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Audrey Becker
2341 Seven Pines
Suite 5
St. Louis, MO
63146
Phone:
314.878.6888
Toll-free: 877.583.3255
Fax: 314.878.1827
Audrey@ObOnly.com
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WORKING WITH A RECRUITER (continued)
How important is money? How heavy is
your repayment obligation? The recruiter may discuss signing bonuses,
incentive formulas, buy-ins and payor mixes, all of which can affect
your financial welfare.
What are the requirements of your family? The recruiter can explore
job opportunities for your spouse, investigate schools for your
children, ascertain the availability of religious facilities, and
determine the distance to the nearest lake, beach or ski slope.
Some recruiters dedicate themselves to just one specialty, working
only with OB/Gyn's for instance. Such focus allows them to know the
field in depth, to understand the medical climate for the specialty in
each state, and to work as true consultants to physicians.
If you doubt the value of such advice, consider the writer or agent
typically receives fifteen percent for similar advice. For you as a
young doctor, however, the problem lies not with the value of the
service being offered but with the fact that too many people are
offering it. You cannot work with everyone who calls. Instead, you
must make the questioning process reciprocal and "feel out"
the recruiter. Is the caller knowledgeable? empathetic? ethical? Is this
a person with whom you could work confidently and comfortably, someone
you could trust to advise you on a major career decision?
It is your future at stake, and you should retain control of the
process.
What's in it for the Client?
For the client, the advantage of working with the contingency
recruiter is obvious. There is no "up-front" cost, no
monthly statement, no bill to pay unless the recruiter presents a
candidate who is hired. In essence, the client is initially
represented, free of charge, by a recruiter who describes the client's
opportunity to qualified doctors who might otherwise never know of it.
If a doctor shows interest in the opportunity, the recruiter will send
a C.V. to the client. If the interest proves mutual, the recruiter
will coordinate initial phone conversations, collect references on the
candidate, verify availability dates for interviews, assist in drawing
up an itinerary, and follow through with both parties at the end of
the visit. If the interview goes well, the recruiter may eventually
facilitate negotiations or even assist in drawing up a contact. Only
when that contract is signed and delivered does the recruiter get
paid.
What's in it for the Recruiter?
The contingency recruiter is paid not for effort but for success, and
every recruiter has experienced the frustration of having a deal fall
apart at the last minute. The process is fraught with infinite
variables, the competition is fierce, and the right match can be
elusive. Considering the pitfalls, it is no wonder that the recruiter
experiences a sense of triumph when a deal closes. "My
client" and "my doctor" are phrases spoken with
possessiveness and pride.
The best contingency recruiters do good work for both candidate and
client and, in return, make a good living. The poor ones don't last
long.
For a physician looking toward an uncertain future, the proper
contingency recruiter can be invaluable. To make best use of such a
recruiter, you must be prepared to enter into an open and honest
relationship. Find a recruiter who listens to what you say and replies
sincerely and intelligently. Then arm the recruiter with as much
information as possible about your background, your present
circumstances, your dreams. The labyrinth of opportunities offered by
hospitals, clinics, groups and HMO's stands before you. The
contingency recruiter can guide you through it.
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