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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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