Choice Matters
With the looming healthcare crisis and the shortage of physicians, recruiters clamor over contact information and share, at times, unscrupulously. Job boards offer a first look without the added salesmanship and pressure applied by recruiters vested in signing physicians to a job, any job.
Like a well-designed menu at your favorite restaurant, the job board presents opportunities of interest and opens the doors of communication when exploring a new job. Candidates are free to peruse the offerings and pursue those most interesting and appealing.
Spoken Direction
Job boards allow the exchange of information between a potential candidate and employer. The direct connection simplifies and enhances the process. Having worked with intermediaries in the past, the flow of facts becomes diluted – similar to the childhood game of telephone. By the time decisions need to be made, the data is distorted, and rational choices are impossible.
Targeting
Marketers are intelligent and know how to retarget you throughout the day. Ever wonder why the same ads are served to you repetitively? That is the power of retargeting.
The initial cost to reach the target (physicians) can be high, as the current gorilla in the room places a premium on search terms. Job boards offer an opportunity for hospitals and potential employers to decrease the acquisition cost of a new hire.
Doctors interested in finding a new position or even locum work resort to one common task – searching the Internet. I confess: I’ve spent a lot of down time while waiting for lab tests or x-rays looking for interesting new positions. The grass may not always be greener, but if it’s already past brown where you’re standing, it’s time to move.
Privacy Is Primary
The use of job boards allows the initial foray into a potential job change to remain exactly what it needs to be – private. Employers get edgy when learning of the impending departure of a difficult-to-replace team member. Keeping the search private eliminates the added pressure and disdain from partners who are already overworked.
Another common issue is the sharing of data. I have witnessed a disconcerting phenomenon several times. After sharing my contact data with an unfamiliar recruiter, despite my better judgment, my inbox becomes saturated with random solicitations from a multitude of recruiters working for different companies.
The best results, in my experience, involve an initial search of job boards and postings followed by direct contact with a recruiter or point person for that organization.
Value Yourself
A few years ago, a colleague persuaded me to sign on with his recruiter for a temporary locum assignment. The fine print of the contract was a bit different, but I signed nonetheless. As the term neared the end, I was approached by the hospital administration and offered a permanent position with incredible benefits and modest pay.
As negotiations ensued, it became clear that there was a price to buy out my skill set and option for future employment. The two parties haggled about the cost, and I felt like a used car. The whole process soured me on the recruiter and the hospital, leading to my walking away.
At the end of the day, most people are good and have good intentions. That isn’t a license to throw caution to the wind. Protect yourself, your privacy, your reputation, and above else, value your unique skill set and experience. As a healthcare professional, the necessity of your talents is what keeps the wheels of healthcare delivery churning along smoothly.
