How to Work With a Recruiter

When you first begin working with a recruiter the process can sometimes be overwhelming. You want to find the best possible situation for your family and yourself, while the recruiter wants to find the best possible physician candidate for her client (which is usually a hospital, HMO or clinic). In most situations these goals merge seamlessly.

At Susan Craig Associates our job is to screen and select appropriate candidates, present the facility to the candidates and work with the candidate and facility through the recruitment process. If we have no appropriate facility for you at first, we will work hard on your behalf to find the spot that best suits your needs. After an initial retainer, you will not be charged any fee for services during the recruitment process.

As a physician making a major change, you may want to see several facilities before making your decision. We can help you screen facilities with answers to such questions as:

+ Is this a group or solo practice?
+ What is the call coverage?
+ How many patients are seen each day?
+ What types of procedures are performed?
+ What is the compensation? Salary or Guarantee?
+ Is there a production bonus? Signing bonus?
+ What is the community like? Geography? What are the schools like?
+ Is there a job for my spouse?
+ Are there any recreational activities in the area that I would enjoy?

Our reputation and income rests on our ability to satisfy both the needs of the facility and the needs of the physician candidate. The job should be filled by the physician most suited for the position. To find this person, the facility will interview many applicants. This means you may not be the only candidate presented to a specific opportunity and you will need to be prepared to sell yourself. If you are interested in moving to a desirable location or even if you are just interested in exploring possibilities, here are some tips to help you be the most attractive candidate in the competition. (And remember that this is a competition. Even with the present physician shortages, facilities are selective.)

+ Return calls promptly. You need to be accessible to us when facilities express an interest in you or if we want to present a facility to you. In recruitment timing is everything.

+ Please notify us if your situation changes. Perhaps you have decided not to move or you have obtained a new certification. Perhaps after looking for a while, you've decided to broaden your geographic preferences. Perhaps you've married and your new spouse needs a job. It is important to let us know so that effort is not wasted and that you are not presented to facilities that are inappropriate for you.

+ Don't call five or six recruiters and make your CV available. This can open a huge Pandora's box of phone calls between you and the recruiters and adds confusion to your job search. It is better to work with one or, at most, two recruiters with whom you have developed some trust. If you decide to work with more than one recruiter let them know about each other. The ideal situation is to work with a recruiter who is networked with other reputable recruiters (such as the Alliance of Medical Recruiters), so that there is one clearing-house for services to you.

+ Be honest about your level of interest and motivation for moving to a location. This will help us find the type of practice you want and will avoid wasting your time, the clients? time and the facility's time on a position that's not right for you. Be forthcoming with documents or references, as they are needed. Most recruiters will not check your references until you have accepted an invitation for an on-site visit. It is not necessary to put reference names on your CV.

+ Give us feedback after visits and telephone interviews so that we can refine your job search and work out any minor problems that have come up.

+ Take advantage of our negotiating skills. You will want to be sure you are ending up in a desired position at the best salary possible.

+ Involve your spouse. He or she may be able to field calls for you, do an initial screening of facilities and keep the process organized. And if your spouse isn't happy in a new location, it's a good bet you won't be either. We are happy to chat with your spouse and include them in the whole search process.

+ Manage the process. We feel very strongly that the physician should be the one controlling the search. To do this, you need to keep track of where your CV has been sent to, who you have talked to and what facilities you have been presented to. Don't give permission to publish your CV or send it out without your specific approval. Make sure that all send-outs are cleared with you first.

Staying on top of your job search will reduce the likelihood of several recruiters presenting you to the same location, which will make you look disorganized. The best way many physicians have found to control the process is to keep a notebook with dates and results of all calls, emails and contacts.

You should expect your recruitment consultant to respect your privacy and your need for confidentiality. We will want to know a great deal about you so expect some long phone calls in the initial stages so that we can get a fix on exactly what job and location you desire. We recognize these conversations are in confidence. Remember you aren't just selecting a new job; you're selecting a new lifestyle. The rewards are worth it!