Healthcare & Life Sciences "Success by Design" Recruiter

Remember the Teeter Totter?

2010-08-05T09:35:00.002-05:00

Do you remember the Teeter Totter that was in the playground behind your elementary school? The fun came when you and a friend jumped on opposite ends of the long wooden board and took turns being “up” and then being “down”. The trick was getting off, this is what required the skill, one rider needed to slide off but not let go of the teeter board since they had to let the other person down slowly. Without this consideration the other person would be sure to hit the ground with a THUMP.

As our group at Next Iteration works with healthcare professionals that are transitioning from one position to the next we keep in mind the lessons from the Teeter Totter. This being that it is important to ease out of the position that you are leaving to soften the blow for the group that you are leaving behind. So if you are in the midst of a search for a new job and anticipate that you will be leaving your current group here are a few recommendations…

Finish: If you have ongoing projects try to wrap them up, or at least get them to a position where they can be handed off.
Organize: Make sure that all of your work is organized and complete.
Schedule: When possible try to lighten your work schedule so that when you resign there are fewer spots to fill.
Cross Train: If you have unique knowledge/responsibility then consider bringing another peer up to speed on what you know that they do not.
Document: Be extra sure to document everything that you do, leaving a strong paper trail will help the rest of the group when you are gone

The world is not flat, but it is small; putting some consideration into how you are leaving your current position is well worth the time and effort. Just like the Teeter Totter the group you are with are the ones that you have had fun playing with, it may be time to get off and move on to other fun stuff, just don’t jump off too quickly. If you THUMP the person on the other end it is sure to leave them with a bad memory of you!

Happy and Healthy Hiring.

One successful candidate and employer at a time.

Lynden

Did vs. DO

2010-06-08T20:18:00.002-05:00

Repost: original by Charlotte Byndas/ Career Agents Network….www.cbshout.com

K.I.S.S. and preparing for an interview/career move

If any of the recent media reports are accurate it is likely you are not thrilled with your current job and are soon to be looking for a new one, so today I thought I would share a tip on prepping for the process.

For those of you not aware this stands for Keep It Simple Silly.

I find this concept works well when advising professionals on how to prepare to interview for their next career step. This advice can be packaged in two words, did and Do, so simple the concept can fit on the back of a business card but so important that it can make the difference between getting a job offer or being wished the best of luck.

Let's take a closer look at the formula…

did/ Do

If you notice here the did is much smaller than the DO, which is representative of how much time should be spent on what during an interview. What you did in the past is important but what is more important is what you can DO for the new company if you got hired.

I would suggest that as you start to take a look at where you want your take your career, focus in on what you want to DO, and then prepare discussions points to discuss during an interview that demonstrate your ability to DO what the manager needs to get done. Managers extend offers to the professionals that they have the confidence WANT and can DO the job they need to have done. Your job in an interview is to give the manager that level of confidence in you.

This is important to emphasis since I see many people who waste important time in an interview on details in their employment history that have no correlation to the work they want to DO. When asked in an interview, "tell me about yourself", what they are really asking it "tell me what you want to DO with your career and why will you be GOOD at DOING that with our company".

I hope you've enjoyed this guest post.

Happy and healthy hiring. One successful candidate and client at a time.

Lynden

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Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) - Awareness is the Key

2010-01-19T12:42:00.006-06:00

Most of you know that I usually post about recruiting or career topics - especially for physicians. Some of you may be aware that in a very personal way, my life has been touched by HCM. 180 days ago my husband who was one week short of his 40th birthday died suddenly and for us very tragically. HCM turned out to be the culprit; but we didn't know until it was too late.

HCM occurs in one in 500 people (1:500). It is the leading cause of death in young athletes under 30 years of age. I want to help get the word out that this is a disease that needs more attention.

Recently Lisa Salberg, Founder and CEO of HCMA (the leading association supporting patients, professionals and education about the disease) and Dr. Martin Maron, Director of the HCM Center at Tufts-New England Medical Center discuss Sudden Cardiac Death in athletes in a 20 minute story on ESPN. Click here to see the story. Please check it out.

Protect your families and friends from this tragic disease.

Thanks.

Happy and Healthy Hiring
One successful candidate and employer at a time.

Lynden

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Physician Revenue Declines

2009-10-09T23:07:00.003-05:00

As you know, all things physician have been my passion for ages. I follow all their trials and tribulations. Here is documentation about how these economic times have been making an impact in the physician space....

A Jobless Recovery Will Prolong Physician Financial Woes

by Elyas Bakhtiari, for HealthLeaders Media, October 8, 2009

If your revenue increased or even stayed the same during the beginning of the recession, then you're doing better than many physicians. The median total revenue in medical practices declined—for the first time in years—by 1.9% in 2008, according to MGMA's latest cost survey.

And revenue wasn't all that dropped. The median number of patients visiting medical groups fell by nearly 10%, and the overall number of procedures declined 11.6% between 2006 and 2008. During that same period, bad debt from fee-for-service charges jumped roughly 13%.

This new information offers some statistical validation for trends that many in the healthcare field have already witnessed firsthand. Patients are cutting back on elective procedures in hard times. In some cases, they're forgoing necessary medical care because they are newly uninsured after a job loss. Or they're struggling to pay their bills after a visit, leading to that increase in bad debt.

The publicly-funded safety net is becoming increasingly strained, as well. In many states, Medicaid rolls are higher than they've ever been—Medicaid covered about 42.6 million people in 2008, up 7.6% from 39.6 million in 2007—and governments are starting to cut reimbursements to physicians in order to ease the pressure on budgets.

Physicians seem to be surviving the way most businesses keep going when revenues disappear—they're cutting operating costs. According to MGMA data, practices reduced overhead expenses in 2008 by about 1.5%, and much of that came from support staff, which dropped in the survey for the first time in a while.

Overall, staffing levels stayed about the same in aggregate, which may indicate that some groups hired while others laid off workers, and it has evened out in the wash. It's also likely that healthcare workers, like employees in almost every sector, are forgoing raises or even taking pay cuts for the time being.

Keep in mind, this data is from 2008. Fresher data from 2009 will likely show an even drearier financial situation for medical groups, as many of the indicators have gotten worse this year.

When the healthcare economy will turnaround is tough to predict. There are already a few green shoots that suggest the U.S. economy has at least bottomed out—the stock market has been on a tear since March and the latest GDP estimates have been better than initially predicted.

But an improving economy doesn't mean physician financial woes will end soon. The underlying factors that have hurt medical groups are unemployment and strains on safety net programs, and those may actually get worse as the rest of the economy improves. Economists are predicting a jobless recovery initially; unemployment may climb past 10% while the rest of the economy rebounds. That means more patients losing their insurance or migrating to already bloated Medicaid rolls, and possibly further reimbursement cuts. And it means more revenue struggles for medical groups.
The old conventional wisdom that said healthcare is recession proof has been soundly dispelled by the current downturn. The new conventional wisdom is that healthcare is one of the last sectors to be affected by a recession, but also one of the last to recover.

It's still too early to tell if there's any wisdom in that.

I'm thinking the article gives us all pause.

Happy and healthy hiring. Success by design - one career and new hire at a time.

Lynden

Success by design. One great candidate and client at a time.

Happy and Healthy Hiring.

Lynden
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The Average American and Healthcare Reform

2009-09-19T14:39:00.001-05:00

Here is an interesting piece about what the average person thinks about Healthcare Reform. Interesting. As a part of the system, what do you think? Can we afford to do this? Can we not?

Most Americans Don't Believe Health Reform Will Pass This Year

John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, September 18, 2009

Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults don't believe healthcare reform will pass this year, compared to 41% who do, according to a national telephone survey commissioned by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

"Consumers are at a crossroads," says Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. "While the majority of Americans surveyed (84%) believe some form of change is needed, many are confused by the complexity of the system and often default to their own personal experience with the system rather than look at the functionality of the entire system."

Harris Interactive conducted the national telephone survey of 1,010 adults 18 years old and older from Sept. 10-13 to gauge opinions about healthcare reform following President Barack Obama's address to the nation on Sept. 9. The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1%.

While most doubt legislation will pass, the 44% of those surveyed who watched Obama's address last week (55% did not watch) were inclined to agree (68%) versus disagree (30%) with Obama's reform plan.

"Interestingly, respondents said they trust physicians and healthcare providers (37%) the most when it comes to reforming the healthcare system, followed by the White House (21%), Congress (13%), employers (11%), and health insurance companies (7%)," Keckley says.

Concern over the government running healthcare was a common theme throughout the survey results. Sixty-one percent of respondents believe that Congress is likely to make the healthcare situation worse than better, and 55% thought government solutions to healthcare will ultimately cost more and deliver less compared to private sector solutions. Additionally, while the economy is still a major concern, 51% believe that health reform should not wait until the economy is better compared to 47% who thought it should wait.

Top concerns expressed by consumers surveyed include:

37% do not want the government to run healthcare
20% do not want their taxes to increase to cover healthcare for others
13% were concerned that they did not understand the proposals
12% thought they might have to wait too long to see a doctor if the public option is passed
5% were concerned about issues related to end-of-life care

"Our survey results indicate that while the majority believe the healthcare system needs to change, 48% want improvements, but not a major overhaul of the system. This supports the idea that a more moderate, incremental approach may be the answer," Keckley says.

Additional findings from the survey include:

73% of respondents believe it is important for every American to have health insurance
Uninsured (60%) and underinsured (55%) respondents were more likely to believe a major overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system is needed
57% of respondents believe Town Hall meetings have been an effective forum for gaining feedback from the public compared to 35% who disagree with that statement
Respondents were split when it came to ranking the U.S. healthcare system, with 48% agreeing that the U.S. healthcare system is the best system in the world compared to 48% who disagreed
55% of respondents do not believe coverage for the uninsured should be the sole focus of the debate
Respondents were most familiar with terms such as the public option (46%), healthcare co-ops (34%), and health insurance exchanges (28%), compared with terms such as comparative effectiveness research (20%) and the medical home (19%)

John Commins is an editor with
HealthLeaders Media. He can be reached at
jcommins@healthleadersmedia.com.

I'd love to hear your comments. Please post.

Success by design. One great candidate and client at a time.

Happy and Healthy Hiring.

Lynden

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Sermo vs the AMA and Healthcare Reform

2009-07-17T19:45:00.002-05:00

Like many of you, I'm avidly watching the healthcare reform debate. Like my clients and candidates, reform is ideal and necessary; but the task is overwhelming. So, how does reform really happen?

If you'll indulge me for a moment, healthcare is a healthy industry. There is growth in the sector – new treatments, new drugs, new outcomes; there is significant job creation and shortages. And then, there is the human benefit in caring for the health of others for communities and our nation. So, why is reform such a challenge? For me the issue has been that the big players weren't at the table – those with significant skin in the game. However, yesterday the AMA endorsed the US House of Representatives' Sponsored Healthcare Reform Bill. Ok, I thought. Finally, the physician lead organization has come to the table – I hoped their support of reform was serious. I assumed that their participation was good.

However, today I read a post by the founder and President of Sermo that gave me pause. Sermo is an online community for physicians with more than 100,000 members. In the Sermo Blog Post there is concern raised that perhaps the AMA isn't the best representative of the physician population.

Since most of my adult life has been in service to supporting physicians, this gave me pause. What if the AMA isn't the best voice for physicians? What if there are a significant number of physician voices that aren't being heard in this debate. I'm curious what you think? Please share. I will share the results in subsequent post.

Success by design. One great candidate and client at a time.

Happy and Healthy Hiring.

Lynden

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AZ - ENT

2009-07-16T13:42:00.007-05:00

Sonoran Desert - 1 BE/BC Otorhinolaryngologist

Seeking ENT Talent. This hospital has received the 2007 Excellence Through Insight Award from HealthStream Research for its high community perception of quality. This 144 bed (all private) facility is a regionally recognized leader in healthcare.

1 BE/BC Otorhinolaryngology (prefer candidate with 2 years post resident experience) to join a 3 physician single specialty group. This new need is due to the growing community population. The group has been established for 5 years and consists of 3 ENT's. Currently the call coverage is 1:3. This group typically is able to cover 20-22 days a month. The group offers a partnership track.

Near perfect location offers:
• 300 days of sunshine
• 4 majestic mountain ranges in beautiful Sonoran Desert
• World class golf courses
• 100 of miles of hiking and biking
• Historic Spanish Missions
• Old western towns
• Nationally known schools and universities
• Lots more.....

Curious about Comp? Well it may include:
• Compensation amount determined by group
• CME
• Relocation
• Potential medical education debt assistance
• Potential commencement bonus
• More....Call ME!

Success by design. One talented physician and client at a time.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden
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AZ - Radiologist

2009-07-10T15:07:00.003-05:00

Here is a hot physician job lead for a radiologist:

This 300 bed regionally and nationally recognized leader in healthcare:

Needs a Radiologist - Womens Imaging/ Mammography - only. Physician will be employed by the hospital and work in a freestanding Women's center which is a hospital department. This candidate must have a Fellowship in Mammography / Women's Imaging and have previous experience and be either board certified or board eligible.

This ideal location offers:
300 days of sunshine
4 majestic mountain ranges in beautiful Sonoran Desert
46 World class golf courses
100 of miles of hiking and biking trails
Historic Spanish Missions
Old western towns
Nationally known schools and universities
Lots more.....

Great recruitment package may include:
Competitive salary
CME
Relocation
Potential medical education debt assistance
Potential commencement bonus
More....

If you want more info - contact me today! :)

Success by design. One great candidate and client at a time.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden
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How Talented Are You – How Big Are Your Questions?

2009-06-18T15:05:00.002-05:00

As a recruiter, I am constantly interviewing people. As you know, we humans come in all sizes. People do reveal themselves in interviews – of course I also ask good questions. However, I'm always asking myself "how does this person show their spirit, their leadership, how do they 'show up' and make their contribution or mark in the corporate culture?" Since most of my clients are healthcare companies, private practices or hospitals, hiring people who 'get it' and who contribute at the top of their game is crucial.

Today, as a talent management professional and a trusted advisor to great clients, I have to share this quote. This is one of my favs of all time:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?"

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

----Marianne Williamson in "A Return to Love"

My reason for sharing this is that at all levels of hiring, we are seeking those who can "connect". We seek talent that enables our healthcare system to provide healing.

If you are hiring what are you looking for? If you are a job seeker – why should we hire you?

Think about it.

Success by design. One career and client at a time.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden

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How to Find a Job When You’re a Phlebotomist

2009-06-13T20:44:00.004-05:00

I have invited a guest blogger to share info with you all today. This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of phlebotomy tech salary at her blog Health Zone Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

If you're a phlebotomist and looking for a job, well, you're in luck. Your profession is one that is actually recession-proof because trained and skilled phlebotomists are in demand in various kinds of healthcare settings. Better still, if you're able to manage your time and your schedule well, you could work part-time in two or even three healthcare facilities and make the most of your time and income. If you're wondering how you can kick off your job search as a phlebotomist, read on to find out:

Check out local hospitals, private physician practices and other healthcare facilities to see if they have any openings or if they can recommend you to someone who does need a good phlebotomist. Put out the word that you're looking for a job even before you graduate so that people know they can contact you if they find themselves short of a good phlebotomist.
Register yourself with online recruitment agencies where prospective employers can contact you if they have anything that suits your skills and qualification. You need to have a resume prepared and uploaded and keep your eyes open for a listing that you think is suited to you.
Check for job postings on online forums, websites, local newspapers and magazines and in flyers posted in public places.
Ask your friends and family members to keep their eyes and ears open if hospitals and other healthcare facilities are in need of a phlebotomist and to give you a call if they do.

Most phlebotomists are also expected to handle administrative duties, especially if they're working at a private practice. So it helps your job search if you have secretarial abilities and are able to organize and manage records well. Besides this, experience will come in handy in your hunt for a job, so even if the first job you get does not pay as much as you thought it would, accept the offer and gain some experience before you think of bargaining for more. Your people skills will also stand you in good stead in an interview because phlebotomists have to be good at putting people, especially young children at ease, before and when they draw blood.

It's not too hard to find an opening in the phlebotomist industry because you don't require much training and job openings are aplenty. Since the training period is comparatively less, you can start earning much earlier than others who choose to enter the medical field.

If you're looking to move up the career ladder in phlebotomy, you could earn more and take on more responsibility as a donor phlebotomy technician (DPT) with the necessary certification, or you could graduate to a supervisory position with a few years of experience and dedication.

Again, check out Kat's blog about salaries at phlebotomy tech salary at her blog Health Zone Blog a blogosphere for health professionals. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com

Happy and healthy hiring, one candidate at a time.

Success by design. Careers by design. Captivating careers.

Lynden

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Annals of Medicine: The Cost Conundrum: newyorker.com

2009-06-02T20:14:00.006-05:00

This is one of the most insightful articles I've seen recently about the thorny issues in healthcare. I can't say enough that I think this is must reading.

Annals of Medicine: The Cost Conundrum: newyorker.com

Shared via AddThis

Success by Design
Happy and Healthy Hiring - One talented person at a time

Lynden

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PRC – Physician Recruiter Credential

2009-05-29T19:20:00.002-05:00

I recently studied for and then sat for an exam about recruiting physicians. Since I have been in the business of recruiting for a long time and since I have been recruiting physicians even longer, I have a passion for hooking them up with "just the right thing."

Getting the credential by passing the certification exam was a significant milestone. Physicians are used to thinking in terms of certifications – especially board certifications. Being board certified myself then made sense. So, now on equal footing at least in this one detail. If you want to know more about the PRC – Physician Recruiting Certification let me know. Email Lynden I will be happy to connect you (if you are a physician recruiting colleague) to the resources.

Also, I'd like to share a brief thought:

Vision helps us see the possibilities of tomorrow within the realities of today, and motivates us to do what needs to be done.

Dreams are extremely important. You can't do it unless you can imagine it. ---George Lucas.

Happy and healthy hiring and job searching.

Success by Design – one talented professional at a time.

Lynden

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When Good People Get Bad News – Healthcare Job Growth Declines

2009-04-30T20:18:00.003-05:00

According to an article by John Cummins at HealthLeaders Media on April 27th, 2009 we may be seeing a blip on our radar in the healthcare market place.

The article below indicates that there seems to be a trend downward in job creation and demand in healthcare.

Hospital job growth, until recently one of the few bright spots for a nation deep in recession and high unemployment, has all but flat-lined so far this year, Bureau of Labor Statistics show.

For the first quarter of 2009, preliminary BLS figures show that the hospital sector created slightly less than 6,200 jobs nationwide. In the first three months of 2008, the hospital sector created 32,500 new jobs.

BLS reports that there were more than 4.7 million hospital jobs nationwide through the end of March 2009. "It's a response to the fact that volumes are weak and hospitals are adapting their staffing to adjust to that," says David Bachman, an analyst with Longbow Research in Cleveland. "Employee expense is a huge cost center for hospitals, so the extent that they can manage that appropriately that is one of the few levers they have to try to keep margins from deteriorating too much in this environment."

If hospital job creation continues at this pace, fewer than 25,000 new jobs will be created in 2009, as compared with 137,100 new hospital jobs in 2008; 105,700 new jobs in 2007; and 81,400 new jobs in 2006, according to BLS data.

"We are going to see subdued job growth throughout the remainder of this year," Bachman says. "The sentiment among hospital leaders could be we are not going to see a big upswing in patient volumes and margins are so tight, or negative, so they are going to try to continue to do more with less. Essentially, there is no real employment growth in the hospital space over the course of the year, which is very different from what we've seen recently."

The stagnant job growth in the hospital sector comes as the American Hospital Association today released a nationwide survey of more than 1,000 hospitals, nearly half of which report layoffs.

"The fact that hospitals are cutting staff challenges the notion that hospitals are recession-proof," says AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock.

The job growth is also adversely affected by reduced patient volumes, which are being reported by hospitals across the nation.

It's not all bad news. The slowdown in job growth and the weak economy have helped hospitals—at least temporarily—quell an acute shortage of nurses and other clinical staff. Hospitals are reporting that turnover has declined, and that many former nurses have returned to the workforce for any number of pocketbook reasons.

Bachman says the recession has created a "bunker mentality" among nurses and other healthcare workers. BLS data show that—like everyone else—nurses and other healthcare workers are digging in, putting their heads down, and staying put until the economy improves.

Historic trends have shown an uptick in hospital hiring in the second quarter of each year, as hospitals get a better idea of their patient volume projections and they look to graduating nurses and other clinicians to fill jobs. "You start to get some pickup again in March, based on what we've seen historically," Bachman says. "Probably if you look out over April, May, and June, those are a good test to see what is going on here."

Ouch. We know that spending on elective medical procedures has dropped. Hospitals are scrambling in the credit markets like other industries too.

It isn't too surprising to see that hiring has dropped. The surprising thing is the forecast for when it will pick up again.

Basically, as the Baby Boom generation continues to age we know that there will be high demand on the healthcare market, but how are hospitals going to cope with chronic shortages?

Well, they will work smarter and they will be smarter about keeping their best in class talent from physicians to paraprofessionals who "extend" the reach of the physicians and nurses.

There is also a lot of jitteriness about what types of reforms to expect from the Obama administration. However, healthcare has been a target for a long time. There was much discussion about reform out of the Clinton Administration too…and yet very little changed.

I look forward to seeing how the best and the brightest of this industry embrace their challenges.

It will require even more strategy on the part of hospitals and medical practices to be creative in their leadership and staffing development plans.

That means being sure you have solid loyalty programs, referral programs and individual professional development as a high priority. Even though there appears to be a shortage, there is always a call for best in class talent.

If you are best in class talent or a best in class employer – we've got all sorts of ideas to share. Just let us know.

Happy and healthy hiring and job searching.

Success by Design – one great employer and employee at a time.

Lynden Next Iteration; NI Health Jobs

http://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndenkidd

Smart and Sassy Can’t Say Practical

2009-04-07T13:10:00.003-05:00

I don't usually talk about my candidates. As a matter of fact, I make it a point to NOT talk about them to preserve and protect their confidentiality. However, I have to break my rule this once.

As you may know, I work with physicians usually. They come in all shapes and sizes. They are super smart and uber smart. There is a shortage of them in the US. Some work with recruiters to help them find jobs. Some have a hard time working with anyone. By that I mean, we have done such an awesome job of teaching physicians to rely on their own judgment, to trust their instincts and to reluctantly rely on others (beside a physician colleague) that they have a hard time delegating any part of their job search to someone else.

Now, just for a second, to intensify the pitch of my whine that makes them tough cookies to work with as a recruiter. Docs don't listen to your advice and they go off wandering alone – much like my seven year old. The real issue is that the recruiter is an asset to the physician. Recruiters have experience in that in which docs don't – finding jobs.

So, here is my rant. I've been working with a doc who has an offer in hand. He is interested in joining this great practice with people he is confident will be good to work with for a long time. He is and has been seeking attorney review of his offer. I applaud his desire to have attorney review. I believe that is a step every physician candidate should take. However, please know that it always: 1) adds time to the negotiation process; 2) adds expense; and 3) I've yet to see anyone go to an attorney and say, "I want you to find only the things that are right about this so we can move forward quickly." By definition, adding an attorney adds a layer of complexity to the process. Attorney's (I am one by training so I can say this with an insider's navel-lint-picking-perspective) HAVE to find something to correct. You'd be mad if you paid someone $500 or so dollars to have them come back and say, "everything is fine."

So, I've got this candidate with a job offer and the first attorney, one he selected, takes FOREVER to get back to him. Doc starts calling attorney and attorney has excuses about why he hasn't had a chance to review the offer letter agreement. Eventually, attorney stops returning calls. Doc is desperate. Super Recruiter (me) steps in and says, "lookie here are the names of well respected firms that I know 1) do this work on a regular basis, 2) guarantee that they will produce an answer promptly." Viola, a win-win for everyone. Doc even sends Super Recruiter a note saying thanks for the suggestions.

Next, what do I learn? Well, Doc has hired a new attorney. Yeah. However, it isn't one of the ones recommended by me, it is some other guy….so we are still waiting on the results of "attorney" review. Just for the record…it has been over a month. I'm sure that Doc will come back with feedback about the offer for my client soon. I'm sure eventually we will get to an acceptable arrangement between the two. I'm also sure that like my seven year old, I'll forgive him for this interminable delay and send him happily on his way to his new job. But, just for the record, if he had listened to me, sought my advice and allowed me to be a true partner to his process the offer negotiations would have been over at least two weeks ago and he would be working with the relocation specialist by now rather than still being up in the air.

Ok. I'm done. I just think that sometimes we "do what we think we need to do" without thinking about the consequences. In this case his prospective employer is learning something about this Doc and what it is like to work with him. Not all these impressions are good. Wish it was different, but in this instance the Doc choose to do his own thing and I will support him to the finish – cleaning up behind. Food for thought.

Happy and healthy hiring and job searching.

Success by design. One candidate, good advice and retention tips at a time.

Lynden Kidd
http://www.nextteration.net and www.nihealthjobs.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndenkidd

Healthcare Sheepwalking and the American Investment & Recovery Act

2009-03-31T16:20:00.004-05:00

I’m a huge fan of Seth Godin the marketing guru. Recently I’ve been enjoying his book about Tribes where he talks about a concept called “sheepwalking”. He refers to employees who are shuffling around on their jobs; doing what is asked but not being inspired and not giving their all. I appreciated the thought about how when one does a job that doesn’t inspire even the best employees morph into a herd mentality. There is a mindlessness about work in that context which when viewed from the healthcare perch is frightening.

Also, as the economy continues to befuddle economists, the government, the world’s stock markets and employees/employers alike, the challenge becomes how to create a culture that keeps healthcare employees engaged and not simply shuffling around in fear of losing their jobs.

Here are the allocations in the financial stimulus plan for healthcare and education in the US.

Department of Health and Human Services: $19.57 Billion

o National Institutes of Health: $9.7 Billion
Additional scientific research and capital improvement projects
o Office of the Secretary: $3 Billion
Includes funds for computerizing health records and prep for possible flu pandemic

o Administration for Children and Families: $3.1 Billion
Includes funding for childcare assistance for low-income families
o Health Resources and Services Administration: $1.958 Billion
Building and renovation of headquarters building and other health centers
o Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: $1.3 Billion
Conduct research on effectiveness of healthcare treatments and strategies
o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: $412 Million
Purchase of property and equipment and renovation of laboratories and other facilities
o Administration on Aging: $100 Million

So what can we expect from the stimulus? Karen Sampson blogs on Masters In Healthcare about how it is to play out and how it might affect the care we receive. But, I'm asking what about what it might do for the healthcare employee? I suggest we need to think about the culture we are creating for those who touch us in a very personal way at the intersection of our health – in healthcare services, medical care or in the life sciences. I’m curious what you think it means to you?

My clients are healthcare companies, medical practices or life science companies. I’m curious about when everything and everyone contracts and squeezes the healthcare professional or scientist in the middle? How do we keep them from “sheepwalking” just to keep their jobs? How to we keep them “stimulated” not from anxiety about their fears of the future, but of the gift and promise of the future?
Answer: I don’t know. I don’t know. But, I do promise to stay active in the dialogue. Contributing my two cents and advocating to those who are hiring, and to those companies who have hiring on hold – our biggest challenge is creating captivating cultures of excellence that stimulate employees to do their best; to care, to innovate, to offer quality in all they do.

Success by design – one employee at a time.

What career is captivating you? What employee are you inspiring?

Lynden Kidd
www.nextiteration.net and www.nihealthjobs.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndenkidd

Focusing the Mind – The Career Search Paradox

2009-02-04T14:57:00.003-06:00

"Nothing focuses the mind like a gun to the head" - Winston Churchill

This quote captured my attention like a laser. The economy is the proverbial gun to our heads. The challenge of the current economy, the struggle of companies hiring and those who are letting people go and the swirl of fear for so many. For the individual wage earner, the prospect of being let go in an economy as rough as ours is right now is chilling. The headlines in our newspapers tell stories of people pushed to the brink - a recently unemployed couple where the husband massacred the whole family. How tragic. How sad. Such a crazy outcome borne out of helplessness.

I would like to challenge all among us to creatively push back against the fear of “losing a job” and instead to hold fast to the knowledge that "we can and do make a difference." While there is always the chance we can become paralyzed by our fears temporarily; personal success and corporate success is going to come from continuing to be bold and to not shrink in these scary times but to push through.

Happy and Healthy Hiring.

Success by design, one step at a time.

Lynden
www.nextiteration.net and www.nihealthjobs.com

Interview Skills – Hiring Tips (Listening)

2008-12-09T12:43:00.001-06:00

Most people who are involved in hiring don’t take much time to review their own skills. I’d like to offer this brief, but important tip. “Listening is important too and that doesn’t mean just not talking.” We’ve all met the person who has so much going on that they are on autopilot. In the interview process, this person might be a “motor mouth” and good at explaining about why it is good to work for your company, and in the position a candidate can achieve this and that. But, this should not be the only person that meets a candidate. Active listening is an investment in the hiring process. If you are a wonderful presenter, but a rotten listener be sure that your hiring process includes people who are better listeners than you are!

Candidates need to have balance. They need a chance to talk about their accomplishments (and to be heard) and they need to have a chance to learn about the position and what is expected of the person who is hired. So strive for balance interview process participants who are good at presenting information about the company and the opening and those who are good at getting gritty information out of the people they meet. In that best of both worlds, your company learns what they need to about the candidate and the candidate learns what he and she need to know about your company.

"Good talkers tend not to be good listeners. Indeed, people who think of themselves as good talkers tend to rate themselves as extroverted, while good listeners rate themselves as introverted. Good listeners are 60 percent more likely to try to put themselves in the other person's place - trying to see things through their perspective." Pauk 1997 as quoted by David Niven PhD.

Happy and healthy hiring. Happy holidays too.

Success by design, one talented candidate hired at a time.

Lynden

Builders for an Eternity – Employees who really contribute at work

2008-11-15T00:55:00.000-06:00

Builders for an Eternity – Employees who really contribute at work

I post this as food for thought. As a talent broker, someone who listens to people describe their work lives no matter how brilliant or mundane the career, there is the human element. Here is a poem by R. L. Sharpe that I’d like to share:

Isn’t it strange how princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people, like you and me,
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a list of rules;
A shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a stepping stone.

As we look toward a time in the year when we reflect on things that we are thankful for; I am privileged to work with some of the best and brightest minds in the healthcare, biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical industries. For the contribution of those whose careers and talent search needs have touched my life in this last year; kudos on what you are building for eternity.

Happy and healthy hiring.

One common person at a time building eternity.
Success by design.

Lynden
www.nextiteration.net
www.nihealthjobs.com

Hiring and Job Search Stress Management

2008-10-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

We’ve all been there – the hiring manager is screaming that a position needs to be filled pronto. The rest of the staff around the position can’t bear the burden. As a busy recruiter I’ve talked with hundreds of under the gun employers. They need talent NOW but struggle to find what they need. Unfortunately, especially in healthcare and the life sciences we find this challenge over and over. Because of the shortage of able talent the search goes on and on and on – in some cases.

On the flip side, as a diligent job seeker who is working a job search few things can be as frustrating as no feedback!

I don’t have answers to these challenges, but I can offer a perspective. Communicate often and communicate well. Keep it up and even if the listener doesn’t like the answer; the message is easier to deal with than the ambiguity of no answer.

That’s it. Simple and sweet.

Now here are some other thoughts about relieving stress:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* It's the second mouse that gets the cheese.

* When everything’s coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

If you have any other stress busters to share – I welcome them.

Success by design.

Happy and healthy hiring – one candidate at a time.

Lynden

Negotiating the Salary – Budget Busters are a NO NO

2008-09-04T13:56:00.001-05:00

Every time we approach the negotiation stage of our process with a candidate, we walk boldly and carefully. There are usually three things that we abide by:

1) Candidate’s expectations will be high
2) Client’s expectations will be low
3) It is our job to facilitate getting both of them to an acceptable middle.

We never discuss “ranges” with candidates, but always we know them. What we strive to do right with all of our clients is assure the candidate agrees (preclosing over and over) to accept compensation within the range that we know the client has designated. Rarely will we present a candidate whose current comp package is at or beyond the range the client has stated. We all know, the compensation offer must be a win for the candidate in order for her/him to accept

Everyone fails when the recruiter presents candidates who are too high in current salary/compensation. The candidate experiences disappointment because s/he believes that the client should come up in salary to at least the level they are currently being paid; the client knows s/he can’t go beyond the stated range; and the recruiter fails because the equation is no win – or win-lose. Both the candidate and the client have to wonder about a recruiting professional who represents a candidate or a position that isn’t a good fit.

All in all, advice to candidates and to clients is to be clear early in the process about the comp to be offered and the expectations of the candidate – clarity is what makes the negotiations a win with the right candidate.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Success by design – negotiating well for our clients one candidate at a time!

Lynden

www.NextIteration.net and www.NIHealthJobs.com

Recipe for a Cooking Up a Good Interview

2008-08-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

As a fan of cooking, I enjoy the fun of trying new ingredients in old recipes. That gives me the fun of having a meal that I know we will enjoy, but also a way to possibly improve on the success of the meal compared to previous ones.

Ok, enough of the food analogy. However, improving the interview process is just like that. As you tweek and adjust various elements of the process, you'll discover that the outcome improves or declines. I think that in the interest of improvement, I would like to suggest the slightest tweek, one that reaps big rewards. Prepare your interview team in advance of the candidate arriving. Sounds simple? It is. The secret is really planning. As you go about the process of recruiting for a new position - whether you are doing it yourself or having the assistance of outside recruiters; take a step back and begin with the end in mind.

In this case a solid new hire is the goal; part of the process is how well the candidate does in the interview. Having an interview team that knows their role in the process; that knows how to provide feedback to the decisionmakers in the process is key. My suggestion is that each of the interview team knows what their job is. There may be standardized questions each team member asks plus there should be specific areas of expertise each interviewer represents. Overlap is ok as long as it is constructive and targeted toward validating experience, background and skills.

However, especially on a first round; keep the group small and efficient. Core decisionmakers who interivew effectively. Save the more detailed interview for the second round.

OK...more to come later. How to make 2nd round interviews sizzle is the next installment.

Success by Design – one client and candidate at a time.

Lynden

And the Candidate ALWAYS Says, "The Interview Was Great!"

2008-07-24T16:23:00.002-05:00

We talk with candidates and clients all the time after the interview. In ten years of debriefing as a recruiter and another ten years as a hiring authority, I’ve only twice had a candidate say “I knew in an instant it wasn’t for me or the interview went badly.” Usually feedback from the candidate is always, “I really enjoyed it and thought it went well.” There might be some mild variation on that tune, but by and large we’ve determined that the candidate debrief is important; however the client debrief is most relevant. In fact in our firm in the interest of efficiency, we’ve flopped how we usually do post interview debrief. Now we talk with the client before the candidate. Then if the client has determined no go about the candidate – then we can efficiently dispatch the clients intention professionally without prolonging the “agony” for the candidate.

Success by Design – one client and candidate at a time.

What career is captivating you?

Lynden

Job Searching in a Tight Market – What’s a Candidate To Do?

2008-06-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

If you read the headlines about the woes of the US economy, you could be very worried about making a job change at this time or about the likelihood of succeeding in a search. However, what you need to know is that the reality isn’t quite as it might seem. While there are segments that are in pain, the financial industry and the construction industries are top of mind examples now – others remain very tight.

While it is true that many of your personal costs are going up (gas and food) and that there has been a reported rise in unemployment; at least on the job market in healthcare we continue to see a shortage of skilled and talented workers. When we hear that the unemployment statistic is up what we don’t also hear is that many of the functions have been outsourced. The job may cease to be done in one spot, but the function is still being accomplished just it is done in a different manner or for a different employer. And, not all outsourcing means that jobs are being shipped out of the US. In many cases the “work” of that function is being done by temporary workers or by other companies that have added that “work” as a product of what they now do.

So, before you panic be sure you talk with someone knowledgeable in your industry who can help you take the pulse of what is really happening. There are industry pockets where opportunities abound – you could well be part of one. If you are scratching your head about who to talk with about what’s happening in your industry, know that my bias and recommendation is to talk with a good recruiting professional who is works in your industry vertical. As one, I know that my industry knowledge is as good as that of those who work in the industry – and we have geographic sophistication. In other words we know what is happening in various parts of the country because of our scope and breadth.

Think about it; it is up to you to choose thoughtful next steps with your career.

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

What career is captivating you?

Healthy and productive hiring and job hunting!

Lynden

Holiday 2007 - Job Searching

2007-12-18T12:44:00.000-06:00

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

The Career and Job Search Guide: Letter L

2007-10-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

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

The Career and Job Search Guide: Letter C

2007-09-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

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

Great Hires - Great Contributors

2007-08-13T12:09:00.000-05:00

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

Costs of Physician Recruiting

2007-07-19T17:36:00.000-05:00

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

Background checks - what you may not know

2007-04-16T15:25:00.000-05:00

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

Recruiters – who needs em? Answer – YOU!

2007-02-21T13:53:00.000-06:00

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

Kicking Your 2007 Job Search in High Gear!

2007-02-12T20:32:00.000-06:00

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

Physician Career Fairs – Making the Most of Them

2006-12-13T16:03:00.000-06:00

I recently had the pleasure of attending the CareerMD Career Fair in Chicago. For those of you who don’t know, CareerMD is a terrific resource for physician training and job finding info. Their website at www.careermd.com features a comprehensive and centralized source of information on physician training and employment opportunities. They also host career fairs in various locations throughout the US.

I did happen to notice that most of the physician attendees were prepared for the event, but also noticed that many hadn’t given much thought to their expected outcome. I’d like to make some suggestions on how you can get the most out of time attending career fairs.

As you know from other posts, I’m a huge believer of “beginning with the end in mind.” In this context that means that physician job seeking attendees would arrive expecting to: 1) talk with prospective hiring authorities about opportunities; 2) have additional copies of their CV’s in hand to share on the spot; and 3) know what types of opportunities they are interested in seeking and possible locations/geography as a destination.

Usually the career fair sponsor can advise you about the number of employers or recruiters to expect in attendance so you may estimate how many CV’s to bring with you. Also, in many cases the career fair sponsor will collect your CV and make all of the job seeker CV’s available to the hiring authorities who attend the event. This is a nice service so as an attendee you don’t have to schlep 150 copies of your CV. But, you do still want to have 15 to 20 copies to distribute to those companies/recruiters where you want immediate follow up.

Last, don’t hesitate to ask for the business card from practice situations you are especially interested in. You may need to contact them directly, if they are slow to get back to you. As a recruiter/hiring authority at these events, I know I’m juggling a lot of paper, and a display plus traveling and might not be as quick to respond as I like post event. I’m never put off if someone contacts me in follow up – I know they are very motivated about my opportunities and will be a good candidate.

Last, be flexible. It might be that as you are wandering the career fair event you learn something about a practice style or location that you haven’t previously considered. You never can tell when that info might come in handy as your career morphs over your lifetime.

Happy and healthy job searching.

Happy holidays too.
Lynden

Don’t Be a Turkey about Your Search

2006-11-21T20:34:00.000-06:00

As most of the US is about to relax and enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday, I know many physicians across the country will be taking care of patients. These patients are blessed with the healing and ministering skills not to mention the professionalism of the physician backbone of the American Healthcare System. Personally, I’d like to say thank you to those who serve. I’m proud to be a contributor in my own small way to the health and success of the healthcare delivery system in this country; I’m honored to work with many of you. Happy Thanksgiving.

I also want to remind those of you who are seeking a new practice situation, that this time of year can be great from a job search perspective. From my vantage as a recruiter, the holiday time is often one of the best times of the year to catch both candidates and hiring authorities. It is a time for healthy reflection about personal and professional wants and needs – again for both sides of the job search equation. So, please don’t make the assumption that nothing gets done between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Quite the contrary, there is robust activity and only the turkeys who don’t know that suffer.

Happy and healthy hunting.

Lynden

Doctor - want a job? The best candidates are……

2006-10-30T12:04:00.000-06:00

In the going on a jillion years that I’ve been in recruiting, there are similarities across the best candidates. The same is true of the best physician candidates - the best ones have the following attributes nailed. I’ve been working recently with lots of final year residents and fellows. I’ve noted that many aren’t clued into the job search process and don’t have their act together about what they want to be doing. I’m not faulting anyone for not having a crystal ball, however; being articulate and confident about what you want to do next is crucial if you want to rise to the top of the CV pile on a hiring authority’s desk.

Things to think about (outside the CV):
1) Know your strengths and what you can add to a new practice situation (whether it is an employed or partnership track opportunity). Even if you are new to being in private practice you still have something to offer in the form of cutting edge skills, a manner of dealing with and contributing to patients, or your personal disposition – a steady eddy or a humorous harriet. Be prepared to distinguish yourself from all the others. I know I know you’ve been studying for the last quarter of your life and don’t think of yourself as needing to have self promotion skills but in the job search process you need to blow your own horn.
2) Know the part of the country in which you’d like to work. Hiring authorities are going to be interested in you if you have some link or tie to the community. If you want to practice in Dallas for example, it helps that your wife’s family all live in the area. That makes a difference. The bottom line is that the hiring authority wants to have you fit in with their medical community and if they are going to be making an investment in hiring you they want you to stay in their community.
3) Know the size of community you want to be in if you don’t have an absolute destination in mind. Also know how close you want to be to a metropolitan area or to a larger/international airport. This can make a difference as you are reviewing job openings
4) Know how much call you prefer and know the type of practice you want – solo, solo with call, join one (partner); more than two single specialty group, multispecialty group, hospital employed or other employed or academia? Or industry? Where do you want to be?
5) Know when you can start – this should be as unambiguous as possible.
6) Know if you will need special help with your relocation – do you have a special needs child or a spouse whose career will need to be relocated too! This shouldn’t make a difference as you go through discussions about your qualifications, but will make a difference once you have an offer and are considering all the issues about how to get you to your first day.

There are many things to consider, but getting clear about them in advance of your conversations with a recruiter or hiring authority is important if you want to be perceived as a key candidate or player in the search process. If you’d like help with aspects of this process check http://www.mdcareercompass.com for job search tools to help you manage your search more effectively. If you get clear about the six points mentioned above you will be well on your way to launching the search process and giving yourself a running start.

Happy and healthy job searching!
Lynden

Great Employment Law Resources

2006-08-23T11:32:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share two resources with you regarding employment law issues. You can never be sure when you might need assistance in this area. I want to recommend two sites.

The first is George's Employment Blawg at http://www.employmentblawg.com/recommended-links
I found this site as a recommendation featured in one of the many recruiting industry newsletters we receive - Airs News in an article by Paula Santonocito. This site is by "George Lenard, managing partner of Harris Dowell Fischer & Harris, a management labor and employment law firm based in Chesterfield, Mo. The blog shares workplace observations on legal matters and other trends. However, via a disclaimer, Lenard points out that information is general and does not constitute legal advice. Lenard's notation points to a sometimes overlooked aspect of blogs: Although they are often written by experts, they tend to be individual musings. In other words, it's important to consider the source and the context in which comments are made."

The next site I'd like to recommend features details about work visa related issues for those of you who might have interest in hiring a visa candidate or if you are an international candidate there is great information for you. What I particularly like, is that the site is hosted by a law firm (again like the one above) and provides up-to-date information about immigration issues. The law firm behind the site is Siskind Susser Bland and they say, "our firm's web site, which was launched in June, 1994, was the first immigration law firm web site and one of the very first law firm web sites in any category. Since then, it has remained one of the most immigration sites on the World Wide Web. Our site typically receives more than 1,000,000 hits every week from more than 150 different countries." I can't say enough positive about it. Also of note is the site has a section dedicated exclusively to healthcare visa issues in the Healthcare Info Center. Check it out at http://www.visalaw.com/IMG/resources.html

I think you'll find both to include a wealth of information and links that will assist you with most every employment law need. Good luck.

Happy and healthy job hunting and hiring!

Lynden

Email Options – Gmail

2006-08-02T20:42:00.000-05:00

One of the suggestions that I often make to candidates who are launching into a job search is that they set up an email account to manage all their search related correspondence. This keeps the info organized and in one place for easy follow up. The article below details one such option. I hope it is helpful if you are considering this service.

The following is from an article published in the AIRS “REALTOOLS” Newsletter. It is written by Paula Santonocito. AIRS can be reached at 58 Fogg Farm Road, White River Junction, VT 05001; 800-466-4010.

The Gmail Option

Even with the folders, routing, and search features of Microsoft Outlook, it can be difficult to manage the onslaught of email. It often becomes more about keeping up rather than creating a process that allows for optimum efficiency.

If you're still trying to manage your electronic correspondence using one account and feel overwhelmed, it's worth considering how a second or even third account might benefit you.

Creating a separate account for newsletters, for example, allows you to separate reading material from correspondence requiring immediate attention. Using an account for personal correspondence also helps keep your business account professional and less cluttered. The same is true with online shopping. Do you really need email purchase confirmations and ongoing advertisements showing up in your primary account?

When organization is an objective, web-based email accounts can prove helpful.

Most people are familiar with web-based email services like Mail.com, Yahoo! Mail, and MSN Hotmail. Each offers slightly different services for a fee, but free offerings are basically the same, as is the process. You create an account and have access to limited storage.

Limited storage can be an issue with free web-based services. Space gets used up quickly, particularly if you're an email packrat. Generally, if you want greater capacity with web-based email services, you have to pay for it. Not so with Gmail, which offers greater capacity.

G isn't for greater, gargantuan, or gigabyte (which was the storage capacity originally offered gratis). If you haven't already guessed, G is for Google.
Gmail has been around for a while, but like everything else at Google it is in a state of constant evolution. The current version of Gmail is based on the premise that email can be eternal; or, as Google says, "Don't throw anything away." With this mind, the search engine giant now offers more than 2 gigabytes of storage and counting (see the clock that ticks off the additional space at the main Gmail page).

Google's product has met with accolades. It was voted number two in PC World's Top 100 products of 2005, the company notes.

Then why aren't more people using it? "It can be a pain to switch to a new email address," Google says, pointing out it makes it easy. To this end, Google attempts to resolve concerns. It actually has a "help me switch" feature where you enter an existing email account, import contacts, announce a new address, and send reminders to friends. The feature also allows you to keep your old address.

Of course creating an entirely new account is also an option. Whether you replace an existing account or create a new one, you'll quickly discover that Gmail has a lot of convenient features. Its search features make it easy to find messages. It also groups each email and its replies into a conversation, so you can follow the back and forth of an email exchange. And of course there's the storage capacity, which means you can save all the messages you want.

Google continues to offer enhancement to its product, the latest being Reply by Chat, which is basically an instant messaging feature within Gmail. If you and another Gmail user are online at the same time, you can chat rather than email.

Okay, so what's the rub? Why aren't people receiving more emails with Gmail in the address?

There are currently only two ways to sign up for Gmail; one is by invitation and the other is by using a mobile phone with text message capabilities.

Google claims the system helps prevent spam and other email abuse. Unfortunately, it seems to also deter sign up.

Nevertheless, if you do follow the process, which involves entering your mobile phone telephone number in a box and copying characters into a box, you will receive a text message code on your mobile phone immediately. Then all you do is enter the code at the site and you've got Gmail.

If managing your email is a goal, and you're considering creating another account, give Gmail a look. Despite the unusual signup method, Gmail is a great mail service.

Happy and Healthy Job Searching

Lynden

Bum References – Physicians Beware

2006-07-26T09:03:00.000-05:00

Most of us take for granted that if we provide the names and contact information of colleagues to prospective employers that the colleagues or attending physicians recommending us will be objective, fair and supportive of our professionalism in their comments.

I recently had a candidate who was very forthright about sharing reference letters. He easily forwarded letters written on his behalf early in the recruitment process. Because of his “up front” management of that issue, I suspect many prospective employers didn’t actually call the references for more background but relied instead on the letter exclusively as the reference check.

Beware to the practice that hires going only on a written letter of reference AND beware to the job seeking physician who thinks that his references won’t be contacted directly.

In the example above, one of the practices where this candidate was seeking employment actually called one of the references instead of simply relying on the letter. What the hiring practice heard from the reference wasn’t flattering to the job seeking physician candidate. In fact it was so poor that the group decided not to issue an offer and called another practice where the candidate was interviewing in the same community to share what they learned. The second practice verified the info and actually withdrew their offer before it was accepted. The job seeking physician was left wondering why and what happened.

As a candidate, you shouldn’t be left wondering why. When you ask someone to be a reference for you, also ask how they handle references and if they will speak fairly of your skills and experience. Don’t assume they will be a good reference without asking them if they have a good impression of your work and experience. If you get any kind hint of negativity in their answer – find another reference. When you are at the finish line headed into offer negotiations, the last thing you want to do is fall on your face because a reference was negative or even neutral.

If you suspect that a reference may not be as strong as you’d like – ask them about their comments or have someone objective speak with them on your behalf. If you are working with a trusted independent physician recruiter – the recruiter can call to check a reference in anticipation of working with you. That recruiter should then be able to verify for you if your references are as strong a resource as you need for your job search campaign. (Note: I suggest an independent recruiter versus an internal recruiting professional because the results would bias an internal recruiter’s conclusions about your candidacy with their employer).

As in everything you do, the devil is in the details and knowing you have solid professional references is key to success in your career search.

Job Seeking Success,

Lynden

Physician Compensation and the Interview

2006-06-02T16:22:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about physicians is that you/they are bright and very talented at many things. As self reliant, sophisticated professionals it is easy to assume that taking about compensation details in an interview should not be complicated. WRONG. I’d like to suggest a more effective strategy that will produce a better outcome.

Time and again it is shown that when the “principals” are involved in negotiations (in this case the principals are the physician and the hiring authority directly) the risk for miscommunication and harm for rapport development are high. You may be wondering why that would be the case when the key players to the agreement are the ones who are part of the discussion.

Simply, the personal gets in the way of the factual. Approaching the compensation negotiation without an “agent” or intermediary can result in a less than win-win outcome. As a search executive with years of experience, I’ve seen where the discussions get sensitive because of expectations not being met or because of subtle details not being heard and/or understood.

Communication is imperfect as we all know. When an employer says the salary range is between $250,000 and $300,000 they usually mean that the starting salary is $250,000. The candidate consumes that info often as, “wow I could get an offer for as much as $300,000.” It might be that the candidate believes that s/he should be starting at $300,000 and so assumes that number should be what is offered. I don’t know a hiring authority on the planet that will negotiate an offer from the highest point first. It is simply contrary to good business strategy. Hence the two parties may already be set up for disappointment – the candidate who had hoped to hear a “higher number” and the employer who is surprised that the candidate isn’t delighted by what they feel is a very generous offer.

Other things happen too. There may be more details to explain. Perhaps the base is light, but the productivity bonus is rich. If the candidate involuntarily groans at the low base before the hiring authority completes discussion of the productivity bonus formula, the hiring authority might get the impression that the candidate is reactive, doesn’t listen well, is greedy or may make any number of other assumptions. Usually the assumptions aren’t to the benefit of the candidate.

Simply put, the communication process can fail to achieve the most desirable outcome. When the issue is negotiating compensation, it is always best to have someone in the middle. If you are working with a recruiter or with a placement agent you can expect them to level the playing field. A hiring authority is not going to negotiate in the candidates’ best interest; they are going to strike the best deal for them.

Let me give you an example. In anticipation of the negotiation, the recruiter/agent will check with the physician candidate about her/his expectations of compensation. Thus it is known that the expectation is $300,000 on the candidate side. When the recruiter/agent is later working with the hiring authority on the offer proposal and the offer target discussed is $250,000 the agent can indicate that the candidate already has a different number in mind. Then if there is room for advance negotiation it can happen in the background rather than the foreground.

Assume the hiring authority can’t budge on the base, then the agent can work with the hiring authority to secure other options such as a higher sign on or commencement bonus; a richer productivity bonus plan or shorter track to partnership. Again all of this negotiation can be taking place in the background refining and reforming the offer until it seems most palatable for each party. Then when the offer is presented, there are NO surprises. Each side is prepared for possible reactions to offer details.

My best advice is that if you have the opportunity to have a recruiter or agent as a buffer and catalyst for the negotiation process – take advantage of it. It does product the most win-win outcomes.

Happy and Healthy Getting Hired.

Lynden

Conducting Panel Interviews as Part of the Hiring Process

2006-04-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

Conducting Panel Interviews as Part of the Hiring Process

In case you aren't familiar with the term, a panel interview is an interview where the interviewee meets more than two interviewers at the same time. Usually the panel size is between three and five interviewers.

It isn't unusual to want to expose your healthcare teams to potential new hires. In many situations it is important that all feel comfortable with the new addition or to assess potential "chemistry" among all players. However, if a panel interview format is to be used then certain considerations must be anticipated.

First, because of the intimidating nature of the panel interview all the panel participants should clearly understand their role in the process. It usually works best if each panel member is responsible for a portion of the interview content. In that scenario the individual panel interview team member then is the one who develops or manages the questions about a particular skill set, experience or educational aspect of a candidate's background. All the panel members have responsibility for getting information about their topic within a given time frame. Clearly ground rules and organization are important to keeping the panel effective and designating a panel team leader might be important to keeping the meeting on time, on point, on purpose and as interactive as possible.

Also important is to clarify the role of each panel interviewer in the decision making process. Some panel members may assume they have a full vote as in a democratic selection process and can possibly block the hiring of a prospective candidate. If this is not the case and the hiring manager is inviting participation and recommendations but going to weigh panel interview team participation differently - not giving any single member veto power - that should be explained up front so there in no ambiguity as to who is ultimately making the hiring decision.

The candidate who is being interviewed should be offered an introduction to each panel member; to learn the role of the panel participants and how the position that they are interviewing for interacts with each panel member's job. The panel interview can cause panic with candidates who aren't comfortable with group speaking situations, so prepare the candidate as much as possible in advance of the panel interview.

On the whole the panel interview can be a very effective and efficient way to expose candidates to your healthcare team. It also allows the panel team members to participate in the hiring process; have a sense of ownership in the process and to develop espirit with potential new hires, which can make new hire on boarding easier too.

Happy and healthy hiring,
Lynden

Women Physicians Making a Difference in Your Practice

2006-02-22T08:13:00.000-06:00

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

As you know, before women could build careers as physicians they had to fight even to be allowed to attend medical school. After proving that they were as capable as men, they went on to campaign for additional professional training and other career opportunities.

Today women physicians are serving in the highest ranks of the medical profession, caring for whole communities and responding to new challenges in health care around the world. As high-profile leaders they offer new examples of roles for women today, and they institute strategies to help more women reach the very top of the profession.

The National Library of Medicine is offering an exhibition on Women Physicians that might be of interest. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/exhibition/ Check it out.

Women are making a difference in the landscape of medicine as their numbers increase. They want to be "employees" more often with flexible schedules. The AMA indicates that women are in employed roles 60% of the time compared with their male counterparts who assume employed roles only 31% of the time. Female physicians on average work 25% fewer hours than male physicians. Employers of physicians - listen up! Female candidates require more flexibility in their work environment. If they don't have it they find jobs where they can have it. If you need to be fully staffed, you need to think about how flexible your working environment can be.

A survey of 2,443 women and 653 men, co-authored by Sylvia Ann Hewlett of the Center for Work-Life Policy, found only 5 percent of mothers who return to work even want to go back to their former employers; instead, they seek flexibility at smaller firms or by starting their own businesses. Making it all the more important for larger firms to address the issue.

A growing number of employers are taking major steps to help women with an age-old problem: Returning to the work force after taking time off to raise kids. A study of 13,838 employees, found women ages 25 to 40 making more than $75,000 a year had turnover rate of 11.4 percent a year. But research also shows these women seek to return to the work force fairly quickly, as long as they have a workable and appealing setup.

Healthcare employers need to be cognizant that the female employee is an important part of the work force. Physician employers need to know that they can accommodate the surge in female physicians, but their success will be in creating a employment culture that has more give and shorter hours.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden

Changing Jobs – The New Healthcare Employer’s Perspective

2006-01-16T08:48:00.000-06:00

Did you know that a new employer not only wants to hire the best candidate they can find, but one who is the most highly adaptable or able to flex and change. The best companies in the world are those that are agile and able to adjust themselves to the varying realities of the market place. Hence, when they set out to hire, they are seeking those who have well honed “change management” mechanisms.

To substantiate this point, a May 2005 Fast Company article entitled, “Change or Die” by Alan Deutschman addresses the issue of change.

Changing the behavior of people isn't just the biggest challenge in health care. It's the most important challenge for businesses trying to compete in a turbulent world, says John Kotter, a Harvard Business School professor who has studied dozens of organizations in the midst of upheaval: "The central issue is never strategy, structure, culture, or systems. The core of the matter is always about changing the behavior of people." Those people may be called upon to respond to profound upheavals in marketplace dynamics -- the rise of a new global competitor, say, or a shift from a regulated to a deregulated environment -- or to a corporate reorganization, merger, or entry into a new business. And as individuals, we may want to change our own styles of work -- how we mentor subordinates, for example, or how we react to criticism. Yet more often than not, we can't…Kotter has hit on a crucial insight. "Behavior change happens mostly by speaking to people's feelings," he says. "This is true even in organizations that are very focused on analysis and quantitative measurement, even among people who think of themselves as smart in an MBA sense. In highly successful change efforts, people find ways to help others see the problems or solutions in ways that influence emotions, not just thought."

Employers are listening for details in how candidates will make a difference in the success of their businesses – smart employer interviewers are also listening to the emotional underpinnings or values expressed by the candidates they seek to hire. They are listening for motivation, enthusiasm and spark. They are listening for evidence that the new hire wannabe has an internal passion, roadmap for success and adaptability about themselves that makes them great contributors in the workplace.

The secret then to hiring the best is to “put your ears on” when interviewing; listening for a sense of purpose, contribution and passion about being in the work place and not just finding candidates who arrive as a place filler, but as a true agile team player to flex and grow with your business over the long term.

Happy and healthy hiring!

Lynden

The Physician Recruiting Marketplace, Part 4

2006-01-12T16:07:00.000-06:00

This study reveals some good and not so good news for physician recruiters. While it is clear that recruiting physicians is challenging, and will most likely become more so as the impending shortage becomes more evident, physician groups and healthcare organizations will rely very heavily on physician recruiters to accomplish their goals of filling their physician opening. And, it is great to be needed, isn’t it?

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I’ve appreciated the wisdom that Tammy has shared with us and hope that learning more about the nuances of physician recruiting has been helpful.

This is a great industry to be a part of ….a great time to be in the business…and wonderful rewards await the employers who get it, the candidates who go through it and the recruiters who support it!

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden

The Physician Recruiting Marketplace, Part 3

2006-01-04T10:52:00.000-06:00

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.

Economic Pressures - Malpractice and Shrinking Take-Home Pay

Malpractice

Economic pressures such as the rising cost of malpractice insurance, increased practice operation costs and reduces reimbursements are impacting the financial stability of hospitals and practices, which is also negatively affecting physician recruitment efforts.

In the past decade, the cost of medical malpractice insurance has skyrocketed in many states, such as Pennsylvania. Some practices are letting partners go because their insurance costs are too high for the practice to absorb.

Due to the malpractice crisis, surveys of physicians in "malpractice crisis" states indicate that many physicians are now cherry-picking patients, others are considering early retirement or relocation, and still others are practicing litigation-avoidance medicine (ordering extra tests, etc.) Additional studies show that due to their fear of being sued, physicians are choosing to work in states with the most significant liability reforms.

Increased Costs

Liability insurance is only one of the expenses that have been increasing for hospitals and practices. According to MGMA, practice costs have risen at an average of 6.5% annually for the last ten years, and median operating costs are now 60.2% of gross revenues, up from 54.4% in 1992. Increasing practice expenses are eroding physician incomes, and due to labor shortages of nurses and other professionals, practices are being forced to pay their staffs more than budgeted in order to attract and retain staff members.

Solutions to Recruiting Challenges

Education

There is little that hospitals and practices can do to affect the shortage of physician candidates other than to support efforts to increase the number of medical student and residency positions, and to support the elimination of the Medicare GME cap. However, physician who are educated about the reality of the physician marketplace are more likely to be successful in recruiting than those who are unaware of some of the current dynamics.

What employers can do is enhance their recruitment processes to increase their likelihood of being successful. Employers must figure out how tot get the attention of potential candidates through diverse and comprehensive recruitment approaches. They also need education about what today's workforce looks like and responds to then them they must adjust their approaches and attitudes based upon those learnings.

Successful recruitment requires planning and commitment. The earlier that physician needs can be projected, the better an employer's chances of being successful in recruiting new physicians. Employers must also commit time and money to the search process.

Getting Candidates' Attention

Recruiting efforts are more likely to be successful when the positions are well defined, the expectations and compensation are fair, and sufficient time and resources are allocated to the search process. Recruiting campaigns must be diverse in order to reach the widest possible audience, and must include Internet advertising, print advertising, direct mail and networking. Recurring budgets will very based upon the type and degree of difficulty of the search, with more difficult searches often requiring more time an resources.

Since the competition to get the attention of good candidates has increased exponentially over the past ten years, it is important that recruiters determine what methods young physicians are using to seek positions, and utilize the most effective ones.

Being Competitive

While employers must first get the attention of potential candidates, the next hurdle is to "land" the candidate, and that involves making a competitive offer. This includes not only cash compensation, but also benefits and recruiting incentives.

It's also important that employers know which recruiting incentives have become common place. A 2005 review of physician recruiting incentives reports the following:

99% are offering relocation in an average amount of $8,850

46% are offering signing bonus' in an average amount of $14,030

14% are offering education loan repayment as a benefit

According to an independent study conducted in 2004 for the New England Journal of Medicine that asked job seekers to rank benefits and incentives by degree of importance, malpractice was the most important benefit, followed by signing bonuses, CME time allowance, disability insurance and education loan forgiveness. Primary care physicians and specialist diverged on priorities. Loan forgiveness and CME expenses were more important to internists, while subspecialists valued relocation expenses an disability insurance. As one would expect, education loan forgiveness is important to physicians who are 35 and under while physicians who are 41 and older place a greater value on disability insurance.

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Paying attention to the competitive landscape is crucial for hopeful physician employers as they seek new hires. Being aware of the candidate's expectations and being willing to work with them on their "hiring priorities" is a key step in being successful.

More of this to come.

Happy and healthy hiring.

Lynden

Physician Recruiting Marketplace - Part 2

2005-12-05T14:35:00.000-06:00

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

2005-12-01T16:57:00.000-06:00

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......

2005-11-14T09:32:00.000-06:00

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

2005-10-31T10:31:00.000-06:00

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

2005-10-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

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

2005-10-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-19T08:25:00.000-05:00

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….

2005-09-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

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

2005-09-06T12:43:00.000-05:00

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

2005-08-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-12T20:45:00.000-05:00

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

2005-06-05T00:02:00.000-05:00

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?

2005-05-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

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

2005-04-22T06:31:00.000-05:00

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

2005-04-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

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

2005-03-28T16:48:00.000-06:00

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

2005-03-15T20:34:00.000-06:00

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

2005-03-04T03:48:00.000-06:00

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

2005-03-04T03:27:00.000-06:00

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

2005-02-18T10:04:00.000-06:00

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

2005-02-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

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