Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Holiday 2007 - Job Searching

Holiday 2007 – One New JOB at a Time.


I’ve been remiss lately getting here to talk about best strategies for seeking a new position and for hiring best talent. It seems the holiday season has crept up on me and I’m behind. I am looking forward to a sweet end to 2007 and a terrific launch to 2008 and it is my fevering wish for you to have and be the best too.


To all of you who are hiring – I wish you an endless supply of talented new professionals swelling the ranks of your enterprise and adding value to the bottom line.


To all of you who are job searching, or if you are in the market for a new job – DON’T LET UP NOW. This is an excellent time of year to be in touch with recruiters, hiring authorities and other people who are searching for jobs.


There is an impression that things let up with the crush of the holidays. That is false and year after year I’ve seen excellent candidates connect with jobs during this time when people are a bit more congenial in their day to day.  It makes me wish that we would treat everyday as a special time.


With credit to the musical RENT, I wanted to share these lyrics from a song called Seasons of Love:



525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes – how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
525,600 minutes – how do you measure a year in the life?



As this year comes to a close, be thoughtful about how your passion for your work-life is measured and how you make a difference in the world. If you aren’t happy, imagine if you were and get help to change that. If you are happy (at work) and making a profound contribution – thank you.


If you have questions about how you can effectively and efficiently do a job search or transition your career – call me. We can talk about how to make your professional lifetime contribution add up to something more.


Think about it; it is up to you to choose.


Success by Design. In this situation; one job at a time.

What career is captivating you? Happy Holidays.


Lynden


Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

The Career and Job Search Guide: Letter L

There is an acronym posted on our website Next Iteration for job seekers to use to help evaluate their search options. The acronym is "CLAMS" and the letter "L" stands for Location. I encourage you as you think about changing a job or about initially finding one to explore what Location means for you? It may seem funny to ask yourself what role geography might make in your future success – but it is a feature to be taken very seriously as you contemplate what you want for your career and life.

What location would cause you to leap out of bed eager each and every morning? What location and which resources at a location (or locations) help you to be your best personally and professionally?

LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!

• Is there a perfect place in the US (or in the world) where you would like to live and where you can earn a sustainable income that meets your goals?
• What attractions do you want near to where you work and live?
• What size community? Are you wired for a metro location or suburban? What about rural?
• What demographic mix? Do you crave diversity? Are you single and want to live where there are others who are single? What about married – what personal attributes you do need in the demographics of your chosen community?
• What weather do you want? Are you fond of four seasons? Do you only want two?
• Do you want to be near family or special friends?
• Are housing costs an issue?
• What about insurability or malpractice costs?
• What about state, county and local taxes? Does that make a difference?
• How much of a commute to work do you want? How much time are you willing to sacrifice stuck in traffic?
• Are you passionate about a sport or hobby and is that resource a feature of a particular location?
• What if a promotion might take you to a location that you aren’t sure of – do you know how to make it work for you?
If you are looking for a new position; location is one of the most important features that help determine your attraction to a community or to the resources in the community. Most of us seek a geographic location that meets a number of needs some of which are personal and some of which are professional.

To reiterate again, all employers seek people for their team(s) who are fully engaged in the business at hand. Those who are "fully engaged; top contributors" are those who are "challenged by their work,” constantly learning and who seek balance in their work environment. What do you expect of your ideal location? Do you know how to identify that location? What would you do differently if you could with respect to location?

Think about it.

Success by design; it is up to you to choose.

Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Talent Finding!

Lynden

Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com

Monday, September 10, 2007

The Career and Job Search Guide: Letter C

There is an acronym posted on our website Next Iteration for job seekers to use to help evaluate their search options. The acronym is "CLAMS" and the letter "C" stands for Challenge. I encourage job seekers and job changers to think about what Challenge means for them? What would cause you to leap out of bed eager each and every morning? What challenges help you to be your best?

CHALLENGE
What do you want your next step to include?
Is there a new technology you would like to incorporate into your practice, position, experience?
Is there a subspecialty, certification or complimentary skill you would like to acquire or have in your work environment, group or practice situation?
Is there a profile of the “ideal” work envirnment, hospital, firm or practice for you? Can you describe it? Try.
What would your call schedule or travel schedule be?
What other attributes or elements should be added to your work environment that provide a challenge that helps keep you fresh and eager about your work?

If you are looking for a new position; challenge can be an important part of why you were attracted to medicine or to being part of industry. Most bright people seek change and to be renewed. Some of us find renewal on the horns of a dilemma or what I refer to as "Challenge" in the work environment.

All employers seek people for their team(s) who are fully engaged. Usually those "fully engaged; top contributors" are those who are "challenged by their work" and constantly learning.

Think about it.

Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Talent Finding!

Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com

Monday, August 13, 2007

Great Hires - Great Contributors

I've recently come across a great career resource for Gen X and Gen Y-rs. Penelope Trunk is the author of The Brazen Careerist . In a recent post on her blog she suggests people who are happiest are those who have a strong ability to give.

These are five traits that people who are givers usually exhibit:
1. A sense that you can make a difference in the world
2. Empathy that enables you to truly feel the suffering of others
3. Belief that you are someone who can get things done
4. Spiritual faith in the world - -either traditional religion or an eclectic altruism
5. A focus on doing good that endures beyond your lifetime


She goes on to suggest that one of the things that students should cultivate while in college is this ability to give.

I know that employers are seeking in the people they hire that same ability to offer the work place more than just a warm body filling a seat. I know that people in healthcare are wired to give.... and usually do generously with their patients. Take a look at the list above and think about yourself. Who are you? If we were rating where would you come out on the above list? Then think about yourself as you function in your world of work. How would you like to best perform? At the end of the day it is all about our contribution. What are you doing to manifest yours?

Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Hiring.

Lynden
www.nextiteration.net
www.nihealthjobs.com
www.mdcareercompass.com

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Costs of Physician Recruiting

I came across this information recently. It is from an article by George Williams, Director NAS Insights. The full text of the article can be found here. The gist of the info is that it is DARN expensive to recruit a physician who doesn’t perform well or who isn’t happy in his/her position and who leaves. It is also DARN expensive to have an open position and to dilly dally with recruiting initiatives. I suggest look at working with a physician recruiter who understands the concept of cultural fit AND who appreciates that the opening is costing your hospital plenty in lost admissions and revenues.

Food for thought. Recruiting physicians well is truly an art.

The Cost of Recruiting Physicians

The cost of recruiting physicians is often not fully understood or accurately quantified. How much money does it take to attract and retain a doctor? By answering this question, hospital administrators can better understand the physician recruiting process and help ensure that their hospitals are using the most effective and cost-efficient recruiting methods. The cost for one search generally falls in the range of $20,000 to $40,000 depending on the specialty, region of the country, and methods used for sourcing candidates. The average cost is about $30,000. Here is a breakdown of the major costs associated with physician recruitment.

1. Staff or recruiter time and fees. Salaries and fees associated with recruiter time can vary greatly. A recent Medical Group Management Association study found that it takes about 350 man-hours for the recruiting process. In-house recruiters often earn a base salary of $35,000 to $65,000 and may receive bonuses based on the number of placements they make. If the salary is $50,000 and the 350 man-hours mentioned above are used, that's $8,400 per recruited doctor. Recruiter fees of contingent and/or retained physician search firms can range from $15,000 to more than $25,000 per placement.

2. Recruiting sources. Thousands of hospitals and medical groups are vying for a limited number of physicians, increasing the difficulty and cost of finding candidates. A wide net should be cast to ensure a job opportunity attracts the largest number of potential candidates. This means collaborating with residency programs, networking among existing staff and administration, advertising in medical journals and on physician Web sites, sending recruiting letters and direct mail pieces, and exhibiting at physician conventions. The expense can range from $2,500 to more than $10,000 per search.

3. Interviewing. The higher the number of candidates you see, the higher the costs, and not only in terms of airfare and hotel suites, but in terms of the man-hours of busy administrators and medical staff getting together however many times. Hospitals generally pay all the costs associated with a physician interview such as travel, accommodations and entertainment. These costs usually range from $1,500 to $3,000 per interview.

4. Relocation. This is another variable cost based on where the physician is coming from. The average relocation allowance is $7,800.

5. Practice marketing. Hospitals often pay to announce a new physician’s practice and help introduce him or her to the community. Marketing costs can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

6. Set-up Costs. Although not normally considered a part of the recruitment cost, they may contribute to your hesitation in moving as quickly as you should in recruiting. The costs to help the doctor set up practice, plus whatever signing incentives are offered, can be from $150,000-$200,000.

7. Salary Guarantee. Salary guarantees and incentives should be factored in as part of the recruitment investment/return equation. Recruiters should take into account not only new doctors’ salaries but also signing incentives and loan repayments. These costs vary widely and can range from $150,000 to $600,000.

8. Time-to-Fill. If you move slowly or your recruiting techniques are ineffective, the cost of recruiting a physician will be much higher. Administrators need to look at the time it takes to fill a position and then consider the revenue lost during this time. Intuition might suggest that you are saving money on the salary and benefits until you hire the doctor. However, every month without a physician in place equals revenue lost. Merritt, Hawkins & Associates recently conducted a survey of hospital CFOs and found that physicians generate an average of more than $1.5 million a year in patient revenue. Therefore, each month a needed physician is not on staff can cost a hospital $100,000 or more. The revenue lost can be much greater when recruiting some specialties such as cardiovascular surgery ($3,134,615 annual revenue), neurological surgery ($2,364,864 annual revenue), and vascular surgery ($2,216,463 annual revenue). A healthcare facility will recover the cost of recruitment, salary and set-up in a short time. In the long run, it’s the cost of inaction that’s highest.

How Can Recruitment Costs be Minimized?

While the expense of identifying, interviewing and relocating candidates can be considerable, a healthcare facility’s greatest financial cost is tied to physician salaries and benefits. Should a newly recruited physician prove unsuccessful in their practice and be unable to sustain a patient base or a meaningful level of referrals, the facility may be unable to recoup the physician’s salary or income guarantee. This most often happens when there is not a sufficient need for the physician in the hospital’s service area. Therefore, a key to minimizing financial exposure is to accurately assess the need for a given medical service in the community prior to recruiting a physician. This can often be done through a medical staff plan that looks at population growth in the service area, the incidence of disease, accessibility of medical services and practice patterns of current physicians. Once a need has been established and a search initiated, it is important that the search be conducted efficiently. Poor search methodologies are costly and waste time.

It is an observation that sometimes the challenge of recruiting well and physician fit with an organization or practice might be because the physician isn't fully aware of his or her expectations about work and how that influences the balance in their lives over time.

Happy and healthy job searching and recruiting new physicians.

Lynden

Monday, April 16, 2007

Background checks - what you may not know

Once you are at the offer stage, it is more and more likely that a prospective employer will want a background check. Certainly, a background check is going to be ordered by a state licensing board if you are seeking professional licensure as a medical professional. If your job has any responsibility for dealing with confidential information, trade secrets, finances or public safety - like many in compliance roles might experience; anticipate a background check will be done.

Once upon a time in my business, during the process of a background check on a candidate, we discovered disturbing information that made a difference in how the hiring proceeded. On the client's part, they asked for more information. On the candidate's part, he refused. The search ground to a halt and we went to our strong back up candidate to fill the position. This happens more than I'd like, but you need to be aware as a candidate that you might experience a background check.

Attached is an article about a background checking service. It is from the Cincinnati Post, April 2, 2007 and written by By Greg Paeth, Post staff reporter.

Peering into the past
Screening firm will delve into the background of job applicants


Jason Rinsky remembers a pre-employment background check his company handled a few years ago for a Minnesota firm.

The company had interviewed an applicant for a call center job and planned to hire him pending the results of a background report by Employment Screening Associates, a Deer Park firm where Rinsky is the director.

ESA, which works with investigators all over the country, established pretty quickly that the job applicant had been convicted of sexual offenses against children and passed that report on to the Minnesota client. The company then asked ESA to double check its work and provide more information, which ESA did.

But Rinsky said the company still couldn't believe the ESA report. "They said it can't be - this is the nicest guy you've ever talked to. He's a Mormon - he prays before every meal," Rinsky recalls.

ESA went back for a third check and obtained a police mugshot of the man, delivering it to the company as proof that its job applicant and the sexual predator were one and the same.

Although it's somewhat unusual for any company to request a triple check of ESA information, the fact that the company uncovered discrepancies between information on a job application and the truth isn't that unusual, Rinsky said.

Of more recent vintage is a Cincinnati job check last week where an applicant for a job as a driver - Rinsky wouldn't be more specific - failed to disclose that he had served time in prison on aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges.

Employment Screening Associates, founded in 1991 and owned by Michael Kaufman, specializes in background checks on prospective employees for companies that don't have the time or the resources to do their own detective work.

Heightened security concerns since the 2001 terrorist attacks and the hot-button issue of hiring illegal immigrants are two reasons why ESA has experiencd double-digit growth for each of the last five years, said Rinsky, who declined to disclose revenue figures for the company.

Besides employment and criminal history checks, the company also can be hired to handle reference checks; education and certification verification; worker's compensation, military service and credit histories; alien registration, and drug and health screenings.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that some 60 percent of job applicants are less than candid about their educational backgrounds and about a third of all applicants are less than truthful about their work experience or job responsibilities at previous jobs.

Rinsky said his company generally finds that 25 to 30 percent of job applicants overstate their educational backgrounds or the role they played with a previous employer.

What happens after ESA delivers its report is the decision of ESA's client.

"We look at our role as that of a fact finder and an information gatherer," Rinsky said. "We're not there to implement the (hiring) policies that a client might have."

Rinsky and Rick Weber, ESA's sales and marketing manager, both stressed that unlike some companies that might do no more than a database search on the Internet to check out a job applicant, ESA has a network of people who can examine records in every courthouse in the country and also track down data outside of the U.S.

The pricetag on ESA services vary, depending on the amount of information that an employer requests.

Simple drug tests can be $10 or less while more extensive lab-based drug testing typically runs $30-$40.

Criminal backrgound checks can be as little as $10-$15 while a more extensive report will typically range from $50 to $75, Rinsky said.

"We understand as do a lot of HR professionals that it costs tens of thousands of dollars in both hard and soft costs to hire someone.

"So to spend $50 to $75 to make sure that someone is who they say they are and have the skills that they say they have is a very minimal investment," Rinsky said.


If you have issues in your background that are sensitive, be sure and disclose them up front. Never make the assumption that derogotory information will not be discovered - it is easy and inexpensive to get a legal and comprehensive background completed. Employers are "just doing it."

Happy and healthy job search and hiring.

Lynden

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Recruiters – who needs em? Answer – YOU!

No search firms please. I had a candidate say this to me recently. I’m guessing that the physician who said that may not know what s/he is missing by limiting contact.

I have nothing but tremendous respect for my colleagues who work as internal recruiters for specific companies or healthcare systems. They are top notch professionals usually and provide their candidates with great service.

HOWEVER, they are limited to representing their company only and in many cases are limited to a specific geographic location as well. As a result, you will get from them info that is directed to their specific hiring needs. As you might suspect, that info isn’t always targeted to your interests and expectations of employment.

In contrast, working with an independent third party recruiting firm means that you are working with a recruiter who represents a number of employers and who is in a position to share with you a greater number and variety of options for your search.

The range of services that can be offered by a third party recruiter is greater in my estimation than an internal recruiter which is a reason to always work with a third party recruiter first. Of course, I do have a professional bias.

Also, I’ve heard some candidates have a perception that a new physician employee might be offered fewer new hire benefits or perks as a result of being represented by a third party recruiter. That is not true and the practice that would scrimp on benefits to a new employee should be rigorously scrutinized as a questionable place to work longer term. If they are willing to nickel and dime you as part of the hiring process what can you expect once you are onboard? Most practices budget as part of their hiring process a range for the fee they will pay to a recruiter and for the “benefits” they will offer including whether a welcome or sign on bonus may be offered and the range for that bonus.

I’m available for a phone consultation about your job search at no obligation to you at any time. Just caaaaaalllll me!

Happy and healthy job searching.

Lynden

Monday, February 12, 2007

Kicking Your 2007 Job Search in High Gear!

HOLY COW! YOU NEED A JOB.

Last you checked the calendar, your training ends SOON. You need to have a job in the next three to four months. How are you going to get that done?

Job Search Tips - Get it Done Quick and Right

Be sure your CV is in top form and your cover letter is compelling.

If you have any question about how good your CV or cover letter might be; get help. Ask someone to critique it. Do that first thing. The single most important documents in a search are these. If you have been searching and aren’t getting good results – suspect your CV needs work. Who to ask? a) The placement office at the school where you are training; b) invite the department secretary to proof it for you and offer formatting tips; c) ask a physician recruiter to make suggestions – recruiters look at hundreds of CVs each year and can give you good constructive feedback.

Get the word out.

Post a web appropriate CV on a specialty specific job board indicating your search parameters. Using job boards like the NAPR’s World Job Bank at www.napr.org ; or the NCHCR’s www.mdrecruiter.com are good options for getting your credentials in front of ethical, well qualified independent physician recruiters. Also you can, a) do a Google search for physician recruiting firms; b) using www.superpages.com search for physician recruiters in the geographic area you are seeking; c) check out the career center associated with your training program and find the names of recruiters who seem to have the kinds of jobs you are interested in; d) look for opportunities on any number of job boards including www.CareerMD.com .

Get your MOVE’N on! (Momentum; Options, Vetting, Evaluate, Negotiate)

Momentum refers to getting your CV and cover letter in front of hiring authorities within the geographic location where you want to live. a) You can do this yourself. b) You can hire a resume or CV distribution service to do it for you. c) or you can enlist the assistance of an independent physician recruiter who will market your credentials into hiring authorities in that area.

Options result from getting your credentials in front of hiring authorities and getting you into the telephone screening process. This enables you to learn more about practice opportunities getting to the stage where you can select from among three to ten possible employment options. Determine which options are your top priorities. Where do you want to spend your time? In other words, you aren’t going to marry the first person you date and you aren’t going to take or look at only one job option; but decide which options fit you best and prioritize how you work through the process with them.

Vetting happens as you do your onsite interviews and as you are selecting your top choices. It requires you apply due diligence assuring each practices you interview with meets your expectations on all levels, personal, professional and that the compensation is adequate to start. Talk with all the physician employees if possible. Talk with anyone you can find who might have recently left the practice to learn the reasons for leaving. Talk to the newest hire and examine how that individual’s expectation differed from what s/he anticipated. This stage of the process is your version of “reference” checking. Talk with everyone you can to learn the reputation and practice style and personality of the group.

Evaluate is the step after vetting where you have all your information in front of you and it is time to make a decision about which practice to join. Perhaps your options are obvious, but more than likely you might be torn. Take the time to evaluate the pros and cons of each situation. Please note that I do not advocate selecting a practice situation only based on the compensation. While that is an important aspect it is not the only feature. You can be very well paid and still be miserable. Think about how you feel when you are with your prospective colleagues. Is the practice an environment where you can flourish?

Negotiate with all the information in front of you it is time to decide which practice you want and negotiate for the compensation package that is appropriate. Here if you are working with a recruiter, I think you have an advantage. The recruiter certainly knows what is appropriate in the market where the practice is located. S/he knows how to take the “personalities” out of the process and to get to the most desirable outcome. A good recruiter will serve as your advocate and as the practice’s ally to assure that the outcome is win-win for both.

I wish you success with your search. Please know that finding and starting a new job are some of the most stressful activities you’ll encounter, but they can be well managed and are oh so rewarding. If you would like a free personal consultation about your job search, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to brainstorm with you.

Happy job hunting in 2007.

Lynden