the shoes for twice as long. If the person's shoes were cracked, old, or unattractive, the observer would actually, but subtly frown.

Since people are already making "first impression" judgments about you, careless dress or appearance may distract the interviewer and therefore much of what you could actually bring to the job may never be explored. Your years of hard earned experience and a tony education might go unnoticed or be discounted all based on that distinctive first impression.

The end result is that your shoes and your entire appearance have a MASSIVE impact on the overall impression you make. Get a great interviewing outfit. Get great shoes and be sure they are polished. The investment is well worth the expense.

Happy Hiring & Interviewing Success
Lynden

Brand Management

This is a simple and easy concept for both employers and job seekers. The hiring transaction is all about brand management.

On the part of the employer, having a solid company "brand" to teach and share with potential new hires is crucial. Candidates are looking to every member of the interview panel/team as an example and resource about what the job and your company is all about. Your company's success with hiring on a large scale may well depend on how well your interviewers represent their experience, enthusiasm and passion for the vision, mission and values of your company. They are the animate representatives of the success of your business. Be sure that each and every one of them represents your hospital or practice; company or start up with the candor and decorum that infuses candidates with the culture, esprit and opportunity of working there.

If you are a candidate your entire career and how you have conducted yourself is your personal "brand". More and more you are responsible for representing yourself by your products (years of service; roles served; people managed; budgets balanced; new products developed; patients etc...) to others outside of the resume. The resume is a nice tool to support your brand, but you want to be sure you can speak to each and every accomplishment. Your professional life and how you've lived it is the product and how you promote it and "brand" it is the secret to your success.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden

Shock & Awe - Client Advice Post

Once upon a time, when I was a medical center executive, it was my night on call. Usually the administrator on call means nothing. No reason to do anything outside have a usually lovely evening with my family. One night sticks painfully in my memory. I was the administrator on call. The phone rang at 3:40 am. I woke and took the call. It was from the top night nursing representative. She said, "I've never had to do this before, but I'm calling the administrative representative on call - our air ambulance has dropped from radar. They can't be raised by radio. I don't know what to do."

I'm not always the calmest in a storm, but in this situation I think that I was still partially asleep and my brain wasn't ticking yet. "Thanks for the call. I will contact other administrative representatives and the hospital CEO. We will be in immediately and help you take it from here."

I arrived at work that morning at 5:30 and the rest of the day was a blur as we all tried to cope with the anguish of losing a team of paramedics; the pilot who was exceptional; and the patient. As the day drew on the details became clear. They were trying to transport a heart patient out of one of the smaller regional communities to our facility. There was a wicked snow storm happening and apparently ice took control of the wings during the flight. The plane was finally found. There were no survivors.

What does that story have to do with hiring in healthcare? It reminds us of our humanity. It teaches us that some days when a candidate shows up for a panel interview and bombs it, that perhaps there was some personal "bomb" happening in their lives - or in the lives of the people on the panel. As healthcare executives, we deal with the precariousness of life on a daily basis. We don't often pause to shift the focus of our schedules when things get really tough - perhaps we should.

Next time you have an interview and the candidate seems off, or if you've "had one of those days" perhaps the best thing to do is to be direct about your stresses and how they might be taking a toll on your ability to be an exceptional interviewer. It might be a greater and tougher day than most. Food for thought.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden

Elegant Negotiations - The Secret to Enthusiastic Onboarding

I recently had the pleasure of facilitating a new hire for a major medical center. The medical center had been recruiting for this position for a number of months and was convinced that bringing on someone in this specialty was going to make a huge difference to the bottom line and to the health and well being of a significant number of patients in the community.

It is often easy when in the nitty gritty of negotiating to get sidetracked by any number of things. However, employers who are clear about why they are hiring, recognize that getting lost in the minutiae of negotiation serves no one. My client however, did a masterful job of listening carefully to the expressed needs of the soon to be new employee. Her diligence and thoughtfulness, assured that we arrived at the other side of the negotiation with all parties feeling optimistic about the transaction and enthusiastic about the long term potential of working together to accomplish some really neat things once the new hire arrives to begin work.

The take away from this is simple – for the new hire expectations are personal; for the employer the stakes are relative. Even when seemingly deal breaker obstacles in negotiation surface, there is always a careful and purposeful way to assure both sides feel heard and that accommodations are made that meet the needs of both parties. In the situation with my client, the client merely kept the ultimate gain at the top of mind and the details took care of themselves.

Note, that over and over again, I’ve seen the power and finesse of the facilitated negotiation led by a sharp recruiter/search consultant. With the search executive as the go between, there is a buffer between enthusiastic expectations of the soon to be new hire and the reality of the prospective employer’s benefit package. The most significant contribution is that the search executive enables both parties to work out their issues conceptually in a safe space – within the conversation with between search executive and candidate/client. Then edges are smoothed for both parties as the negotiation proceeds. Most importantly, the recruiter can help prevent candidate “fall off” by testing the candidate’s expectations well in advance of the actual negotiation. With the up front known expectations of the candidate, the vision of the new hire’s contribution and the reality of the hiring company’s employment offering – the end product was a successful negotiation – both parties looking forward to a mutually successful future.

Happy & healthy hiring.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing

I just wanted to offer this as a resource to candidates and hiring authorities with interview stories. The Ladders is sponsoring a website called "The Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing." Located at http://sevendeadlysins.theladders.com/ it is humorous and spot on for things to be thoughtful about in an interview situation. I encourage you to check it out if you want to be thoughtful about interview prep or if you have a story to tell about an interviewee who "didn't get it."

Happy Hiring!

Let’s get back to the shoes….

I wrote last spring about making assumptions based on how people look. I spoke then about the importance of paying attention to detail when you want to make a good impression.

Here are some hard facts: We make 32 different assumptions about another person before he or she ever says a word. If you are the candidate getting ready for an interview – think about this. Preparing what you’re going to say, may not be as important as deciding what you want to wear.

As part of an interviewing team, we tend to establish rapport mostly with those we assume are like us. Many of those 32 assumptions go to that initial impression – again before adding verbal content. Someone who truly wants to hired the best needs to refine his/her interview and hiring process so that it is the most objective it can be. We will talk more about that at another time.

As a candidate, paying attention to every nuance is worth the investment of time and energy; from the quality of the paper your resume is printed on to the expensive shine on your shoes. It is worth the effort, because in this case a first impression is worth 32 separate assumptions all leading to “is this person like me and will I like being with them every day at work.”


Happy hiring.

Employers - Man Your Calendars

One of the biggest challenges of the hiring process is effective scheduling for onsite interviews/meetings. The best onsite meetings/interviews usually involve many people from different layers in the organization. Obviously the hiring manager must be present, but so should peers, subordinates (or representatives from subordinate groups) and possibly constituents too if the position is in an internal department with service responsibilities for other groups. As a candidate this type of exposure is wonderful and really gives her/him a good sense of the organization across the enterprise. While this is incredible from the perspective of the hiring process, it is usually a scheduling nightmare.

If you are the internal person responsible for putting together a schedule for an onsite meeting with a potential hire, you know what I mean about the hassle factor associated with getting many busy people available to meet candidates. To facilitate the ease of scheduling candidates, perhaps in advance of having candidates onsite there could be two interview teams identified. If the teams are equally composed with representatives of all the groups which need to have a say in the hiring, then the teams can share the responsibility for seeing candidates. Also, one team could borrow members from the other team if there was a vacancy caused by scheduling challenges.

However, if the staff required to see potential hires isn't deep enough to support developing two interview teams; when a critical player has a scheduling conflict be prepared to backfill with a well orchestrated phone interview for that key player. This still allows the onsite visit to take place, but also allows the conflicted critical player to participate in a timely manner without requiring a complete rescheduling of the onsite meeting.

The impression the company makes with a candidate is important - and a well done onsite interview round is a chance to really let your company shine. Managing the scheduling process so that the onsite flows from meeting to meeting is a challenge but doable with some creative thinking and strategy.

Happy hiring.

Phone Courtesies – Basics

As a recruiting industry professional, I spend hundreds of hours on the phone. Some people get that phone etiquette is important. Others act like they never had a parent teach them basic courtesies, one of which is how to use the phone to the advantage of everyone.

When I was trying to get my first job out of college as an eager college student, I had the privilege of networking with a busy lawyer, Mike Sullivan. Mike was and is known for being whip smart, well connected and friendly. I called Mike’s office and left him a voice message early in the morning. Late in the day, his administrative assist called me to let me know that Mike’s schedule was hectic and while he wanted to return my call, would be unable. She went on to indicate alternative times when I could expect to hear from him. Efficiently within 48 hours of my first call to him, he did call during one of those “time windows” proposed in the call with his admin. I was impressed that he thought enough of my call to let me know that same day he couldn’t call back promptly. That interaction has always left a lasting impression on me. By the way, Mike went on to have a very distinguished career including being Governor of Wyoming, an Ambassador to Ireland and continues to be an excellent attorney. (http://www.rothgerber.com/attorneyprofiles/sullivanm.asp)

My point is this: being prompt in returning calls sends a message that the caller and their message are important to you. If you don’t call back – especially over repeated attempts to establish a connection then you are sending a message about you. Keep that in mind as you choose or don’t choose to follow up on calls in your voicemail box. As a client or as a candidate, being prompt in your response sends a message like no other behavior. Think about it.

Have an awesome August.

Addition by Subtraction - Developing Internal Teams

As a people manager or team leader you may have been faced with the challenge of having an underperforming team member. Often that team member has been with the company for some time and is an old hand at their job with the company. The challenge is that if you need to have an optimally performing team, what do you do with the underperforming member?

Logically there are several things you could do including ignore the situation hoping that it goes away…however, you’ll probably have a performance review with built in improvement indicators to support a progressive disciplinary action in the future with adequate documentation. On the other hand, you might have a chance to meet an immediate need and have enough “history” of underperforming to make a change.

Rarely is making a change in these circumstances elegant, but it can be an opportunity for addition by subtraction. Underperforming team members take a huge toll on the entire team as well on the productivity of the unit/division/department. By moving the underperforming member out of the group (and perhaps out of the company) the remaining members have an opportunity for raising the bar without the worry of how to pull up the underperformer. Over time, the team will rebuild their efficiencies and may experience such growth that the removed player is replaced with another member who again “raises” the bar so the team's performance is adjusted twice raising optimally in both instances. That is where the magic of addition by subtraction makes the most sense. When the team's performance is doubly enhanced as a result of making changes and “swapping” underperformers for those who may even raise the bar higher!

Cheers to the new math!

Best wishes in successful team building.

Client Efforts - Candidate Polish

One of the things that I love doing as a recruiter is providing my clients with polished professional candidates who arrive for an interview ready to hit the ground, add value and make a difference.

I've blogged before about Interview Preparation, but I can't stress enough how important it is to give the interviewee a sense of comfort about the interview which lies ahead. I'm not talking about putting a lot of canned answers in their minds, but instead helping them visualize the interview process enough that they can allow the normal jitters to quiet and be spot on with their responses to questions. A pre-interview discussion about expectations allows the candidate to put his/her best foot forward. I'm pretty sure as a hiring authority most of you want to see how candidates perform under pressure, but you also want to see them perform at their best. Hence the reason for "reasonable" preparation on the part of the candidate.

It just makes sense. What doesn't make sense....candidates who don't have time for a pre-interview expectation discussion or for clients who have disdain for the process.

Mining for precious gems - good hire diamonds.
Happy hiring.

Interviewing Screw Up’s – GET A GRIP – Speak up NOW

I’ve been interviewing a lot of nurses and nurse practitioners lately for a great project for a client http://www.skinklinic.com. I'm working on this project with a stragetic partner called http://www.newworldhealthcaresolutions.com. The project is terrific and the position we are helping to hire for is awesome and rare for healthcare. However, I’ve noted a dreaded trend in the interviewing style of those I’ve been speaking with – they don’t get that they have to speak up about their accomplishments.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity and have an interview with someone about your skills and potential fit with a company – DON’T BE SHY ABOUT YOUR ACOMPLISHMENTS. I can’t decide if it is the profession or the personality drawn to the profession, but the nursing professionals I’ve met are hard pressed to define their accomplishments. GET OVER IT. In an interview situation, you only have that moment to speak up about why you are a successful contributor and how you can add value to the organization of a prospective employer. If you snooze you lose. You might be talking with a good interviewer who has the ability to ask questions that help you show your contributions, but if you are shy or have misplaced humility then the interviewer is going to have to move on to a candidate with more confidence and aplomb about their contributions.

There is no patience for a reluctant interviewee. There is no time for false humility. In this competitive market for really good jobs – YOU have to be the champion of your contributions. No one else will or can do it for you. The competitive edge goes to those who can, with clarity, demonstrate value to a prospective employer by showing previous contributions which can be replicated in a new situation. Learning how to do this will make YOU the chosen hire.

Since my job as a recruiting professional is mining diamonds from the rest, I wish you the best.

Upgrading Your Career - So What’s Stopping YOU?

Are you stuck in a rut job? Have you wanted to upgrade your career, but don’t know where to start and don’t want to risk your current employer finding out? Are you confused about where to start a confidential job search?

GET OVER IT!

Develop a plan and execute on it. The future is ripe to seize the day and put your fears behind you. Why you may ask am I talking about this? The answer is that I’m up to my ears in clients who want good candidates. They are tired of looking at the same old hackneyed resumes and profiles of candidates who can’t and don’t know how to distinguish themselves. They want to be delighted by seeing professionals who take charge of themselves and their careers.

Shouldn’t you be one of those candidates who do know how to distinguish themselves and their value from the masses?

If you need assistance with a jump start and pointers…..seek professional help. It is pervasive and will boost your confidence. You’ll be glad you did. There are great career coaches who can offer you a wealth of ideas which will distinguish you from others in the market.

The secret to success is "managing" your own brand. Know what your personal brand is and what that means - take charge don't wait. You'll see the results. Be a student of change.

Recruiting Blunders - Employers Listen Up

In a talent short market, there is a premium on well qualified candidates. One place were employers notoriously drop the ball is in the length of time that it takes to process candidates. Once you are presented with qualified talent, as an interested prospective employer you need to MOVE that candidate quickly through the process. Most interviewing, selection and hiring processes are multi-step and can be lengthy if there are busy people with full schedules on the list of those whom a candidate needs to meet.

My message is this. YOU can't afford to sit on the credentials of a candidate for three weeks before you get them into the interviewing queue. I recently had a large regional health system sit on a candidate for almost 5 weeks before the first interaction with him. It was not a surprise that by the time this health system had advanced the candidate through their process enough to be ready for an onsite interview - he was gone. He dropped out of sight and couldn't supply an interview date. It turns out he was negotiating another offer.

Suggestions for assuring you have a pioneering hiring process - develop a timeline that you apply to every candidate and stick to it. It might look like this:

Steven Steps to Hiring - 31 Days (Max) to an Offer

1) Resume screened and potential candidate identified - the clock starts ticking.
2) Within 24-48 hours initial conversation with a representative from your company.
3) If after the first phone screen another is required with additional representatives assure it is scheduled within 5 to 7 days. If this can't be accomplished then substitute the designated interviewer with another.
4) If the second phone screen is successful and there is interest in interviewing a candidate in person schedule the onsite interview within 5 to 10 business days of the 2nd phone screen.

Note: If you have a committee involved in your decision making process develop a procedure where you can have them make decisions without needing to have a formal meeting. Develop a way that they can make recommendations about candidates to advance without their needing to get together in a formal setting.

5) The first onsite interview should include as many key decision makers as possible. If you are concerned that the candidate might not interview well and don't want to involve too many people in the process then include a step in the schedule where the interview can be "cut short" and the rest of the schedule aborted if the candidate just isn't a fit.

6) If a second onsite interview is required it too should occur not later than 5 to 10 business days after the first onsite. This day should include anyone left who needs to meet and weigh in on the hiring decision.

7) Within 48 hours of the second onsite - be prepared to issue and offer or to decide to pass.

This gives the candidate a clear sense of steady and continuing interest. Even if they are evaluating other offers, your aggressive schedule doesn't give them or you time to dawdle.

If you develop a timeline for moving candidates through your process - YOU WIN and the CANDIDATE WINS. Everyone gets a chance to be seen and you as the hiring authority get to keep all those candidates who are so crucial to the success of your business.

Be a TALENT HOG - tighten up your internal hiring process today!

What to Take to an Interview - Candidate Version

A top candidate attending an in-person interview will think about how best to be prepared for that meeting. Most of them will have taken the time to research the company, the division and even the hiring team if they know who they will be meeting.

A well prepared candidate will also have taken the time to consider what makes them a "hot hire" and will be able to clearly articulate the value they can offer a prospective employer. They will also have paid attention to their attire, their rest the night before and the directions on how to get there.

However, I do get asked "what should I take to the interview?" The answer is this: always take several clean copies of your resume or CV. You may find that someone on the interview team may not have a copy for a variety of reasons - the most common of which is that the resume is buried somewhere on their desk. If you discover that someone doesn't have a copy then you'll want to provide one to them. However, if this happens mid-conversation, don't lapse into an awkward silence while the interviewer takes the time to read your resume, immediately launch into a discussion of your career highlights - the ones most applicable to the position you are seeking.

It is also a good idea to carry business cards to share with those who you meet. This accomplishes two purposes. The first is you have something to leave behind with the person you've just met that they will keep in front of them - at least for a while. The second and most important is that they might trade or share their own business card with you. This is key information since the business card includes the correct spelling of the individual's name, their direct phone number, usually their email and snail mail addresses. You then have exactly what you need to you can prepare a thank you note after your meeting.

Depending on the functional position you are seeking, it may be appropriate to have examples of your accomplishments. This is especially true with marketing and advertising professionals who may have a portfolio of campaigns. I've also seen a well done one page biography which includes relevant accomplishments and how they effect the bottom line be an effective handout and again a leave behind reference and solid demonstration of your belief in what you can do for the company.

If you are a healthcare practitioner it is less likely that you will have a prepared handout, but again depending on your situation you may have a one page bio describing your accomplishments.

I wish you well with your onsite interview.

Just Sign the Darn Release

As you may know, when hiring new employees or as a job seeker looking for new employment, a background check may need to be done and at a minimum a check of references from previous employers or employment situations is usually done.

There are a hundred reasons why this is a complicated concept, but the plain facts (just the facts Ma'am) are that prospective employers have a keen interest in learning that you are who you say you are and that you've done all the things you say you've done. Some 40% of resumes are said to have "distortion". It costs employers roughly three times the salary of the "mis-hire" to replace him/her if there is a bad fit.

As a candidate for employment, you are asked to sign a release that says that a prospective employer can speak with "others" about your previous work experience. I know when I've been a job seeker and looked at the forms I was requested to sign, I've often thought to myself - "well they have me over a barrel. If I don't sign this then it seems like I have something to hide and if I do sign this and someone says something misleading about me then I don't really have any recourse."

The bottom line is that I always have recourse to go back to someone who was deliberately misleading, malicious and slanderous telling "untruths" about me. However, if what they say was true then there isn't really much I can do about it.

My point is this, when a prospective employer asks a job seeker to sign a release so they can check you out....just do it. It is the right thing to do to get the job - if you really want the job. If you are parnoid enough to think that people will say bad things about you - well that creates a presumption you could be a hiring risk and the employer should be cautious.

I've got a current candidate who is refusing to sign a release to complete a background check and professional references. His attorney has advised him that no one who has his best interests in mind would be asking him to sign a release. I can't help this candidate if he gets legal advice that isn't in his best "future employment" interest. If the candidate doesn't sign the release at some point soon in the process we will just have to walk away from him. We have to be able to get to the info that we need as part of the hiring process. His refusal only makes us (me as the recruiter and my client the hiring authority) raise our eyebrows and sigh. He is writing himself off as a candidate because of the liability in making a "wrong" hire.

If you want the job bad enough, you'll just do it. That is certainly the case with signing releases to check references a background check. Just do it.

Getting Past Appearances - Shoes and Biker Leathers

Have you ever been to Daytona Beach Florida for Bike Week? My brother and sister-in-law have a business called Spur Ranch Jewelry where they sell jewelry made and set in sterling silver (http://www.spurranchjewelry.com). Since 1997 they have had concessions at motorcycle rallies, attending the larger ones across the US. This year I was there to help out for a few days and sell jewelry to this microcosm of society.

How does this relate to recruiting in healthcare? The point I want to make is that appearances do make a difference and that people have a hard time getting over stereotypes and assumptions made because of appearances.

Bikers, at least those I have met in places like Daytona and Sturgis SD, which also has a big rally, are some of the most honest, straight forward, in this world for a good time, passionate people on the planet. Many of them are attorneys, bankers, physicians and other high profile contributors to our economy who enjoy being undistinguished and blending in with the biker crowd.

Unless you are one or have significant experience with members of the “biker community,” you might have the impression that people who dress in black leather from head to toe, ride loud and very hot motorcycles, wear skull caps, are adorned with lots of silver chains and have grease under their fingernails are mostly gang oriented, hard living, beer drinking, lower than the linoleum members of our society. Not true, although they do like their beer and rock and roll. The majority are simply free spirits who love the freedom they feel when out on their bikes and who appreciate the simplicity and camaraderie of the biker community. The stereotype is largely wrong and appearances are deceiving.

If you are a candidate looking for a job my advice is to look at your shoes. Or, if you are a hiring authority interviewing people, my advice is to look a little deeper than the shoes. I had a boss once in the recruiting business that interviewed a candidate in person and came back and told me that he didn’t think the candidate was “right” because of his shoes. He couldn’t articulate anything else about why he didn’t like this candidate only, “Lynden if you had been there and seen him and his shoes, you would have understood.” I also had a client reject a candidate saying, "you should have seen his shoes."

The devil is in the details and that goes for both sides of the hiring process. Appearances can be deceiving. As a candidate do your best to have your appearance serve you well. Pay attention to the shine on your shoes and the press of your suit, it does say something about your attention to details. As a hiring authority, be sure to ask about hobbies and outside of work interests that might just explain the stubborn grease under a candidate’s fingernails and most importantly – don’t be afraid to hire a biker. You might just get the best employee you’ve ever had.

Check out the Talenteering Article

If you are a hiring authority and if you want to attract the best, most professional candidates to your company - check out this concept by Doug Miller with Hire.com.

I think you'll enjoy the concept.

http://www.hire.com/talenteering/talenteering.pdf


It should stretch and bend your thinking.

Be a Talent HOG - my terminology. Create a superlative corporate culture no matter the size of your company, medical practice or small business. That is what will attract the best of the best to your company.

Happy Talent Hogging! :)

Lynden

Professional References

This is an often underappreciated resource for both hiring authorities and candidates who are seeking new opportunities in any market, but especially healthcare. Most good recruiting consultants who are competitive about their practices know that professional references provide credibility for the candidate and substantiate the “contributions” and “professionalism” of top candidates.

A mistake most make about professional references, it that they occur at the end of a job search and usually don’t happen until close to the offer stage of negotiations. Cutting edge recruiters know that by pushing up the timing of a professional reference, they can advance a candidate more quickly through the hiring process and get attention for someone who otherwise might have been buried in the stack of resumes or CV’s.

So just what is a reference check then? It is an objective evaluation of a candidate's past job performance, based on conversations with people who have actually worked with the candidate on a daily basis within the last 5 to 7 years. A good reference is a person with whom the candidate has actually worked; may include current or former supervisors, peers and subordinates; may be either business or professional.

Reference checks allow for an in-depth look at past performance of a potential new hire. It allows the prospective employer to evaluate how the candidate’s skills, experience and overall performance fit the requirements of the job to be filled, and if done properly, it highlights areas in which the candidate can improve or gain additional experience to increase his or her value to the employer over time. From the employers’ perspective, it clearly demonstrates that care was consistently and fairly used in the employee selection process.

We no longer live in a society where companies can hire based on someone having an honest face. An accepted estimate of the costs of mis-hiring is three times the annual salary of the employee. That means that the tangible value placed on professional references is high. An astounding 40% of resumes or CV’s are estimated to have some distortion.

So what can you do? As a job seeker entering the hiring market, know who you are going to use for professional references and why. Select people who can speak to your skills from a 360 degree perspective – 1) those you reported to; 2) peers; and 3) those who reported to you. Not every job seeker’s experience includes a 360 degree perspective, but approximate it as much as possible. If you are a physician for example, who has been in his own practice and doesn’t have a boss, then providing peer references and increasing the number of them is even more important. There are ways to still meet the needs of a prospective hiring authority by being thoughtful and proactive about providing the name and contact information for those who really know what you do and how you function in a professional environment.

If you are working with a recruiter, you might encourage him or her to speak with one or two of your references and summarize the information learned for inclusion along with your credentials to a prospective employer. If you are a hiring authority, you might ask for a couple of references to be completed in advance of bringing a candidate onsite for a personal face to face interview. Having the information from the reference in advance of the interview can help frame interview preparation of the part of the interview team meeting a candidate.

If you would like to learn more about this topic, included below are some excellent references or feel free to contact me. References can make or break a hire. Take the time to assure they work for you.


 Reference Checking for Everyone: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself, Your Business, and Your Family, Paul W. Barada, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2004
 The Complete Reference Checking Handbook, Edward C. Andler with Dara Herbst, American Management Association, 2003

Working with Recruiters – Getting the Most Value From The Relationship

There is magic to getting the most from your relationship and interactions with executive and professional search consultants, recruiters and career advisors.

Recruiters are knowledgeable advisors

First and foremost, “search consultants” and/or “recruiters” are your ally when seeking a new position. Think of them as highly knowledgeable and able resources that can shorten your learning curve, enhance your access to opportunities and help ease the pain of searching for a new position. If you leverage your relationships with them well, your job search can be significantly shortened and enhanced.

During the routine course of a recruiter’s average month, they are talking to hundreds of other candidates and hiring authorities about what is happening in healthcare and in the functions and disciplines that support the industry. They are experts at what is effective and what isn’t in presenting candidates. They know the short cuts to get you to the “top” of the heap of contenders – YOU need to be sharp about attracting them to work on your behalf.


What you need to do

Be armed to ask good questions and be prepared to answer questions about yourself and your career. Even if you are in a profession that is considered highly sought after, it might be that your personal preferences are to work in the same “hot” geographic location or for the same “top” health system or “leading” biopharmaceutical competitor as hundreds of others job seekers. A good recruiter can serve as “agent” and resource to guide you through the murky waters of assuring your credentials are presented well and in a manner that makes you “sizzle” as a candidate.

Helping to focus your search

A good recruiter will want to learn about you and your career interests. They will want to learn the “soft side” of what will make you most satisfied from a career perspective. If you take the time in advance of conversing with a recruiter to know what your hot buttons are, what cultural working climate you prefer and what incentives you are seeking (tangible and intangible), your recruiter should be able to advise you about framing your search so that it best meets your preferences.

Not all recruiters are “consultative”. The best will employ a relationship building approach that gives you an opportunity to frame your ideal situation and provides them the ability to discretely advise you of the options which best fit your needs.

Best wishes with your search.

Interview Preparation

Interview Preparation

Hi All!

I just thought I'd add a few thoughts about interview preparation. I have 13 years experience on the hiring side of healthcare, interviewing more than my share of healthcare candidates at all levels from CEO's to Physicians to Infection Control Department Managers. For the last six years I've been studying the art of interviewing as an executive and physician search consultant. I've noticed this trend.

Healthcare leaders including the physicians who provide care are some of the brightest people on the planet, but as such they usually believe they can get a handle on most anything easily - and it is true they can. However, interviewing well requires preparation. Unfortunately most interviewees are not prepared for an interview - especially a behavioral based interview and most interviewers aren't well prepared either.

It is proven that hiring mistakes can be avoided by using a definitive interviewing process - one that is consistent across candidates and behaviorally oriented, but that is another posting. With that said - preparing for an interview requires really thinking about career goals and accomplishments. Being able to answer the "tell me about yourself" question is one of the most important things that any healthcare candidate can learn and practice.

The best answer to the "tell me about yourself" question is a three part response.

1) Summarize your career in one sentence.
For example someone completing a fellowship in infectious disease medicine might say, "Ever since I was a kid, I always had a keen fascination with solving problems which led me to specialize in infectious disease medicine, because I love the science of the specialty combined with the detective/sleuth problem solving." Someone who has been in practice might have a different message, "My 20 year infectious disease private practice has been characterized by treating some of the nastiest bugs on the planet and I've seen the full gamut ranging from plague to ........."

2) Next give a one to two sentence example demonstrating your accomplishments.
Be sure the accomplishments are relevant to the position you are seeking; have the description be easily understood, indicate an impact on the bottom line by enhancing patient care or by being cost effective.
For example, "I have always had a very busy practice. It was important to have high patient volumes and to maximize the efficiency of my office. I had a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner who worked with me getting the number of patients seen each day up to 30-40."

3) End your answer to this question with a one sentence statement about what you want to do next in your career and HINT the statement should match with the purpose and intent of the position for which you are interviewing.

Every harried physician practice manager, physician hiring committee member, hospital or physician executive asks some version of the "tell me about yourself" question.

As a candidate you will stand head and shoulders above the others if you take the time to frame the answer to this question well and practice it so that it rolls out of you spontaneously and easily.

Have a great interview.*

Lynden Kidd
Next Iteration
215-579-1751
lynden@nextiteration.net
www.nextiteration.net

*Credit is to Jeff Skrentny at Jefferson Group Consulting for the three part answer framework. Jeff can be reached at askjeff@jeffersoninc.com or 312.474.6076