In the span of seventeen years, I have worked in twenty different facilities as an emergency physician. The vast majority of these jobs came as a result of working with a talented recruiter. Hardly a day goes by where someone doesn’t reach out for help staffing a hospital. I am selective in where and why I’ll travel to pick up some shifts, but a key factor is the methods of the recruiter. I wanted to share a few of my favorite recruiter traits and to let you know good recruiters do still exist.
1) Honesty
Like many things in life, a physician’s pay or salary is negotiable. Having a recruiter who shares hard data and knows what is and isn’t possible is essential. A talented recruiter will find wiggle room and has helped bump up the hourly rate for me at times more than 100%.
I’ve worked with one recruiter in particular over the past six years, and he never calls me about a new opportunity unless he has physically visited the place. Reading a hospital’s propaganda is much different than actually seeing and getting an in-person flavor for a place. Hearing a candid statement of how difficult a position may be allows a different level of discussion on compensation. A few smartphone photos of the ED, call room, and hospital corridors provide more value than anything found on a hospital’s website. No one likes surprises, and when trading time with family for work, I like to know exactly what I’m getting into.
2) Courtesy
Your time as a physician is valuable, and so is your privacy. Having your contact information shared without permission is a huge problem. I currently work with two recruiters at different companies and have yet to get a random phone call from someone who just happened to get my number. I had to change numbers a few years ago after an unscrupulous recruiter shared my number widely.
I also like the fact that my recruiter asks for a specific list of criteria before contacting me about a position. As an EM physician, I need to know annual census, trauma designation, midlevel staffing, maximum shift duration, and compensation. I don’t want a call if the parameters aren’t met up front.
3) Advocacy
Some facilities or positions are just painful. Knowing this ahead of time and having an honest discussion about how to make sense out of working at a particular facility is critical. I’ve been on staff at a notoriously challenging ED for the past nine years. My recruiter advocated a much higher hourly rate based on an honest discussion with the ED director about why they cannot recruit anyone. My colleagues are wonderful, and every shift stretches us beyond imagination, but we all come together as a team.
Physicians are in short supply, and many hospitals struggle to fill shifts or replace leaving or retiring physicians. Having a recruiter lobby on your behalf will make sure you receive top compensation. The options and opportunities are endless for those willing to travel, so why settle for average compensation.
4) Hard Work
Having a recruiter ready to work for you is essential. Their reward comes from placing you in a position, and the best recruiters demonstrate a can-do attitude. My favorite recruiter checks in periodically to make sure I am happy, asks if I have any specific needs he can work on with a facility, and has even secured a few locum stints at highly desirable hospitals that “weren’t hiring and fully staffed.” After acquiring a new state license, he worked diligently and found an ideal locum position that ticked all the boxes.
You have preferences and an interaction style all your own. Don’t be afraid to let a recruiter know this upfront. Feel free to fire any recruiter who doesn’t listen or violates your confidence. With a bit of patience, you can find a recruiter that works tirelessly to find the ideal position and keeps you happy throughout the process.
