Most people who are involved in hiring don’t take much time to review their own skills. I’d like to offer this brief, but important tip. “Listening is important too and that doesn’t mean just not talking.” We’ve all met the person who has so much going on that they are on autopilot. In the interview process, this person might be a “motor mouth” and good at explaining about why it is good to work for your company, and in the position a candidate can achieve this and that. But, this should not be the only person that meets a candidate. Active listening is an investment in the hiring process. If you are a wonderful presenter, but a rotten listener be sure that your hiring process includes people who are better listeners than you are!
Candidates need to have balance. They need a chance to talk about their accomplishments (and to be heard) and they need to have a chance to learn about the position and what is expected of the person who is hired. So strive for balance interview process participants who are good at presenting information about the company and the opening and those who are good at getting gritty information out of the people they meet. In that best of both worlds, your company learns what they need to about the candidate and the candidate learns what he and she need to know about your company.
"Good talkers tend not to be good listeners. Indeed, people who think of themselves as good talkers tend to rate themselves as extroverted, while good listeners rate themselves as introverted. Good listeners are 60 percent more likely to try to put themselves in the other person's place - trying to see things through their perspective." Pauk 1997 as quoted by David Niven PhD.
Happy and healthy hiring. Happy holidays too.
Success by design, one talented candidate hired at a time.
Lynden
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Builders for an Eternity – Employees who really contribute at work
Builders for an Eternity – Employees who really contribute at work
I post this as food for thought. As a talent broker, someone who listens to people describe their work lives no matter how brilliant or mundane the career, there is the human element. Here is a poem by R. L. Sharpe that I’d like to share:
Isn’t it strange how princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people, like you and me,
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given a list of rules;
A shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a stepping stone.
As we look toward a time in the year when we reflect on things that we are thankful for; I am privileged to work with some of the best and brightest minds in the healthcare, biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical industries. For the contribution of those whose careers and talent search needs have touched my life in this last year; kudos on what you are building for eternity.
Happy and healthy hiring.
One common person at a time building eternity.
Success by design.
Lynden
www.nextiteration.net
www.nihealthjobs.com
I post this as food for thought. As a talent broker, someone who listens to people describe their work lives no matter how brilliant or mundane the career, there is the human element. Here is a poem by R. L. Sharpe that I’d like to share:
Isn’t it strange how princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people, like you and me,
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given a list of rules;
A shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a stepping stone.
As we look toward a time in the year when we reflect on things that we are thankful for; I am privileged to work with some of the best and brightest minds in the healthcare, biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical industries. For the contribution of those whose careers and talent search needs have touched my life in this last year; kudos on what you are building for eternity.
Happy and healthy hiring.
One common person at a time building eternity.
Success by design.
Lynden
www.nextiteration.net
www.nihealthjobs.com
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Hiring and Job Search Stress Management
We’ve all been there – the hiring manager is screaming that a position needs to be filled pronto. The rest of the staff around the position can’t bear the burden. As a busy recruiter I’ve talked with hundreds of under the gun employers. They need talent NOW but struggle to find what they need. Unfortunately, especially in healthcare and the life sciences we find this challenge over and over. Because of the shortage of able talent the search goes on and on and on – in some cases.
On the flip side, as a diligent job seeker who is working a job search few things can be as frustrating as no feedback!
I don’t have answers to these challenges, but I can offer a perspective. Communicate often and communicate well. Keep it up and even if the listener doesn’t like the answer; the message is easier to deal with than the ambiguity of no answer.
That’s it. Simple and sweet.
Now here are some other thoughts about relieving stress:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* It's the second mouse that gets the cheese.
* When everything’s coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
If you have any other stress busters to share – I welcome them.
Success by design.
Happy and healthy hiring – one candidate at a time.
Lynden
On the flip side, as a diligent job seeker who is working a job search few things can be as frustrating as no feedback!
I don’t have answers to these challenges, but I can offer a perspective. Communicate often and communicate well. Keep it up and even if the listener doesn’t like the answer; the message is easier to deal with than the ambiguity of no answer.
That’s it. Simple and sweet.
Now here are some other thoughts about relieving stress:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* It's the second mouse that gets the cheese.
* When everything’s coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
If you have any other stress busters to share – I welcome them.
Success by design.
Happy and healthy hiring – one candidate at a time.
Lynden
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Negotiating the Salary – Budget Busters are a NO NO
Every time we approach the negotiation stage of our process with a candidate, we walk boldly and carefully. There are usually three things that we abide by:
1) Candidate’s expectations will be high
2) Client’s expectations will be low
3) It is our job to facilitate getting both of them to an acceptable middle.
We never discuss “ranges” with candidates, but always we know them. What we strive to do right with all of our clients is assure the candidate agrees (preclosing over and over) to accept compensation within the range that we know the client has designated. Rarely will we present a candidate whose current comp package is at or beyond the range the client has stated. We all know, the compensation offer must be a win for the candidate in order for her/him to accept
Everyone fails when the recruiter presents candidates who are too high in current salary/compensation. The candidate experiences disappointment because s/he believes that the client should come up in salary to at least the level they are currently being paid; the client knows s/he can’t go beyond the stated range; and the recruiter fails because the equation is no win – or win-lose. Both the candidate and the client have to wonder about a recruiting professional who represents a candidate or a position that isn’t a good fit.
All in all, advice to candidates and to clients is to be clear early in the process about the comp to be offered and the expectations of the candidate – clarity is what makes the negotiations a win with the right candidate.
Happy and healthy hiring.
Success by design – negotiating well for our clients one candidate at a time!
Lynden
www.NextIteration.net and www.NIHealthJobs.com
1) Candidate’s expectations will be high
2) Client’s expectations will be low
3) It is our job to facilitate getting both of them to an acceptable middle.
We never discuss “ranges” with candidates, but always we know them. What we strive to do right with all of our clients is assure the candidate agrees (preclosing over and over) to accept compensation within the range that we know the client has designated. Rarely will we present a candidate whose current comp package is at or beyond the range the client has stated. We all know, the compensation offer must be a win for the candidate in order for her/him to accept
Everyone fails when the recruiter presents candidates who are too high in current salary/compensation. The candidate experiences disappointment because s/he believes that the client should come up in salary to at least the level they are currently being paid; the client knows s/he can’t go beyond the stated range; and the recruiter fails because the equation is no win – or win-lose. Both the candidate and the client have to wonder about a recruiting professional who represents a candidate or a position that isn’t a good fit.
All in all, advice to candidates and to clients is to be clear early in the process about the comp to be offered and the expectations of the candidate – clarity is what makes the negotiations a win with the right candidate.
Happy and healthy hiring.
Success by design – negotiating well for our clients one candidate at a time!
Lynden
www.NextIteration.net and www.NIHealthJobs.com
Monday, August 04, 2008
Recipe for a Cooking Up a Good Interview
As a fan of cooking, I enjoy the fun of trying new ingredients in old recipes. That gives me the fun of having a meal that I know we will enjoy, but also a way to possibly improve on the success of the meal compared to previous ones.
Ok, enough of the food analogy. However, improving the interview process is just like that. As you tweek and adjust various elements of the process, you'll discover that the outcome improves or declines. I think that in the interest of improvement, I would like to suggest the slightest tweek, one that reaps big rewards. Prepare your interview team in advance of the candidate arriving. Sounds simple? It is. The secret is really planning. As you go about the process of recruiting for a new position - whether you are doing it yourself or having the assistance of outside recruiters; take a step back and begin with the end in mind.
In this case a solid new hire is the goal; part of the process is how well the candidate does in the interview. Having an interview team that knows their role in the process; that knows how to provide feedback to the decisionmakers in the process is key. My suggestion is that each of the interview team knows what their job is. There may be standardized questions each team member asks plus there should be specific areas of expertise each interviewer represents. Overlap is ok as long as it is constructive and targeted toward validating experience, background and skills.
However, especially on a first round; keep the group small and efficient. Core decisionmakers who interivew effectively. Save the more detailed interview for the second round.
OK...more to come later. How to make 2nd round interviews sizzle is the next installment.
Success by Design – one client and candidate at a time.
Lynden
Ok, enough of the food analogy. However, improving the interview process is just like that. As you tweek and adjust various elements of the process, you'll discover that the outcome improves or declines. I think that in the interest of improvement, I would like to suggest the slightest tweek, one that reaps big rewards. Prepare your interview team in advance of the candidate arriving. Sounds simple? It is. The secret is really planning. As you go about the process of recruiting for a new position - whether you are doing it yourself or having the assistance of outside recruiters; take a step back and begin with the end in mind.
In this case a solid new hire is the goal; part of the process is how well the candidate does in the interview. Having an interview team that knows their role in the process; that knows how to provide feedback to the decisionmakers in the process is key. My suggestion is that each of the interview team knows what their job is. There may be standardized questions each team member asks plus there should be specific areas of expertise each interviewer represents. Overlap is ok as long as it is constructive and targeted toward validating experience, background and skills.
However, especially on a first round; keep the group small and efficient. Core decisionmakers who interivew effectively. Save the more detailed interview for the second round.
OK...more to come later. How to make 2nd round interviews sizzle is the next installment.
Success by Design – one client and candidate at a time.
Lynden
Thursday, July 24, 2008
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
Success by Design – one client and candidate at a time.
What career is captivating you?
Lynden
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Holiday 2007 - Job Searching
Holiday 2007 – One New JOB at a Time.
I’ve been remiss lately getting here to talk about best strategies for seeking a new position and for hiring best talent. It seems the holiday season has crept up on me and I’m behind. I am looking forward to a sweet end to 2007 and a terrific launch to 2008 and it is my fevering wish for you to have and be the best too.
To all of you who are hiring – I wish you an endless supply of talented new professionals swelling the ranks of your enterprise and adding value to the bottom line.
To all of you who are job searching, or if you are in the market for a new job – DON’T LET UP NOW. This is an excellent time of year to be in touch with recruiters, hiring authorities and other people who are searching for jobs.
There is an impression that things let up with the crush of the holidays. That is false and year after year I’ve seen excellent candidates connect with jobs during this time when people are a bit more congenial in their day to day. It makes me wish that we would treat everyday as a special time.
With credit to the musical RENT, I wanted to share these lyrics from a song called Seasons of Love:
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes – how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
525,600 minutes – how do you measure a year in the life?
As this year comes to a close, be thoughtful about how your passion for your work-life is measured and how you make a difference in the world. If you aren’t happy, imagine if you were and get help to change that. If you are happy (at work) and making a profound contribution – thank you.
If you have questions about how you can effectively and efficiently do a job search or transition your career – call me. We can talk about how to make your professional lifetime contribution add up to something more.
Think about it; it is up to you to choose.
Success by Design. In this situation; one job at a time.
What career is captivating you? Happy Holidays.
Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com
I’ve been remiss lately getting here to talk about best strategies for seeking a new position and for hiring best talent. It seems the holiday season has crept up on me and I’m behind. I am looking forward to a sweet end to 2007 and a terrific launch to 2008 and it is my fevering wish for you to have and be the best too.
To all of you who are hiring – I wish you an endless supply of talented new professionals swelling the ranks of your enterprise and adding value to the bottom line.
To all of you who are job searching, or if you are in the market for a new job – DON’T LET UP NOW. This is an excellent time of year to be in touch with recruiters, hiring authorities and other people who are searching for jobs.
There is an impression that things let up with the crush of the holidays. That is false and year after year I’ve seen excellent candidates connect with jobs during this time when people are a bit more congenial in their day to day. It makes me wish that we would treat everyday as a special time.
With credit to the musical RENT, I wanted to share these lyrics from a song called Seasons of Love:
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes – how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
525,600 minutes – how do you measure a year in the life?
As this year comes to a close, be thoughtful about how your passion for your work-life is measured and how you make a difference in the world. If you aren’t happy, imagine if you were and get help to change that. If you are happy (at work) and making a profound contribution – thank you.
If you have questions about how you can effectively and efficiently do a job search or transition your career – call me. We can talk about how to make your professional lifetime contribution add up to something more.
Think about it; it is up to you to choose.
Success by Design. In this situation; one job at a time.
What career is captivating you? Happy Holidays.
Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Career and Job Search Guide: Letter L
There is an acronym posted on our website Next Iteration for job seekers to use to help evaluate their search options. The acronym is "CLAMS" and the letter "L" stands for Location. I encourage you as you think about changing a job or about initially finding one to explore what Location means for you? It may seem funny to ask yourself what role geography might make in your future success – but it is a feature to be taken very seriously as you contemplate what you want for your career and life.
What location would cause you to leap out of bed eager each and every morning? What location and which resources at a location (or locations) help you to be your best personally and professionally?
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
• Is there a perfect place in the US (or in the world) where you would like to live and where you can earn a sustainable income that meets your goals?
• What attractions do you want near to where you work and live?
• What size community? Are you wired for a metro location or suburban? What about rural?
• What demographic mix? Do you crave diversity? Are you single and want to live where there are others who are single? What about married – what personal attributes you do need in the demographics of your chosen community?
• What weather do you want? Are you fond of four seasons? Do you only want two?
• Do you want to be near family or special friends?
• Are housing costs an issue?
• What about insurability or malpractice costs?
• What about state, county and local taxes? Does that make a difference?
• How much of a commute to work do you want? How much time are you willing to sacrifice stuck in traffic?
• Are you passionate about a sport or hobby and is that resource a feature of a particular location?
• What if a promotion might take you to a location that you aren’t sure of – do you know how to make it work for you?
If you are looking for a new position; location is one of the most important features that help determine your attraction to a community or to the resources in the community. Most of us seek a geographic location that meets a number of needs some of which are personal and some of which are professional.
To reiterate again, all employers seek people for their team(s) who are fully engaged in the business at hand. Those who are "fully engaged; top contributors" are those who are "challenged by their work,” constantly learning and who seek balance in their work environment. What do you expect of your ideal location? Do you know how to identify that location? What would you do differently if you could with respect to location?
Think about it.
Success by design; it is up to you to choose.
Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Talent Finding!
Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com
What location would cause you to leap out of bed eager each and every morning? What location and which resources at a location (or locations) help you to be your best personally and professionally?
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
• Is there a perfect place in the US (or in the world) where you would like to live and where you can earn a sustainable income that meets your goals?
• What attractions do you want near to where you work and live?
• What size community? Are you wired for a metro location or suburban? What about rural?
• What demographic mix? Do you crave diversity? Are you single and want to live where there are others who are single? What about married – what personal attributes you do need in the demographics of your chosen community?
• What weather do you want? Are you fond of four seasons? Do you only want two?
• Do you want to be near family or special friends?
• Are housing costs an issue?
• What about insurability or malpractice costs?
• What about state, county and local taxes? Does that make a difference?
• How much of a commute to work do you want? How much time are you willing to sacrifice stuck in traffic?
• Are you passionate about a sport or hobby and is that resource a feature of a particular location?
• What if a promotion might take you to a location that you aren’t sure of – do you know how to make it work for you?
If you are looking for a new position; location is one of the most important features that help determine your attraction to a community or to the resources in the community. Most of us seek a geographic location that meets a number of needs some of which are personal and some of which are professional.
To reiterate again, all employers seek people for their team(s) who are fully engaged in the business at hand. Those who are "fully engaged; top contributors" are those who are "challenged by their work,” constantly learning and who seek balance in their work environment. What do you expect of your ideal location? Do you know how to identify that location? What would you do differently if you could with respect to location?
Think about it.
Success by design; it is up to you to choose.
Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Talent Finding!
Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Career and Job Search Guide: Letter C
There is an acronym posted on our website Next Iteration for job seekers to use to help evaluate their search options. The acronym is "CLAMS" and the letter "C" stands for Challenge. I encourage job seekers and job changers to think about what Challenge means for them? What would cause you to leap out of bed eager each and every morning? What challenges help you to be your best?
CHALLENGE
What do you want your next step to include?
Is there a new technology you would like to incorporate into your practice, position, experience?
Is there a subspecialty, certification or complimentary skill you would like to acquire or have in your work environment, group or practice situation?
Is there a profile of the “ideal” work envirnment, hospital, firm or practice for you? Can you describe it? Try.
What would your call schedule or travel schedule be?
What other attributes or elements should be added to your work environment that provide a challenge that helps keep you fresh and eager about your work?
If you are looking for a new position; challenge can be an important part of why you were attracted to medicine or to being part of industry. Most bright people seek change and to be renewed. Some of us find renewal on the horns of a dilemma or what I refer to as "Challenge" in the work environment.
All employers seek people for their team(s) who are fully engaged. Usually those "fully engaged; top contributors" are those who are "challenged by their work" and constantly learning.
Think about it.
Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Talent Finding!
Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com
CHALLENGE
What do you want your next step to include?
Is there a new technology you would like to incorporate into your practice, position, experience?
Is there a subspecialty, certification or complimentary skill you would like to acquire or have in your work environment, group or practice situation?
Is there a profile of the “ideal” work envirnment, hospital, firm or practice for you? Can you describe it? Try.
What would your call schedule or travel schedule be?
What other attributes or elements should be added to your work environment that provide a challenge that helps keep you fresh and eager about your work?
If you are looking for a new position; challenge can be an important part of why you were attracted to medicine or to being part of industry. Most bright people seek change and to be renewed. Some of us find renewal on the horns of a dilemma or what I refer to as "Challenge" in the work environment.
All employers seek people for their team(s) who are fully engaged. Usually those "fully engaged; top contributors" are those who are "challenged by their work" and constantly learning.
Think about it.
Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Talent Finding!
Lynden
Next Iteration; NIHealthJobs.com; MDCareerCompass.com
Monday, August 13, 2007
Great Hires - Great Contributors
I've recently come across a great career resource for Gen X and Gen Y-rs. Penelope Trunk is the author of The Brazen Careerist . In a recent post on her blog she suggests people who are happiest are those who have a strong ability to give.
These are five traits that people who are givers usually exhibit:
1. A sense that you can make a difference in the world
2. Empathy that enables you to truly feel the suffering of others
3. Belief that you are someone who can get things done
4. Spiritual faith in the world - -either traditional religion or an eclectic altruism
5. A focus on doing good that endures beyond your lifetime
She goes on to suggest that one of the things that students should cultivate while in college is this ability to give.
I know that employers are seeking in the people they hire that same ability to offer the work place more than just a warm body filling a seat. I know that people in healthcare are wired to give.... and usually do generously with their patients. Take a look at the list above and think about yourself. Who are you? If we were rating where would you come out on the above list? Then think about yourself as you function in your world of work. How would you like to best perform? At the end of the day it is all about our contribution. What are you doing to manifest yours?
Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Hiring.
Lynden
www.nextiteration.net
www.nihealthjobs.com
www.mdcareercompass.com
These are five traits that people who are givers usually exhibit:
1. A sense that you can make a difference in the world
2. Empathy that enables you to truly feel the suffering of others
3. Belief that you are someone who can get things done
4. Spiritual faith in the world - -either traditional religion or an eclectic altruism
5. A focus on doing good that endures beyond your lifetime
She goes on to suggest that one of the things that students should cultivate while in college is this ability to give.
I know that employers are seeking in the people they hire that same ability to offer the work place more than just a warm body filling a seat. I know that people in healthcare are wired to give.... and usually do generously with their patients. Take a look at the list above and think about yourself. Who are you? If we were rating where would you come out on the above list? Then think about yourself as you function in your world of work. How would you like to best perform? At the end of the day it is all about our contribution. What are you doing to manifest yours?
Happy and Healthy Job Searching and Hiring.
Lynden
www.nextiteration.net
www.nihealthjobs.com
www.mdcareercompass.com
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Costs of Physician Recruiting
I came across this information recently. It is from an article by George Williams, Director NAS Insights. The full text of the article can be found here. The gist of the info is that it is DARN expensive to recruit a physician who doesn’t perform well or who isn’t happy in his/her position and who leaves. It is also DARN expensive to have an open position and to dilly dally with recruiting initiatives. I suggest look at working with a physician recruiter who understands the concept of cultural fit AND who appreciates that the opening is costing your hospital plenty in lost admissions and revenues.
Food for thought. Recruiting physicians well is truly an art.
The Cost of Recruiting Physicians
The cost of recruiting physicians is often not fully understood or accurately quantified. How much money does it take to attract and retain a doctor? By answering this question, hospital administrators can better understand the physician recruiting process and help ensure that their hospitals are using the most effective and cost-efficient recruiting methods. The cost for one search generally falls in the range of $20,000 to $40,000 depending on the specialty, region of the country, and methods used for sourcing candidates. The average cost is about $30,000. Here is a breakdown of the major costs associated with physician recruitment.
1. Staff or recruiter time and fees. Salaries and fees associated with recruiter time can vary greatly. A recent Medical Group Management Association study found that it takes about 350 man-hours for the recruiting process. In-house recruiters often earn a base salary of $35,000 to $65,000 and may receive bonuses based on the number of placements they make. If the salary is $50,000 and the 350 man-hours mentioned above are used, that's $8,400 per recruited doctor. Recruiter fees of contingent and/or retained physician search firms can range from $15,000 to more than $25,000 per placement.
2. Recruiting sources. Thousands of hospitals and medical groups are vying for a limited number of physicians, increasing the difficulty and cost of finding candidates. A wide net should be cast to ensure a job opportunity attracts the largest number of potential candidates. This means collaborating with residency programs, networking among existing staff and administration, advertising in medical journals and on physician Web sites, sending recruiting letters and direct mail pieces, and exhibiting at physician conventions. The expense can range from $2,500 to more than $10,000 per search.
3. Interviewing. The higher the number of candidates you see, the higher the costs, and not only in terms of airfare and hotel suites, but in terms of the man-hours of busy administrators and medical staff getting together however many times. Hospitals generally pay all the costs associated with a physician interview such as travel, accommodations and entertainment. These costs usually range from $1,500 to $3,000 per interview.
4. Relocation. This is another variable cost based on where the physician is coming from. The average relocation allowance is $7,800.
5. Practice marketing. Hospitals often pay to announce a new physician’s practice and help introduce him or her to the community. Marketing costs can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
6. Set-up Costs. Although not normally considered a part of the recruitment cost, they may contribute to your hesitation in moving as quickly as you should in recruiting. The costs to help the doctor set up practice, plus whatever signing incentives are offered, can be from $150,000-$200,000.
7. Salary Guarantee. Salary guarantees and incentives should be factored in as part of the recruitment investment/return equation. Recruiters should take into account not only new doctors’ salaries but also signing incentives and loan repayments. These costs vary widely and can range from $150,000 to $600,000.
8. Time-to-Fill. If you move slowly or your recruiting techniques are ineffective, the cost of recruiting a physician will be much higher. Administrators need to look at the time it takes to fill a position and then consider the revenue lost during this time. Intuition might suggest that you are saving money on the salary and benefits until you hire the doctor. However, every month without a physician in place equals revenue lost. Merritt, Hawkins & Associates recently conducted a survey of hospital CFOs and found that physicians generate an average of more than $1.5 million a year in patient revenue. Therefore, each month a needed physician is not on staff can cost a hospital $100,000 or more. The revenue lost can be much greater when recruiting some specialties such as cardiovascular surgery ($3,134,615 annual revenue), neurological surgery ($2,364,864 annual revenue), and vascular surgery ($2,216,463 annual revenue). A healthcare facility will recover the cost of recruitment, salary and set-up in a short time. In the long run, it’s the cost of inaction that’s highest.
How Can Recruitment Costs be Minimized?
While the expense of identifying, interviewing and relocating candidates can be considerable, a healthcare facility’s greatest financial cost is tied to physician salaries and benefits. Should a newly recruited physician prove unsuccessful in their practice and be unable to sustain a patient base or a meaningful level of referrals, the facility may be unable to recoup the physician’s salary or income guarantee. This most often happens when there is not a sufficient need for the physician in the hospital’s service area. Therefore, a key to minimizing financial exposure is to accurately assess the need for a given medical service in the community prior to recruiting a physician. This can often be done through a medical staff plan that looks at population growth in the service area, the incidence of disease, accessibility of medical services and practice patterns of current physicians. Once a need has been established and a search initiated, it is important that the search be conducted efficiently. Poor search methodologies are costly and waste time.
It is an observation that sometimes the challenge of recruiting well and physician fit with an organization or practice might be because the physician isn't fully aware of his or her expectations about work and how that influences the balance in their lives over time.
Happy and healthy job searching and recruiting new physicians.
Lynden
Food for thought. Recruiting physicians well is truly an art.
The Cost of Recruiting Physicians
The cost of recruiting physicians is often not fully understood or accurately quantified. How much money does it take to attract and retain a doctor? By answering this question, hospital administrators can better understand the physician recruiting process and help ensure that their hospitals are using the most effective and cost-efficient recruiting methods. The cost for one search generally falls in the range of $20,000 to $40,000 depending on the specialty, region of the country, and methods used for sourcing candidates. The average cost is about $30,000. Here is a breakdown of the major costs associated with physician recruitment.
1. Staff or recruiter time and fees. Salaries and fees associated with recruiter time can vary greatly. A recent Medical Group Management Association study found that it takes about 350 man-hours for the recruiting process. In-house recruiters often earn a base salary of $35,000 to $65,000 and may receive bonuses based on the number of placements they make. If the salary is $50,000 and the 350 man-hours mentioned above are used, that's $8,400 per recruited doctor. Recruiter fees of contingent and/or retained physician search firms can range from $15,000 to more than $25,000 per placement.
2. Recruiting sources. Thousands of hospitals and medical groups are vying for a limited number of physicians, increasing the difficulty and cost of finding candidates. A wide net should be cast to ensure a job opportunity attracts the largest number of potential candidates. This means collaborating with residency programs, networking among existing staff and administration, advertising in medical journals and on physician Web sites, sending recruiting letters and direct mail pieces, and exhibiting at physician conventions. The expense can range from $2,500 to more than $10,000 per search.
3. Interviewing. The higher the number of candidates you see, the higher the costs, and not only in terms of airfare and hotel suites, but in terms of the man-hours of busy administrators and medical staff getting together however many times. Hospitals generally pay all the costs associated with a physician interview such as travel, accommodations and entertainment. These costs usually range from $1,500 to $3,000 per interview.
4. Relocation. This is another variable cost based on where the physician is coming from. The average relocation allowance is $7,800.
5. Practice marketing. Hospitals often pay to announce a new physician’s practice and help introduce him or her to the community. Marketing costs can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
6. Set-up Costs. Although not normally considered a part of the recruitment cost, they may contribute to your hesitation in moving as quickly as you should in recruiting. The costs to help the doctor set up practice, plus whatever signing incentives are offered, can be from $150,000-$200,000.
7. Salary Guarantee. Salary guarantees and incentives should be factored in as part of the recruitment investment/return equation. Recruiters should take into account not only new doctors’ salaries but also signing incentives and loan repayments. These costs vary widely and can range from $150,000 to $600,000.
8. Time-to-Fill. If you move slowly or your recruiting techniques are ineffective, the cost of recruiting a physician will be much higher. Administrators need to look at the time it takes to fill a position and then consider the revenue lost during this time. Intuition might suggest that you are saving money on the salary and benefits until you hire the doctor. However, every month without a physician in place equals revenue lost. Merritt, Hawkins & Associates recently conducted a survey of hospital CFOs and found that physicians generate an average of more than $1.5 million a year in patient revenue. Therefore, each month a needed physician is not on staff can cost a hospital $100,000 or more. The revenue lost can be much greater when recruiting some specialties such as cardiovascular surgery ($3,134,615 annual revenue), neurological surgery ($2,364,864 annual revenue), and vascular surgery ($2,216,463 annual revenue). A healthcare facility will recover the cost of recruitment, salary and set-up in a short time. In the long run, it’s the cost of inaction that’s highest.
How Can Recruitment Costs be Minimized?
While the expense of identifying, interviewing and relocating candidates can be considerable, a healthcare facility’s greatest financial cost is tied to physician salaries and benefits. Should a newly recruited physician prove unsuccessful in their practice and be unable to sustain a patient base or a meaningful level of referrals, the facility may be unable to recoup the physician’s salary or income guarantee. This most often happens when there is not a sufficient need for the physician in the hospital’s service area. Therefore, a key to minimizing financial exposure is to accurately assess the need for a given medical service in the community prior to recruiting a physician. This can often be done through a medical staff plan that looks at population growth in the service area, the incidence of disease, accessibility of medical services and practice patterns of current physicians. Once a need has been established and a search initiated, it is important that the search be conducted efficiently. Poor search methodologies are costly and waste time.
It is an observation that sometimes the challenge of recruiting well and physician fit with an organization or practice might be because the physician isn't fully aware of his or her expectations about work and how that influences the balance in their lives over time.
Happy and healthy job searching and recruiting new physicians.
Lynden
Monday, April 16, 2007
Background checks - what you may not know
Once you are at the offer stage, it is more and more likely that a prospective employer will want a background check. Certainly, a background check is going to be ordered by a state licensing board if you are seeking professional licensure as a medical professional. If your job has any responsibility for dealing with confidential information, trade secrets, finances or public safety - like many in compliance roles might experience; anticipate a background check will be done.
Once upon a time in my business, during the process of a background check on a candidate, we discovered disturbing information that made a difference in how the hiring proceeded. On the client's part, they asked for more information. On the candidate's part, he refused. The search ground to a halt and we went to our strong back up candidate to fill the position. This happens more than I'd like, but you need to be aware as a candidate that you might experience a background check.
Attached is an article about a background checking service. It is from the Cincinnati Post, April 2, 2007 and written by By Greg Paeth, Post staff reporter.
Peering into the past
Screening firm will delve into the background of job applicants
Jason Rinsky remembers a pre-employment background check his company handled a few years ago for a Minnesota firm.
The company had interviewed an applicant for a call center job and planned to hire him pending the results of a background report by Employment Screening Associates, a Deer Park firm where Rinsky is the director.
ESA, which works with investigators all over the country, established pretty quickly that the job applicant had been convicted of sexual offenses against children and passed that report on to the Minnesota client. The company then asked ESA to double check its work and provide more information, which ESA did.
But Rinsky said the company still couldn't believe the ESA report. "They said it can't be - this is the nicest guy you've ever talked to. He's a Mormon - he prays before every meal," Rinsky recalls.
ESA went back for a third check and obtained a police mugshot of the man, delivering it to the company as proof that its job applicant and the sexual predator were one and the same.
Although it's somewhat unusual for any company to request a triple check of ESA information, the fact that the company uncovered discrepancies between information on a job application and the truth isn't that unusual, Rinsky said.
Of more recent vintage is a Cincinnati job check last week where an applicant for a job as a driver - Rinsky wouldn't be more specific - failed to disclose that he had served time in prison on aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges.
Employment Screening Associates, founded in 1991 and owned by Michael Kaufman, specializes in background checks on prospective employees for companies that don't have the time or the resources to do their own detective work.
Heightened security concerns since the 2001 terrorist attacks and the hot-button issue of hiring illegal immigrants are two reasons why ESA has experiencd double-digit growth for each of the last five years, said Rinsky, who declined to disclose revenue figures for the company.
Besides employment and criminal history checks, the company also can be hired to handle reference checks; education and certification verification; worker's compensation, military service and credit histories; alien registration, and drug and health screenings.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that some 60 percent of job applicants are less than candid about their educational backgrounds and about a third of all applicants are less than truthful about their work experience or job responsibilities at previous jobs.
Rinsky said his company generally finds that 25 to 30 percent of job applicants overstate their educational backgrounds or the role they played with a previous employer.
What happens after ESA delivers its report is the decision of ESA's client.
"We look at our role as that of a fact finder and an information gatherer," Rinsky said. "We're not there to implement the (hiring) policies that a client might have."
Rinsky and Rick Weber, ESA's sales and marketing manager, both stressed that unlike some companies that might do no more than a database search on the Internet to check out a job applicant, ESA has a network of people who can examine records in every courthouse in the country and also track down data outside of the U.S.
The pricetag on ESA services vary, depending on the amount of information that an employer requests.
Simple drug tests can be $10 or less while more extensive lab-based drug testing typically runs $30-$40.
Criminal backrgound checks can be as little as $10-$15 while a more extensive report will typically range from $50 to $75, Rinsky said.
"We understand as do a lot of HR professionals that it costs tens of thousands of dollars in both hard and soft costs to hire someone.
"So to spend $50 to $75 to make sure that someone is who they say they are and have the skills that they say they have is a very minimal investment," Rinsky said.
If you have issues in your background that are sensitive, be sure and disclose them up front. Never make the assumption that derogotory information will not be discovered - it is easy and inexpensive to get a legal and comprehensive background completed. Employers are "just doing it."
Happy and healthy job search and hiring.
Lynden
Once upon a time in my business, during the process of a background check on a candidate, we discovered disturbing information that made a difference in how the hiring proceeded. On the client's part, they asked for more information. On the candidate's part, he refused. The search ground to a halt and we went to our strong back up candidate to fill the position. This happens more than I'd like, but you need to be aware as a candidate that you might experience a background check.
Attached is an article about a background checking service. It is from the Cincinnati Post, April 2, 2007 and written by By Greg Paeth, Post staff reporter.
Peering into the past
Screening firm will delve into the background of job applicants
Jason Rinsky remembers a pre-employment background check his company handled a few years ago for a Minnesota firm.
The company had interviewed an applicant for a call center job and planned to hire him pending the results of a background report by Employment Screening Associates, a Deer Park firm where Rinsky is the director.
ESA, which works with investigators all over the country, established pretty quickly that the job applicant had been convicted of sexual offenses against children and passed that report on to the Minnesota client. The company then asked ESA to double check its work and provide more information, which ESA did.
But Rinsky said the company still couldn't believe the ESA report. "They said it can't be - this is the nicest guy you've ever talked to. He's a Mormon - he prays before every meal," Rinsky recalls.
ESA went back for a third check and obtained a police mugshot of the man, delivering it to the company as proof that its job applicant and the sexual predator were one and the same.
Although it's somewhat unusual for any company to request a triple check of ESA information, the fact that the company uncovered discrepancies between information on a job application and the truth isn't that unusual, Rinsky said.
Of more recent vintage is a Cincinnati job check last week where an applicant for a job as a driver - Rinsky wouldn't be more specific - failed to disclose that he had served time in prison on aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges.
Employment Screening Associates, founded in 1991 and owned by Michael Kaufman, specializes in background checks on prospective employees for companies that don't have the time or the resources to do their own detective work.
Heightened security concerns since the 2001 terrorist attacks and the hot-button issue of hiring illegal immigrants are two reasons why ESA has experiencd double-digit growth for each of the last five years, said Rinsky, who declined to disclose revenue figures for the company.
Besides employment and criminal history checks, the company also can be hired to handle reference checks; education and certification verification; worker's compensation, military service and credit histories; alien registration, and drug and health screenings.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that some 60 percent of job applicants are less than candid about their educational backgrounds and about a third of all applicants are less than truthful about their work experience or job responsibilities at previous jobs.
Rinsky said his company generally finds that 25 to 30 percent of job applicants overstate their educational backgrounds or the role they played with a previous employer.
What happens after ESA delivers its report is the decision of ESA's client.
"We look at our role as that of a fact finder and an information gatherer," Rinsky said. "We're not there to implement the (hiring) policies that a client might have."
Rinsky and Rick Weber, ESA's sales and marketing manager, both stressed that unlike some companies that might do no more than a database search on the Internet to check out a job applicant, ESA has a network of people who can examine records in every courthouse in the country and also track down data outside of the U.S.
The pricetag on ESA services vary, depending on the amount of information that an employer requests.
Simple drug tests can be $10 or less while more extensive lab-based drug testing typically runs $30-$40.
Criminal backrgound checks can be as little as $10-$15 while a more extensive report will typically range from $50 to $75, Rinsky said.
"We understand as do a lot of HR professionals that it costs tens of thousands of dollars in both hard and soft costs to hire someone.
"So to spend $50 to $75 to make sure that someone is who they say they are and have the skills that they say they have is a very minimal investment," Rinsky said.
If you have issues in your background that are sensitive, be sure and disclose them up front. Never make the assumption that derogotory information will not be discovered - it is easy and inexpensive to get a legal and comprehensive background completed. Employers are "just doing it."
Happy and healthy job search and hiring.
Lynden
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Recruiters – who needs em? Answer – YOU!
No search firms please. I had a candidate say this to me recently. I’m guessing that the physician who said that may not know what s/he is missing by limiting contact.
I have nothing but tremendous respect for my colleagues who work as internal recruiters for specific companies or healthcare systems. They are top notch professionals usually and provide their candidates with great service.
HOWEVER, they are limited to representing their company only and in many cases are limited to a specific geographic location as well. As a result, you will get from them info that is directed to their specific hiring needs. As you might suspect, that info isn’t always targeted to your interests and expectations of employment.
In contrast, working with an independent third party recruiting firm means that you are working with a recruiter who represents a number of employers and who is in a position to share with you a greater number and variety of options for your search.
The range of services that can be offered by a third party recruiter is greater in my estimation than an internal recruiter which is a reason to always work with a third party recruiter first. Of course, I do have a professional bias.
Also, I’ve heard some candidates have a perception that a new physician employee might be offered fewer new hire benefits or perks as a result of being represented by a third party recruiter. That is not true and the practice that would scrimp on benefits to a new employee should be rigorously scrutinized as a questionable place to work longer term. If they are willing to nickel and dime you as part of the hiring process what can you expect once you are onboard? Most practices budget as part of their hiring process a range for the fee they will pay to a recruiter and for the “benefits” they will offer including whether a welcome or sign on bonus may be offered and the range for that bonus.
I’m available for a phone consultation about your job search at no obligation to you at any time. Just caaaaaalllll me!
Happy and healthy job searching.
Lynden
I have nothing but tremendous respect for my colleagues who work as internal recruiters for specific companies or healthcare systems. They are top notch professionals usually and provide their candidates with great service.
HOWEVER, they are limited to representing their company only and in many cases are limited to a specific geographic location as well. As a result, you will get from them info that is directed to their specific hiring needs. As you might suspect, that info isn’t always targeted to your interests and expectations of employment.
In contrast, working with an independent third party recruiting firm means that you are working with a recruiter who represents a number of employers and who is in a position to share with you a greater number and variety of options for your search.
The range of services that can be offered by a third party recruiter is greater in my estimation than an internal recruiter which is a reason to always work with a third party recruiter first. Of course, I do have a professional bias.
Also, I’ve heard some candidates have a perception that a new physician employee might be offered fewer new hire benefits or perks as a result of being represented by a third party recruiter. That is not true and the practice that would scrimp on benefits to a new employee should be rigorously scrutinized as a questionable place to work longer term. If they are willing to nickel and dime you as part of the hiring process what can you expect once you are onboard? Most practices budget as part of their hiring process a range for the fee they will pay to a recruiter and for the “benefits” they will offer including whether a welcome or sign on bonus may be offered and the range for that bonus.
I’m available for a phone consultation about your job search at no obligation to you at any time. Just caaaaaalllll me!
Happy and healthy job searching.
Lynden
Monday, February 12, 2007
Kicking Your 2007 Job Search in High Gear!
HOLY COW! YOU NEED A JOB.
Last you checked the calendar, your training ends SOON. You need to have a job in the next three to four months. How are you going to get that done?
Job Search Tips - Get it Done Quick and Right
Be sure your CV is in top form and your cover letter is compelling.
If you have any question about how good your CV or cover letter might be; get help. Ask someone to critique it. Do that first thing. The single most important documents in a search are these. If you have been searching and aren’t getting good results – suspect your CV needs work. Who to ask? a) The placement office at the school where you are training; b) invite the department secretary to proof it for you and offer formatting tips; c) ask a physician recruiter to make suggestions – recruiters look at hundreds of CVs each year and can give you good constructive feedback.
Get the word out.
Post a web appropriate CV on a specialty specific job board indicating your search parameters. Using job boards like the NAPR’s World Job Bank at www.napr.org ; or the NCHCR’s www.mdrecruiter.com are good options for getting your credentials in front of ethical, well qualified independent physician recruiters. Also you can, a) do a Google search for physician recruiting firms; b) using www.superpages.com search for physician recruiters in the geographic area you are seeking; c) check out the career center associated with your training program and find the names of recruiters who seem to have the kinds of jobs you are interested in; d) look for opportunities on any number of job boards including www.CareerMD.com .
Get your MOVE’N on! (Momentum; Options, Vetting, Evaluate, Negotiate)
Momentum refers to getting your CV and cover letter in front of hiring authorities within the geographic location where you want to live. a) You can do this yourself. b) You can hire a resume or CV distribution service to do it for you. c) or you can enlist the assistance of an independent physician recruiter who will market your credentials into hiring authorities in that area.
Options result from getting your credentials in front of hiring authorities and getting you into the telephone screening process. This enables you to learn more about practice opportunities getting to the stage where you can select from among three to ten possible employment options. Determine which options are your top priorities. Where do you want to spend your time? In other words, you aren’t going to marry the first person you date and you aren’t going to take or look at only one job option; but decide which options fit you best and prioritize how you work through the process with them.
Vetting happens as you do your onsite interviews and as you are selecting your top choices. It requires you apply due diligence assuring each practices you interview with meets your expectations on all levels, personal, professional and that the compensation is adequate to start. Talk with all the physician employees if possible. Talk with anyone you can find who might have recently left the practice to learn the reasons for leaving. Talk to the newest hire and examine how that individual’s expectation differed from what s/he anticipated. This stage of the process is your version of “reference” checking. Talk with everyone you can to learn the reputation and practice style and personality of the group.
Evaluate is the step after vetting where you have all your information in front of you and it is time to make a decision about which practice to join. Perhaps your options are obvious, but more than likely you might be torn. Take the time to evaluate the pros and cons of each situation. Please note that I do not advocate selecting a practice situation only based on the compensation. While that is an important aspect it is not the only feature. You can be very well paid and still be miserable. Think about how you feel when you are with your prospective colleagues. Is the practice an environment where you can flourish?
Negotiate with all the information in front of you it is time to decide which practice you want and negotiate for the compensation package that is appropriate. Here if you are working with a recruiter, I think you have an advantage. The recruiter certainly knows what is appropriate in the market where the practice is located. S/he knows how to take the “personalities” out of the process and to get to the most desirable outcome. A good recruiter will serve as your advocate and as the practice’s ally to assure that the outcome is win-win for both.
I wish you success with your search. Please know that finding and starting a new job are some of the most stressful activities you’ll encounter, but they can be well managed and are oh so rewarding. If you would like a free personal consultation about your job search, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to brainstorm with you.
Happy job hunting in 2007.
Lynden
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
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
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
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
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
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
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
Monday, October 30, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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
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
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