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
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Women Physicians Making a Difference in Your Practice
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
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
Monday, January 16, 2006
Changing Jobs – The New Healthcare Employer’s Perspective
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
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
Thursday, January 12, 2006
The Physician Recruiting Marketplace, Part 4
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.
Solutions to Recruiting Challenges
Expand Candidate Pool
As the face of medicine has changed, so too must the expectations of today’s employers. While it is often the case that hospitals and practices want to hire physicians who are fully schooled in the US, the employers must recognize that the candidate pool is limited and that in order to fill positions, they must be willing to consider well trained international medical school graduates. Hiring IMGs is ideal to increase diversity in the physician workforce in order to mirror the diversity among patient populations. It is also important to remember that even if physicians have completed medical school and residencies in other countries, they have to repeat their residency training in this country in order to be eligible for board certification.
Since it is predicted that be the year 2010 approximately 40% of US physicians will be women, it is natural to assume that hospitals and practices will be hiring more women in the future. Due to family demands, many women choose to work part-time or flexible hours. Employers need to respond to those desires by considering job sharing, or by being willing to offer flexible hours to new female recruits.
Know Your Audience
Employers that creatively address the preferences of the younger workforce will be more successful than those that don’t. Hospitals that employ physicians, and private practice leaders who hope to add partners, need to be educated about the realities of the recruiting market in terms of numbers and about the expectations of the emerging workforce. They need to be able to relate to this faction of the workforce by understanding what is important to them and responding to those needs.
Gen-X workers place a high value on relationships, so the recruitment process should be relationship-oriented and be a thorough and positive process. After the physician has been hired, the pre-employment phase should include frequent contact with the soon-to-arrive new physician. Because the Gen-X workforce has witnessed parents and friends being downsized from organizations, they tend to feel less loyal to an organization than those of their parents’ generation. What they value are employers who help them build marketable, portable skills that will help them to be successful wherever they go. This group of physicians will be attracted to employers who:
« Provide comprehensive orientation programs
« Develop mentoring programs that help them with decision making, maximizing collections, etc.
« Educate them about internal practice management guidelines to aid them in achieving high productivity
« Communicate clear expectations about performance
« Provide regular and frequent feedback about performance and offer help where they fall short
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?
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
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
The Physician Recruiting Marketplace, Part 3
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.
-----
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
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.
-----
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
Monday, December 05, 2005
Physician Recruiting Marketplace - Part 2
As a member of the National Association of Physician Recruiters (http://www.napr.org/), I've recently had the privilege of seeing an article prepared by Tammy Jamison, a Senior Physician & Executive Recruiter with the Lehigh Valley Hospital & Health Network in Allentown, PA. Tammy's article is filled with statistics about the physician recruiting market. I'd like to share some of her well researched details with you.
The Changing Face of Medicine
International Medical Graduates (IMG's)
Not too many years ago, by far the majority of physicians were Caucasian males born and raised in the US. Today, 27% of physicians in training are international medical school graduates (IMGs). According to the AMA, IMGs make up 25% of the total physician population in the US.
The specialties that have the highest percentages of IMGs in residency programs are:
- Pathology - 44%
- Internal Medicine - 40%
- Neurology - 35%
- Psychiatry - 35%
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%
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
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Physician Recruiting Marketplace
As a member of the National Association of Physician Recruiters (www.napr.org), I've recently had the privilege of seeing an article prepared by Tammy Jamison, a Senior Physician & Executive Recruiter with the Lehigh Valley Hospital & Health Network in Allentown, PA. Tammy's article is filled with statistics about the physician recruiting market. I'd like to share some of her well researched details with you.
Healthcare systems and independent group practices across the country are realizing that recruiting top quality physicians is becoming increasingly challenging. Factors creating these challenges include a shortage of available candidates, more competition for that limited number of candidates, a change in the complexion of the candidate pool, differences between what employers expect and what physicians are seeking, and economic pressures.
The key to being successful in recruiting physicians is to take a strategic approach that involves continuously analyzing the market, identifying obstacles, developing strategies to overcome those obstacles and monitoring the effectiveness of those strategies.
Candidate Shortage
We are now in the midst of a greatly debated though generally agreed upon shortage of physicians to meet current and future needs. The methodologies used for calculating supply and demand vary, but organizations such as the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association are taking the shortage prediction seriously. AAMC is considering expanding medical school capacity by 15%, and the American Medical Association favors increasing residency positions.
A growing body of evidence supports the viewpoint of Richard Cooper, MD, Director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Policy Institute, who predicts a shortage of 50,000 physicians by 2010 and 200,000 by 2020. Recent statistics provided by the National Study of Graduate Medical Education support Dr. Cooper's predictions and report that from '95 to '02 cardiology fellows declined by 27%, gastroenterology fellows declined by 19%, hematology/oncology fellows declined by 25%, and pulmonary fellows declined by 55%. Also, the American College of Cardiology reported the estimated need for cardiologists will increase by 66% by 2030, while the supply will only increase by 1% each year. Further, nearly two out of three practicing cardiologists are over the age 45.
Surveys of practicing physicians across the country have reveled widespread dissatisfaction. It is reported that as many as 30% of physicians over 50 plan to quit practicing in the next five years. While efforts are being made to increase the number of physicians for the future, practicing physicians over 50 are more likely to leave practice sooner than may be expected, depending on the economy and stock market. The American Medical Association reports that 38% of all physicians in the US are 50 years old or older.
Increased Competition for Candidates
As the need for physicians escalates, so must the efforts to recruit potential candidates. In a 2003 survey of final year residents, 43% of the residents surveyed had been contacted over 100 times about job opportunities, compared with 7% in a 2001 survey.
Today there are over 418 hospital-based physician recruiting departments with over 1,700 recruiters, and more than 750 physician recruitment firms in the US, all of which are competing for the same candidates.
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
Monday, November 14, 2005
75% of Decision to Hire or Not is Based On......
From the moment you walk through the door of a potential new employer you experience what psychologists call the "threshold effect." From their first impression they determine the following:
-Your education level
-Your trustworthiness
-Your social position
-Your level of sophistication
-Your economic level
75% of the decision to hire or not hire an employee is based on appearance.
First impressions ARE important. Within the first three to four seconds of meeting someone they are already sizing you up. Within seven seconds of meeting someone they are already making judgments about you. Within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone new they have already made ELEVEN critical assumptions about you - all based on first impression.
When someone looks at a person they start with the eyes, quickly take in the rest of the body and go back to the eyes, BUT in one media study they found that if a person was wearing expensive, highly fashionable shoes, the body would be scanned twice, stopping at the shoes for twice as long. If the person's shoes were cracked, old, or unattractive, the observer would actually, but subtly frown.
Since people are already making "first impression" judgments about you, careless dress or appearance may distract the interviewer and therefore much of what you could actually bring to the job may never be explored. Your years of hard earned experience and a tony education might go unnoticed or be discounted all based on that distinctive first impression.
The end result is that your shoes and your entire appearance have a MASSIVE impact on the overall impression you make. Get a great interviewing outfit. Get great shoes and be sure they are polished. The investment is well worth the expense.
Happy Hiring & Interviewing Success
Lynden
-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
Monday, October 31, 2005
Brand Management
This is a simple and easy concept for both employers and job seekers. The hiring transaction is all about brand management.
On the part of the employer, having a solid company "brand" to teach and share with potential new hires is crucial. Candidates are looking to every member of the interview panel/team as an example and resource about what the job and your company is all about. Your company's success with hiring on a large scale may well depend on how well your interviewers represent their experience, enthusiasm and passion for the vision, mission and values of your company. They are the animate representatives of the success of your business. Be sure that each and every one of them represents your hospital or practice; company or start up with the candor and decorum that infuses candidates with the culture, esprit and opportunity of working there.
If you are a candidate your entire career and how you have conducted yourself is your personal "brand". More and more you are responsible for representing yourself by your products (years of service; roles served; people managed; budgets balanced; new products developed; patients etc...) to others outside of the resume. The resume is a nice tool to support your brand, but you want to be sure you can speak to each and every accomplishment. Your professional life and how you've lived it is the product and how you promote it and "brand" it is the secret to your success.
Happy and healthy hiring.
Lynden
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
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Shock & Awe - Client Advice Post
Once upon a time, when I was a medical center executive, it was my night on call. Usually the administrator on call means nothing. No reason to do anything outside have a usually lovely evening with my family. One night sticks painfully in my memory. I was the administrator on call. The phone rang at 3:40 am. I woke and took the call. It was from the top night nursing representative. She said, "I've never had to do this before, but I'm calling the administrative representative on call - our air ambulance has dropped from radar. They can't be raised by radio. I don't know what to do."
I'm not always the calmest in a storm, but in this situation I think that I was still partially asleep and my brain wasn't ticking yet. "Thanks for the call. I will contact other administrative representatives and the hospital CEO. We will be in immediately and help you take it from here."
I arrived at work that morning at 5:30 and the rest of the day was a blur as we all tried to cope with the anguish of losing a team of paramedics; the pilot who was exceptional; and the patient. As the day drew on the details became clear. They were trying to transport a heart patient out of one of the smaller regional communities to our facility. There was a wicked snow storm happening and apparently ice took control of the wings during the flight. The plane was finally found. There were no survivors.
What does that story have to do with hiring in healthcare? It reminds us of our humanity. It teaches us that some days when a candidate shows up for a panel interview and bombs it, that perhaps there was some personal "bomb" happening in their lives - or in the lives of the people on the panel. As healthcare executives, we deal with the precariousness of life on a daily basis. We don't often pause to shift the focus of our schedules when things get really tough - perhaps we should.
Next time you have an interview and the candidate seems off, or if you've "had one of those days" perhaps the best thing to do is to be direct about your stresses and how they might be taking a toll on your ability to be an exceptional interviewer. It might be a greater and tougher day than most. Food for thought.
Happy and healthy hiring.
Lynden
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
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Elegant Negotiations - The Secret to Enthusiastic Onboarding
I recently had the pleasure of facilitating a new hire for a major medical center. The medical center had been recruiting for this position for a number of months and was convinced that bringing on someone in this specialty was going to make a huge difference to the bottom line and to the health and well being of a significant number of patients in the community.
It is often easy when in the nitty gritty of negotiating to get sidetracked by any number of things. However, employers who are clear about why they are hiring, recognize that getting lost in the minutiae of negotiation serves no one. My client however, did a masterful job of listening carefully to the expressed needs of the soon to be new employee. Her diligence and thoughtfulness, assured that we arrived at the other side of the negotiation with all parties feeling optimistic about the transaction and enthusiastic about the long term potential of working together to accomplish some really neat things once the new hire arrives to begin work.
The take away from this is simple – for the new hire expectations are personal; for the employer the stakes are relative. Even when seemingly deal breaker obstacles in negotiation surface, there is always a careful and purposeful way to assure both sides feel heard and that accommodations are made that meet the needs of both parties. In the situation with my client, the client merely kept the ultimate gain at the top of mind and the details took care of themselves.
Note, that over and over again, I’ve seen the power and finesse of the facilitated negotiation led by a sharp recruiter/search consultant. With the search executive as the go between, there is a buffer between enthusiastic expectations of the soon to be new hire and the reality of the prospective employer’s benefit package. The most significant contribution is that the search executive enables both parties to work out their issues conceptually in a safe space – within the conversation with between search executive and candidate/client. Then edges are smoothed for both parties as the negotiation proceeds. Most importantly, the recruiter can help prevent candidate “fall off” by testing the candidate’s expectations well in advance of the actual negotiation. With the up front known expectations of the candidate, the vision of the new hire’s contribution and the reality of the hiring company’s employment offering – the end product was a successful negotiation – both parties looking forward to a mutually successful future.
Happy & healthy hiring.
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.
Monday, September 19, 2005
The Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing
I just wanted to offer this as a resource to candidates and hiring authorities with interview stories. The Ladders is sponsoring a website called "The Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing." Located at http://sevendeadlysins.theladders.com/ it is humorous and spot on for things to be thoughtful about in an interview situation. I encourage you to check it out if you want to be thoughtful about interview prep or if you have a story to tell about an interviewee who "didn't get it."
Happy Hiring!
Happy Hiring!
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Let’s get back to the shoes….
I wrote last spring about making assumptions based on how people look. I spoke then about the importance of paying attention to detail when you want to make a good impression.
Here are some hard facts: We make 32 different assumptions about another person before he or she ever says a word. If you are the candidate getting ready for an interview – think about this. Preparing what you’re going to say, may not be as important as deciding what you want to wear.
As part of an interviewing team, we tend to establish rapport mostly with those we assume are like us. Many of those 32 assumptions go to that initial impression – again before adding verbal content. Someone who truly wants to hired the best needs to refine his/her interview and hiring process so that it is the most objective it can be. We will talk more about that at another time.
As a candidate, paying attention to every nuance is worth the investment of time and energy; from the quality of the paper your resume is printed on to the expensive shine on your shoes. It is worth the effort, because in this case a first impression is worth 32 separate assumptions all leading to “is this person like me and will I like being with them every day at work.”
Happy hiring.
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.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Employers - Man Your Calendars
One of the biggest challenges of the hiring process is effective scheduling for onsite interviews/meetings. The best onsite meetings/interviews usually involve many people from different layers in the organization. Obviously the hiring manager must be present, but so should peers, subordinates (or representatives from subordinate groups) and possibly constituents too if the position is in an internal department with service responsibilities for other groups. As a candidate this type of exposure is wonderful and really gives her/him a good sense of the organization across the enterprise. While this is incredible from the perspective of the hiring process, it is usually a scheduling nightmare.
If you are the internal person responsible for putting together a schedule for an onsite meeting with a potential hire, you know what I mean about the hassle factor associated with getting many busy people available to meet candidates. To facilitate the ease of scheduling candidates, perhaps in advance of having candidates onsite there could be two interview teams identified. If the teams are equally composed with representatives of all the groups which need to have a say in the hiring, then the teams can share the responsibility for seeing candidates. Also, one team could borrow members from the other team if there was a vacancy caused by scheduling challenges.
However, if the staff required to see potential hires isn't deep enough to support developing two interview teams; when a critical player has a scheduling conflict be prepared to backfill with a well orchestrated phone interview for that key player. This still allows the onsite visit to take place, but also allows the conflicted critical player to participate in a timely manner without requiring a complete rescheduling of the onsite meeting.
The impression the company makes with a candidate is important - and a well done onsite interview round is a chance to really let your company shine. Managing the scheduling process so that the onsite flows from meeting to meeting is a challenge but doable with some creative thinking and strategy.
Happy hiring.
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.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Phone Courtesies – Basics
As a recruiting industry professional, I spend hundreds of hours on the phone. Some people get that phone etiquette is important. Others act like they never had a parent teach them basic courtesies, one of which is how to use the phone to the advantage of everyone.
When I was trying to get my first job out of college as an eager college student, I had the privilege of networking with a busy lawyer, Mike Sullivan. Mike was and is known for being whip smart, well connected and friendly. I called Mike’s office and left him a voice message early in the morning. Late in the day, his administrative assist called me to let me know that Mike’s schedule was hectic and while he wanted to return my call, would be unable. She went on to indicate alternative times when I could expect to hear from him. Efficiently within 48 hours of my first call to him, he did call during one of those “time windows” proposed in the call with his admin. I was impressed that he thought enough of my call to let me know that same day he couldn’t call back promptly. That interaction has always left a lasting impression on me. By the way, Mike went on to have a very distinguished career including being Governor of Wyoming, an Ambassador to Ireland and continues to be an excellent attorney. (http://www.rothgerber.com/attorneyprofiles/sullivanm.asp)
My point is this: being prompt in returning calls sends a message that the caller and their message are important to you. If you don’t call back – especially over repeated attempts to establish a connection then you are sending a message about you. Keep that in mind as you choose or don’t choose to follow up on calls in your voicemail box. As a client or as a candidate, being prompt in your response sends a message like no other behavior. Think about it.
Have an awesome August.
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.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Addition by Subtraction - Developing Internal Teams
As a people manager or team leader you may have been faced with the challenge of having an underperforming team member. Often that team member has been with the company for some time and is an old hand at their job with the company. The challenge is that if you need to have an optimally performing team, what do you do with the underperforming member?
Logically there are several things you could do including ignore the situation hoping that it goes away…however, you’ll probably have a performance review with built in improvement indicators to support a progressive disciplinary action in the future with adequate documentation. On the other hand, you might have a chance to meet an immediate need and have enough “history” of underperforming to make a change.
Rarely is making a change in these circumstances elegant, but it can be an opportunity for addition by subtraction. Underperforming team members take a huge toll on the entire team as well on the productivity of the unit/division/department. By moving the underperforming member out of the group (and perhaps out of the company) the remaining members have an opportunity for raising the bar without the worry of how to pull up the underperformer. Over time, the team will rebuild their efficiencies and may experience such growth that the removed player is replaced with another member who again “raises” the bar so the team's performance is adjusted twice raising optimally in both instances. That is where the magic of addition by subtraction makes the most sense. When the team's performance is doubly enhanced as a result of making changes and “swapping” underperformers for those who may even raise the bar higher!
Cheers to the new math!
Best wishes in successful team building.
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.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Client Efforts - Candidate Polish
One of the things that I love doing as a recruiter is providing my clients with polished professional candidates who arrive for an interview ready to hit the ground, add value and make a difference.
I've blogged before about Interview Preparation, but I can't stress enough how important it is to give the interviewee a sense of comfort about the interview which lies ahead. I'm not talking about putting a lot of canned answers in their minds, but instead helping them visualize the interview process enough that they can allow the normal jitters to quiet and be spot on with their responses to questions. A pre-interview discussion about expectations allows the candidate to put his/her best foot forward. I'm pretty sure as a hiring authority most of you want to see how candidates perform under pressure, but you also want to see them perform at their best. Hence the reason for "reasonable" preparation on the part of the candidate.
It just makes sense. What doesn't make sense....candidates who don't have time for a pre-interview expectation discussion or for clients who have disdain for the process.
Mining for precious gems - good hire diamonds.
Happy hiring.
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.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Interviewing Screw Up’s – GET A GRIP – Speak up NOW
I’ve been interviewing a lot of nurses and nurse practitioners lately for a great project for a client http://www.skinklinic.com. I'm working on this project with a stragetic partner called http://www.newworldhealthcaresolutions.com. The project is terrific and the position we are helping to hire for is awesome and rare for healthcare. However, I’ve noted a dreaded trend in the interviewing style of those I’ve been speaking with – they don’t get that they have to speak up about their accomplishments.
If you are looking for a new career opportunity and have an interview with someone about your skills and potential fit with a company – DON’T BE SHY ABOUT YOUR ACOMPLISHMENTS. I can’t decide if it is the profession or the personality drawn to the profession, but the nursing professionals I’ve met are hard pressed to define their accomplishments. GET OVER IT. In an interview situation, you only have that moment to speak up about why you are a successful contributor and how you can add value to the organization of a prospective employer. If you snooze you lose. You might be talking with a good interviewer who has the ability to ask questions that help you show your contributions, but if you are shy or have misplaced humility then the interviewer is going to have to move on to a candidate with more confidence and aplomb about their contributions.
There is no patience for a reluctant interviewee. There is no time for false humility. In this competitive market for really good jobs – YOU have to be the champion of your contributions. No one else will or can do it for you. The competitive edge goes to those who can, with clarity, demonstrate value to a prospective employer by showing previous contributions which can be replicated in a new situation. Learning how to do this will make YOU the chosen hire.
Since my job as a recruiting professional is mining diamonds from the rest, I wish you the best.
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.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Upgrading Your Career - So What’s Stopping YOU?
Are you stuck in a rut job? Have you wanted to upgrade your career, but don’t know where to start and don’t want to risk your current employer finding out? Are you confused about where to start a confidential job search?
GET OVER IT!
Develop a plan and execute on it. The future is ripe to seize the day and put your fears behind you. Why you may ask am I talking about this? The answer is that I’m up to my ears in clients who want good candidates. They are tired of looking at the same old hackneyed resumes and profiles of candidates who can’t and don’t know how to distinguish themselves. They want to be delighted by seeing professionals who take charge of themselves and their careers.
Shouldn’t you be one of those candidates who do know how to distinguish themselves and their value from the masses?
If you need assistance with a jump start and pointers…..seek professional help. It is pervasive and will boost your confidence. You’ll be glad you did. There are great career coaches who can offer you a wealth of ideas which will distinguish you from others in the market.
The secret to success is "managing" your own brand. Know what your personal brand is and what that means - take charge don't wait. You'll see the results. Be a student of change.
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.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Recruiting Blunders - Employers Listen Up
In a talent short market, there is a premium on well qualified candidates. One place were employers notoriously drop the ball is in the length of time that it takes to process candidates. Once you are presented with qualified talent, as an interested prospective employer you need to MOVE that candidate quickly through the process. Most interviewing, selection and hiring processes are multi-step and can be lengthy if there are busy people with full schedules on the list of those whom a candidate needs to meet.
My message is this. YOU can't afford to sit on the credentials of a candidate for three weeks before you get them into the interviewing queue. I recently had a large regional health system sit on a candidate for almost 5 weeks before the first interaction with him. It was not a surprise that by the time this health system had advanced the candidate through their process enough to be ready for an onsite interview - he was gone. He dropped out of sight and couldn't supply an interview date. It turns out he was negotiating another offer.
Suggestions for assuring you have a pioneering hiring process - develop a timeline that you apply to every candidate and stick to it. It might look like this:
Steven Steps to Hiring - 31 Days (Max) to an Offer
1) Resume screened and potential candidate identified - the clock starts ticking.
2) Within 24-48 hours initial conversation with a representative from your company.
3) If after the first phone screen another is required with additional representatives assure it is scheduled within 5 to 7 days. If this can't be accomplished then substitute the designated interviewer with another.
4) If the second phone screen is successful and there is interest in interviewing a candidate in person schedule the onsite interview within 5 to 10 business days of the 2nd phone screen.
Note: If you have a committee involved in your decision making process develop a procedure where you can have them make decisions without needing to have a formal meeting. Develop a way that they can make recommendations about candidates to advance without their needing to get together in a formal setting.
5) The first onsite interview should include as many key decision makers as possible. If you are concerned that the candidate might not interview well and don't want to involve too many people in the process then include a step in the schedule where the interview can be "cut short" and the rest of the schedule aborted if the candidate just isn't a fit.
6) If a second onsite interview is required it too should occur not later than 5 to 10 business days after the first onsite. This day should include anyone left who needs to meet and weigh in on the hiring decision.
7) Within 48 hours of the second onsite - be prepared to issue and offer or to decide to pass.
This gives the candidate a clear sense of steady and continuing interest. Even if they are evaluating other offers, your aggressive schedule doesn't give them or you time to dawdle.
If you develop a timeline for moving candidates through your process - YOU WIN and the CANDIDATE WINS. Everyone gets a chance to be seen and you as the hiring authority get to keep all those candidates who are so crucial to the success of your business.
Be a TALENT HOG - tighten up your internal hiring process today!
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!
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