Over time we have developed best practices on how medical management professionals can work most effectively with their Recruiter to achieve not only a successful job placement, but also an efficient and rewarding experience for all. In a recently published paper entitled “Working with Medical Management Recruiters” we outlined the top five best practices most critical to a healthy Candidate-Recruiter relationship. Below we expand on the second item addressed, “Embrace Open and Honest Communication.” Download the full white paper to read more about these 5 key ingredients to successfully working with a specialized Recruiter.
You have to tell the Recruiter everything that might be relevant to your search, including things that you think may hinder your prospects. Be brutally honest and drag all the skeletons out of the closet, such as a layoff, an unexpected termination, any criminal or legal action against you, or other disciplinary action on your professional healthcare license. It is not an easy thing to do, but anything that may eventually come back to haunt you needs to be discussed. The Recruiter is not there to judge you for a blot on your past, but to coach you on navigating the “if, when, and how” of any required disclosure to the employer, both initially and throughout the interview process. Simply put, you must disclose everything to your Recruiter if you want things to end well.
A few years ago we had an experienced RN Prior Authorizations Supervisor in process for a Manager of Utilization Review position. As a Certified Professional in Utilization Management (CPUM) with nearly 5 years in this role at another Managed Care Organization, she was an excellent match for this Manager opportunity with a growing Health Plan. As part of our regular process we review prior positions and discuss in detail the cause for transitions between jobs. Although she was clearly hesitant, our candidate did the right thing and shared that she had been terminated from the job she had prior to her current position.
After further discussion it turned out that there had been a complete overhaul of key leaders, including her direct manager, who wanted to bring in their own staff. Since those circumstances were out of the candidate’s control, our Recruiter was able to coach her on when and how best to disclose that info during the interview and consideration process. In her case it was both a required statement on her administrative paperwork with HR, and a verbal discussion with the hiring manager on her first in person interview. Furthermore, her Recruiter went the extra mile and had already secured 2 management level references from that employer which spoke highly of the candidate. We were able to immediately present those to our client and resolve any concerns the hiring manager had, before they became an issue. Had she not discussed this in advance with her Recruiter, she might have been caught by surprise during the interview and may not have presented the issue in the best possible light. Due to the open dialogue she had with her Recruiter, she was successfully hired as the Manager of Utilization Management, and two years later she is still happily employed there.
For more tips and information, or to engage one of CareNational’s Medical Management Recruiters, contact us at 1.800.974.4828, email us at contact@carenational.com, or visit us at CareNational.com.