By Calvin Bruce
Knowing how to work effectively with recruiters can shorten your job search now or
in the future.
At some point in your career, you will likely receive a phone call from a physician
recruiter. Should you listen? Regardless of where you are in your career advancement,
you can benefit from establishing a good relationship with expert recruiters who
have your interests at heart.
Types of physician recruiters
To work effectively with recruiters, you need to understand the different types
of recruiters and how they can help you in your career development.
In-house recruiters work for hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities.
They are involved in developing and implementing long-range physician staffing plans.
Even with generous advertising budgets and other recruitment resources, in-house
recruiters often utilize the services of agency recruiters when they encounter a
difficult search assignment.
There are two types of agency recruiters—retained and contingency. Some physician
recruitment firms conduct both types of searches; others specialize in one or the
other.
What’s the difference? As their name suggests, retained recruiters receive some
sort of upfront fee for their search efforts, with the balance of the fee due when
the placement is finalized.
Clients utilize retained recruiters when they require in-depth and exclusive recruitment
assistance. Because of this working relationship, retained recruiters are client-driven,
not candidate-driven. In simple terms, their focus is on identifying sterling candidates
for clients who have difficulty filling given positions.
Contingency recruiters are loyal to clients who pay their fees, of course. Yet a
great deal of their work, typically, is devoted to marketing physicians who are
job hunting. Given the fact that time is money, contingency recruiters concentrate
on working with “most placeable candidates.” These are persons with impressive work
histories, reasonable compensation expectations, and eagerness to take on a new
position.
How recruiters can help your job search
Either type of recruiter can assist you in your job search. Experienced recruiters
know their industry well, have mastered the techniques for effective recruitment,
and have developed a “sixth sense” concerning a pending placement. They don’t want
to waste anyone’s time if the ingredients for a good, long-term placement are not
present.
If a retained recruiter phones you, this means that she has an exclusive working
relationship with the healthcare employer (at least for that given search), as well
as the client’s cooperation and commitment to hire. Should the recruiter present
you for hiring consideration, you can be confident that you are among a select number
of individuals prescreened as “finalist candidates.”
A call from a contingency recruiter can also be beneficial. Like their counterparts
who work on retainer, contingency recruiters are concerned to present candidates
who have a good chance of getting hired. The difference is that contingency recruiters
typically compete with other agency recruiters to make the placement. To a certain
extent, it’s the numbers game, and the recruiter who presents the most desirable
candidate first “wins.” Even though the competition is tougher, working with contingency
recruiters can lead to a lucrative and rewarding practice opportunity.
Bear in mind, recruitment firms charge placement fees to clients, not candidates.
Because there is a free involved, are employers less likely to hire candidates referred
by agency recruiters? Logic might say "Yes," but practicality says "No." Healthcare
employers want the best qualified professionals for permanent positions, whether
or not a placement fee is applicable. Given the supply-and-demand factors involved
in hiring experienced physicians, paying a placement fee is regarded as a customary
cost of doing business.
What recruiters expect
Successful recruiters are busy professionals. They work hard to make placements.
For their time and effort in assisting physicians in their job search, recruiters
expect two things: communication and cooperation. In terms of communication, recruiters
expect candidates to keep them posted on their search efforts in general, and provide
prompt feedback following telephone or on-site interviewing that they arrange.
The easiest way to alienate recruiters is to be non-communicative and coy in discussing
employment matters. For instance, if you are interviewing on your own or through
the efforts of other recruiters, don’t keep that a secret. It is especially important
to mention any other pending or actual employment offers. Recruiters respect candidates
who are upfront in discussing the success of their job search. On the other hand,
they have little regard for candidates who keep them in the dark or who “use” them
to receive an offer—only to dangle it in front of another employer in order to obtain
a better counter-offer.
Similarly, recruiters are willing to work hard for doctors who cooperate fully.
The level of cooperation they expect includes: providing updated information for
your CV and, if necessary, fresh references; going on interviews set by the recruiter;
providing timely feedback after interviews; cooperating with negotiating strategies
to procure the best compensation package; and starting the new position at the agreed-upon
date.
What candidates can expect
Recruiters serve a valuable purpose in the placement process. For starters, they
work closely with the client to acquire a good understanding of the practice opportunity,
the community appeal and quality of life offered, the key players involved in the
hiring process, and the compensation range associated with the position.
In preparing candidates for interviewing, recruiters offer a wealth of information
about the opportunity that would not be gained by simply reading a journal ad. Following
the interview, recruiters serve as a communication liaison with employers and job
seekers in fielding questions or concerns that either party might have regarding
the pending placement. Sometimes just clarifying some information shared in the
interview can make the difference in whether an offer is extended and accepted.
When an employment offer is pending, recruiters sound out candidates regarding an
offer, determining whether or not it will be acceptable. Should there be some room
for negotiation, recruiters can assist in getting the compensation package modified
in order to make it more appealing to the prospective new hire.
There is another valuable type of assistance that recruiters provide. Serious job
hunting can be quite involved and time-consuming. Furthermore, conducting an effective
job search requires utmost confidentiality. Recruiters understand the importance
of maintaining confidentiality throughout the search process. They are discreet
in all of their dealings with candidates, including obtaining fresh professional
references. As much as lies within their power, experienced recruiters will do nothing
to jeopardize the current employment situation of anyone whom they represent as
a potential placement.
You may not need a recruiter’s help today or tomorrow. But you never know when you
will need to rely on such assistance to leverage your career in the future. Understanding
how to work effectively with physician recruiters will pave the way for a smooth
professional relationship.