It has been estimated that turnover costs at a medical center can equal 4.8 percent of the facility’s total operating budget – at a minimum – due to expenses related to hiring, training and productivity loss. Therefore, recruitment is much more than just filling a job.As president of TIVA HealthCare, which emerged 10 years ago from an industry-leading practice management company, I have witnessed from both sides of the employer-recruiter relationship that fostering open communication can directly boost the bottom line. Below are 10 ways to get the most out of your outsourced recruitment firm.
1. Make it personal by requesting you work with one recruiter or specialist well versed in your staffing needs and specialties. By establishing a relationship, your recruiter can share your vision of an ideal candidate and zero in on the best people for open positions.
2. Focus on collaboration and share insights. Learning more about your existing medical staff, supporting specialties, practice environment, clinical requirements and future plans can assist your recruitment firm in guiding you to the right candidate.
3. Some job searches require confidentiality. Your recruiter can explain how that process can be respected while also allowing you access to a qualified candidate pool.
4. Research indicates retention is largely dependent on factors such as conflicts in management style and perceived inequity in the workplace. Share the corporate culture so that behavioral questions can be included in initial job interviews to determine a good "fit."
5. To work toward growth, explore ways in which your firm may be able to support alternative service lines and take advantage of opportunities in the local healthcare environment.
6. Don’t be afraid to be too technical. The more your recruiter knows the “ins and outs” of the specialties you seek, the more likely you will be presented with the right candidates.
7. Save your resources by ensuring your recruiter is clear about a position’s job description as well as all HR requirements. Such information allows your firm to do the utmost due diligence in identifying, pre-interviewing and pre-credentialing likely candidates before the expense of you meeting the candidate in person.
8. The more advance notice you can provide the better. For example, TIVA has a database of more than 80,000 physicians and mid-level providers to which we can market your openings by sending newsletters, e-blasts, and job alerts via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. A clear timeline allows us to maximize our resources.
9. Check with your recruitment firm about national conferences it may be attending to take advantage of opportunities. Often, recruiters will meet with eligible candidates face-to-face and conduct on-site interviews.
10. Understand that the process continues after the candidate signs on the dotted line. Accountable recruitment firms follow up with candidates they place, so be open with your recruiter about their results. Ensure there is an open channel of communication because concerns can be mediated.
Success in working with your recruitment firm depends on building a relationship based on sharing information, understanding each other and working together toward common goals.
