With the emergence of employer comment websites like Glassdoor.com and Vault.com that encourage insider feedback under the protection of anonymity, it’s easy to figure out what makes some medical recruiters successful and what makes others a cautionary tale.
We’re happy to say that RTG Medical fares pretty well on these sites, but you can still learn from others’ mistakes. Here’s a roundup of some of the common don’ts of medical recruiting–important things to know if you’re considering a job in the field:
- Don’t be unnresponsive. One complaint that comes up over and over is that recruiters don’t return calls, acknowledge emails or respond to communications. Alternatively, some complaints say that bad recruiters beat down the door when an assignment needs to be filled, but become inaccessable once the traveler is on assignment. A good recruiter will be a conduit for all communications, and will always be accessible.
- Don’t withhold information. “Withholding information” is a more subtle way of saying that someone is being dishonest. Travelers acknowledge that recruiters can’t possibly know or foresee every little hiccup that may be present during an assignment, but they also get frustrated when recruiters withhold information intentionally. This works to no one’s benefit, so be sure to always be up front.
- Don’t be inflexible. If a medical traveler asks you to communicate via texts and emails and you constantly call that traveler on his or her cell phone, or if a candidate tells you his or her paperwork will be filled out and sent in two days and you get annoyed after 24 hours, you might not be flexible enough. Travelers have good reasons for setting parameters, and you should respect those requests. Be flexible to avoid any bad situations.
- Don’t disregard travelers’ preferences. This is a big one. When a traveler is very specific about his or her preferences like duration of assignment, location, or other particulars, those preferences are more than just details. Most travelers are open to opportunities that are close to their benchmarks, but if you completely disregard their criteria and your assignments are off the mark, don’t expect good things. Instead, be respectful of travelers’ preferences and do everything you can to make sure those preferences are filled.
- Don’t be aloof. As a recruiter, you’ll get to know the medical professionals assigned to you pretty quickly. But if you’re indifferent and unfriendly, travelers won’t feel comfortable with you and contacting you when there’s a problem. So don’t be aloof. If you’re warm and friendly, you’ll foster good relationships with your travelers, which is good for everyone involved.
By learning some of the common mistakes that recruiters make, you can be more prepared coming into a new position, or even improve your work if you’re already working as a medical recruiter.
Have any other tips on dos or don’ts of being a recruiter? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!
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photo credit: The Rocketeer via photopin cc
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