Tip Ten: Fostering Leadership Potential

Leadership development for a physician requires a comprehensive approach and lasts throughout his or her entire career. Hospitalist leaders can foster leadership in their organizations by proactively recruiting physicians with leadership potential.

To do this, first determine whether a candidate's skills and knowledge meet your organization's needs. A well-constructed interview enables you to evaluate attitude, self-image and social skills. The interview process should look below the surface to assess the candidate's motives, values and key personality traits.

Traits to look for in physician leaders include:

• Organizational agility
  
• Integrity values
  
• History of achievement
  
• Motivation
  
• Professional and personal goals
  
• Interpersonal and communication skills
  
• Ability to accept feedback and respond to coaching
  
• Leadership experience and potential

To target and develop leadership potential in a physician, the key is to start early. Immediately introduce physicians to the organization's goals, mission, vision and core values and discuss how these align with those of the physician.

By clarifying expectations, the developing physician leader will better understand how his or her skills will help to lead the organization in multiple ways: clinically, as a business enterprise and among peers and staff.

Ensure that up-and-coming hospitalist leaders understand the expectations and specific responsibilities related to their job description. Communication and ongoing feedback and support are essential and send the message that you want to nurture the careers of physician leaders. This helps to increase job satisfaction and retention.

Tip Nine: Sample Initiatives to Improve Physician Retention

Physician turnover not only drains time and resources due to the need to continually recruit new physicians but it can also result in increased stress, heavier workloads and decreased morale for physicians who remain on staff.

In an effort to address these challenges, many hospitals and physician practice groups are increasing their focus on physician retention initiatives:

• More intensive and longer orientation and mentoring programs
  
• Assignment of both a senior- and junior-level mentor to a new physician
  
• Increased family and spouse focus; intermittent social events throughout the first year
  
• Performance reviews at three, 12 and 24 months
  
• Retention committee and physician satisfaction team; three-year follow-up on all new physician hires
  
• Flexible work schedules and job sharing
  
• Increased contact with medical directors and leadership
  
• Concierge services
  
• Loan repayment and salary advances (five-year paybacks)
  
• Involvement of newer physicians in portions of the orientation or interviews processes
  
• Different bonus optiona - vacation or pay or a mixture or sabbaticals
  
• Interview for cultural fit
  
• Prior to hiring, contract with physician candidates for a one-week locum assignment (spouses and children come with a physician)
  
• Exit interviews with both human resources and the CEO

Tip Eight: How to Retain Great Hospitalists

Most physicians who leave their organizations do so in the first five years and often the decision to leave occurs within the first three to five months of employment.

Some examples of factors that lead to physician turnover include:

• Poor fit within the organization's culture
  
• Disappointment with compensation
  
• Pressure to see a higher-than-anticipated patient volume

From the initial interview, remember to set clear expectations about compensation and long-term goals, clinical performance and quality standards. Always provide realistic details about your hospital or health system's culture and seek feedback on the candidate's expectations and desires and objectively evaluate the match. Finally, invest in formalizing and implementing an effective retention program. A formal, written retention plan is essential to reducing turnover.

Note: In the face of physician shortages and increased patient demand, it can be difficult to objectively evaluate issues such as fit and long term expectations but securing the right hospitalist upfront will help save your facility time and money in the long run.

Tip Seven: Orientation for Hospitalists New to Your Program

Great news: You have successfully hired a hospitalist! Now it's time to ensure the newest addition to the staff understands the internal processes within your organization.

Whether the hospitalist has years of experience under his or her belt or is transitioning from a residency program, it is up to the hospitalist program to provide specific instruction on the organization's systems, processes and policies. Failure to adequately orient your new hospitalist to the program could lead to feelings of stress and alienation, reduced productivity and avoidable mistakes.

Elements of a strong and effective orientation program include:

• Implementation of a formalized training program to help the new hospitalist learn the ropes of your organization, making him or her feel more at ease in the new position.
  
• Introducing the new hospitalist to staff and arranging meetings between the hospitalist and the individuals with whom he or she will work closely.
  
• Creating a welcoming environment by inviting the new hospitalist to social events. It is important to include the new hospitalist’s significant other and/or family in part of the orientation, especially in cases where the physician/family has relocated to the community.

Tip Six: How to Close the Deal

Your hospitalist candidate has completed the on-site interview process and you've begun your wrap-up session. At this stage, it is best to provide the candidate with personal, direct and meaningful feedback.

Comments that you might incorporate into your closing conversation include the following:

• "We really like you and feel that the interview went very well."
  
• "We believe you'd be a tremendous fit for our hospitalist program."
  
• "Are there any issues that came up today that we should address?"
  
• What are your thoughts about the position and the organization?"

Closing the deal ultimately comes down to knowing your hospitalist candidate both professionally and personally. A physician is most likely to accept a position if it offers a better career path, a promotion or better lifestyle. Through candid conversations, you can learn about one's professional and personal goals and identify what opportunities your organization can provide over his or her current situation.

If the candidate portrays a positive attitude and likes the organization, position, salary and the community, you may want to ask, "If we were to make you an offer, what would you say?" If the candidate seems prepared to make the decision, you may want to cut and close. In that case, if you've done your reference checks, you’re home free.

Tip Five: Checking References

Although many healthcare organizations leave their reference checks until the end of the recruiting process, these checks may be among the most critical steps in hiring new physicians.

Reference letters from candidates provide helpful insights but they do not replace the need for in-depth telephone conferences with at least three sources that have knowledge of the candidate’s past clinical experience.

Consulting references early in the recruiting process is valuable not only because these individuals can alert you to potential trouble spots but also because they enrich the interview process and help you better understand the candidate's prior clinical and workplace experiences. They can also provide ideas about the areas on which to focus during the face-to-face interview.

Note: Leaving a reference check until the end of the process should occur only in cases in which there are extenuating circumstances and the candidate's confidentiality must be maintained.

Not all references are alike. Ideally, the references you interview should have recent experience with the candidate and have known him or her for at least a year in a professional capacity.

Once you've introduced yourself to the reference, give him or her only a brief description of the position for which the physician is applying. A "behavioral" interviewing style is effective when querying references. Try asking open-ended questions, such as:

• Can you please briefly describe the candidate's style and approach to making clinical decisions?
  
• What types of office or practice environments and cultures would be the most appropriate for this physician to excel?
  
• Please share any insight as to how the candidate comes across to patients.
  
• Would you feel comfortable having this physician treat a member of your family? Why?

Next, ask the reference to describe a particular situation in which the candidate exhibited certain qualities or behaviors.

While checking references, you may learn negative information about a candidate that may influence your opinion of him or her. However, you should not share this data with others, including the candidate. Doing so violates the confidentiality of the information the reference has shared. Sharing such information could also limit the effectiveness of securing candid assessments from this reference in the future.

Follow the rule of securing references before you interview and you will increase your ability to assess the hospitalist’s viability as a candidate and the likelihood for a good fit as a potential member of your team.

Tip Four: Recruiting to Win Spouse Approval

You think you've found the right match for your hospitalist position — the feedback from your interview team overwhelmingly points to one outstanding candidate and the position seems to meet the prospective employee's professional and personal goals. However, there is an important element missing that could derail the entire offer: Does the spouse support this job change?

One of the most common reasons that candidates will refuse a position is because their spouse is dissatisfied or unsure regarding factors related to the job. In fact, over 60% of offers are rejected specifically because of the spouses' concerns.

During the evaluation process, be sensitive to personal and professional needs of the candidate's family, particularly when the position involves relocation.

Beyond salary and incentives, "quality of life" in the community and location are important. Considerations may also include:

• Career opportunities for the spouse
  
• Residential areas
  
• Education
  
• Religious institutions
  
• Recreational facilities
  
• Cultural and sporting activities

When recruiting a candidate, assure the spouse that he or she will be an integral part of the interview process. Learn about the spouse's professional and personal interests and then prepare an itinerary for the candidate's family.

While you're under no obligation to find a spouse employment, you could set up courtesy interviews with some potential employers, churches, schools and real estate offices. By addressing the spouse's particular needs and desires, you can emphasize key factors of the position that help to engage them and win their acceptance.

Tip Three: Screening Candidates to Ensure the Best Fit

Screening a hospitalist candidate goes beyond reviewing a resume and performing the necessary background and reference checks. It is also important to consider whether the candidate is a good "fit" for your organization. For example, does he or she share the majority of the organization's work styles, philosophies and goals?

When assessing whether a candidate is a good fit, first you must candidly consider the style of your department and organization. Address questions such as:

• Does the organization value individual performance or team play?
  
• Is the organization's style loose or structured with regard to schedules, coverage, etc.?
  
• How social is the department and organization?
  
• Does the position entail taking risks or it more suited to a cautious hospitalist?
  
• How much value does the organization place on saving money and improving the bottom line?

Next, develop a checklist of all of the qualities you are seeking in a hospitalist. Begin by addressing the following questions:

• Do you need a team player or an independent performer?
  
• Do you want a physician who will stay for 20 years or for five?
  
• Are community involvement and civic contributions important?
  
• What does the candidate's background tell you about his or her ability to fit in with your organization?

While there is no fail-safe method for assessing candidates, a careful appraisal of your organization coupled with a detailed exploration of a candidate’s personal and professional goals will help you better determine if he or she is a good match.

Tip Two: Managing the On-site Interview

You have poured over countless curriculum vitae, narrowed down the best hospitalist candidates and now it's time to invite them for an on-site interview. What do you do now?

To start, the interview itinerary should be sent to the candidate a week in advance. This allows the candidate to review the itinerary and get a familiarity with the process.

Remember that first impressions count. The manner in which you conduct the on-site interview sends a clear message to the candidate about your organization. Upon arrival, the prospective employee should be greeted and escorted by a designated interview team member during the course of the interview. The interview team needs to be well-organized and set aside plenty of time to spend with the candidate.

Always conduct interviews with a wrap-up session that allows the candidate to address any issues or unanswered questions. If he or she wants the position afterward, your efforts have been successful.

Tip One: How to Find Quality Candidates

With over 25 years of experience, we have quite a lot of tips we freely share when recruiting a physician. We will be posting one of our 2006 top ten physician recruitment tips once a day, and then follow up with a quick round up. We hope you find these tips useful in your hospitalist recruitment. For more information about recruiting and retaining physicians, go to http://www.cejkasearch.com/ or call 800/678-7858.

Top Ten Recruitment Tips 2006
Tip One: How to Find Quality Candidates

Are you experiencing the recruitment blues? As hospital medicine programs grow increasingly competitive and the nationwide physician shortage becomes more severe, finding quality candidates in today's market can be particularly challenging.

The successful recruitment of star hospitalists requires careful thought and execution through an organized search plan. However, a quarter of all organizations surveyed do not define what they are looking for in candidates before they begin searching.

First, engage senior leadership to help you define the core competencies (skills, motivations and behaviors) of the position you are seeking to fill. Senior leadership can provide direction regarding the organization's goals, which can then guide you in orchestrating a recruitment process.

There are both short- and long-term organizational goals to consider and they span multiple areas including:

• Clinical
• Operational
• Financial
• Cultural

Finding the right physician to match your organization's expectations requires sensitivity to factors inherent in the position. For example, the greater the number of responsibilities of a position, the smaller the pool of candidates with the desired personal and professional qualifications will be.

Determining how a position fits your organization's needs, critiquing the specifications and job descriptions and ensuring that your team is properly trained to interview candidates can help your organization more successfully recruit top-quality hospitalists that fit well into your organization.