Time Is Money
With February being the shortest month of the year, it has us thinking about time and how important that can be in the world of recruiting.
As a contingency recruiting firm, we get asked one question more than any other: how quickly can we present candidates? We’re proud to say that we are able to present candidates in less than 30 days to 90% of our clients. But, despite that quick turnaround, it’s how quickly the hiring manager responds to those presentations that makes the biggest difference in whether or not the candidate moves forward.
After we’ve presented a candidate, it’s up to the hiring manager to review their CV and decide whether they want to move forward or not. We try to make the decision as easy as possible by including a summary of the candidate’s motivations and personality along with their CV, as well as concisely highlighting all of the most relevant information in an easy-to-read email. It should take about 10 minutes to review a candidate’s summary and CV but, often times, we’re left sending follow-up emails days - sometimes even weeks - after the presentation has been sent.
As healthcare providers receive upwards of 10 notifications about job openings every day (and for physicians that can be much higher), we recommend that presentations are reviewed and responded to within 24-48 hours. Anything longer and there’s a good chance the candidate will have already moved forward with another opportunity or they will no longer be interested due to lack of communication dampening their enthusiasm for the role. Delaying a response on a candidate presentation not only means the loss of the candidate, but will also reflect negatively on the practice and can impact future hiring options.
When trying to recruit a new nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician, time really is money. Being responsive and keeping the candidate engaged is paramount to the success of the search. A 24-48 hour turnaround on a candidate presentation will ensure that the candidate stays engaged and that your practice will have an opportunity to secure a great new employee.