Negotiating Your Offer

So you made it through the interviews and reference checks and finally landed a concrete offer. Not quite what you were hoping for? Take a deep breath. It is time to negotiate.

In my experience, optometrists and ophthalmologists are not generally the best negotiators. Negotiating makes many of us uncomfortable. Most would prefer to just “take it or leave it” rather than stumbling into an awkward battle of wills. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be like that. What is awkward personally is an integral part of the business world. Most practice owners understand this and expect you to work with them to structure a win-win situation.

So how do you do that? Here are a few tips:

First, be sure to keep your discourse upbeat but professional. It is important to let them know that you are enthusiastic about the offer. You do not want your hesitation to accept to come across as a rejection of them or their practice. Keep in mind that they aren’t professional negotiators either. Though cliché, it’s not personal, it’s just business.

Second, do your research. How much should you expect to earn?  Research the average compensation for your experience level, type of practice you'll be joining, etc. Be familiar with the terminology and common negotiable points of the contact.

Third, know your absolutes before you start. This is different than setting your goals. You need to make a personal decision about what you absolutely need. If the final contract doesn’t reach this standard, you must commit to yourself that you will walk away. It may be tempting to change your absolutes, but how realistic is it that you could be happy working under a contract that you resented from the start?

Fourth, make it clear that you want to achieve a “Win-Win” situation. Just as you don’t want to settle for less, you need to hear out the other side. Allow them to justify their approach. Ask for details to support their argument. The more they talk, the easier it will be to uncover their real objections. Are they worried that you are being paid too much or are they really just worried that you won’t be able to handle the load? Is that reasonable or do they just not have the patients? 

Fifth, hold firm to what is important but don’t be immovable. If they didn’t think you were worth it, you wouldn’t have an offer in hand. There is nothing wrong with drawing a hard line and letting them propose alternatives. Just be sure to make it clear that you would consider concessions. Then, if they are willing to make a concession, you need to be prepared to concede as well.

Sixth, be prepared to walk away. Some things just weren’t meant to be. If there is absolute deadlock and you were not able to achieve your absolutes, it may be time to step out of the process.  Be sure to be gracious. Don’t burn any bridges. The dental community is too small for that.

Finally, get it in writing. Once you have agreed to terms, be sure that those terms are clearly spelled out in the final contract. 

I hope that these tips will help you form a solid foundation on which to build the next stage of your career. Please feel free to contact the recruiters at ETS Vision if you have any questions or for more tips on lining up your dream job.

Good, or Amazing?

“A company is only as good as the people it keeps.”-Mary Kay Ash

We all know how important it is to have a happy staff. It shows in productivity, retaining patients, and referrals. When the staff is happy, patients are happy.

A major key to keeping a happy staff is being an amazing boss. So what does it take to be an amazing boss? Inc.com recently posted an article, 10 Things Really Amazing Bosses Do, on the subject that offers some points to help you determine if you are just a good boss, or if you are amazing.

Where do you rank? Are you good, or amazing? What would your staff say? If you are an amazing boss, what are some other areas that make you stand out from others? We would love to hear how you set yourself apart.

Contributed by Tiffany Worstell, Vision Staff Recruiter- Nationwide. To Contact Tiffany, call 540-491-9112, or email at tworstell@etsvision.com.

Job Hunt Tips for New Optometry Graduates

Congratulations! Many of you have graduated, or you are preparing for the big day. Optometry students are graduating in May/June, and Optometry Residents will be completing their programs in June/July. It is an exciting time. New jobs, possible relocation, and the beginning of a whole new life doing what you love to do.

If you are fortunate and have already found a great opportunity, that's great. Many future doctors, however, are still on the hunt. As an independent recruiter, who specializes solely in the eye care industry (www.etsvision.com), I want to share with you some tips you may not hear often or at all.

Tips to consider:

1. Be open minded.  Optometry is not the same as it was just 5 or 10 years ago, and it definitely is not the same as it was 15+ years ago.  Group practices are more common than solo optometrist offices, and a shear minority of new graduates start or buy practices immediately after graduation.
2. Don't base your decision only on what you hear from classmates.  It is great to bounce ideas and experiences off of each other, but here are a few points.  First, you are all in the same boat and have limited experience with what is out there in the job market.  Second, after graduation you are going in all sorts of different directions.  What doctors experience in New England are different than what you would experience in Texas.
3. Look at areas one or more hours outside of major cities.  Go suburban or rural. You will find some great opportunities with successful private practices. I speak with a large of number practice owners in these areas who are looking for new doctors interested in future ownership. Their practices are well established and continue to grow, but they really need an associate to keep up the pace. The challenge for these practices is their ability to promote the opportunity due to doctors not actually looking in these locations.
4. Contracts require negotiation.  When you get an offer it will come with a contract (most likely).  I would almost guarantee that it will not be 100% what you are looking for.  Don't just turn it down.  If the practice is what you want, and you have developed a good rapport with the owner (manager) you must ask for what you want.  Negotiating, however, is not one sided and you will have to give a little to get a little.  Compromise!

Only Hiring for Today Won’t Prepare Organizations for Tomorrow

In April of 1860, the Pony Express made its first delivery from St. Joseph, MO to San Francisco, CA. It took ten days to make the trip and cost $5—in current day dollars more than $225—to mail half an ounce. More than 115 years later, a series of deregulations allowed private carriers to ship packages by air and for the first time deliver them to and from all of the 48 contiguous states. In 1981, FedEx introduced Overnight Letters throughout the U.S. and in 1985 UPS followed suite with its Next Day Air service.

This new speed of delivery came about at the same time as Toyota Motor Company’s new supply chain philosophy was coming to the attention of Western manufacturers. Just-in-Time supply chains eliminated waste by only receiving the product that was immediately needed, saving warehousing costs and other waste related to buying product before it was needed. Reliable express shipping was critical to keep Just-in-Time systems working though since one critical shipment being a day late could bring an assembly line to a standstill and defeat all of the process’s benefits.

Reducing waste is an ongoing battle in every organization. In the past several years, reducing human capital costs specifically has gotten a renewed level of scrutiny. The recession prompted many organizations to move once manual tasks into automated systems providing long-term cost savings. Other organizations added more contract staffing to their employee mix adding flexibility and reduced scaling costs. Still other organizations have taken another tack and whether consciously or only in effect, have moved their staffing strategies to a Just-in-Time philosophy.

“In this economy, companies continue to focus on cost containment, and one of the easiest way to keep costs low is to leave vacant positions unfilled and limit the creation of new positions until there is no other option,” says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork. “They feel that they are saving money as long as these positions are left open. But, when the need is truly urgent, there is no overnight option.”

In February, there were 3.9 million job openings in the U.S., the highest number openings since May 2008, but in March only 88,000 new jobs were filled.

Whereas it is easy to predict when a part or component will arrive—all package carriers today have detailed tracking features—when a new vice president of sales or director of operations will be hired, on boarded, and begin operating at full speed is a much looser science.

“Working with an industry expert recruiter will both reduce the time to hire and help find people who will be up to full speed faster. But, that time is still at minimum several weeks and potentially several months,” says Romaine. “If the employee is already needed, those weeks and months are going to turn into a time when either customers are underserved, existing staff is overworked, or both, which costs far more than is saved.”

The shift is that employers by and large stopped looking at their business and their pipelines to project the need for more staff several months down the line. Instead they wait until the growth has already materialized to hire the staff needed to service that growth. Deciding in May that more staff will be needed in August creates enough time for top candidates to be recruited and onboarded before the additional capacity is needed.

“Using solutions like contract staffing adds agility to workforce management and we have seen it being used increasingly in recent years,” notes Romaine. “But workforce planning isn’t a short term endeavor. In the big picture, hiring someone a few weeks or even months before they are needed is a small price to pay to ensure you have the talent when you need it. Business leaders need to be able act on what they see on the horizon even when they know their vision isn’t perfect."

Potential Hiring Red Flags for Optometry and Ophthalmology Practices

We interview thousands of optometrists, ophthalmologists, and eye care staff applicants each year, and we look through at least three times as many resumes.  Many have glaring red flags and some are so subtle that asking more questions or investigating is required.

Here is a list of job candidate red flags:  

• Didn't submit a current resume. 
• Will only discuss duties and responsibilities, not achievements. 
• Does not provide relevant references upon request. 
• Will not provide salary information. 
• Has unrealistic salary expectations. 
• Will not sign a consent to release background information. 
• Is unrealistic about expectations for the next opportunity. 
• Will not call back at designated times. 
• ‘Disappears’ for a period of time. 
• Is currently unemployed. 
• Has been unemployed for long periods. 
• Has made rapid job changes. 
• Changes not just from job to job, but title to title, or industry to industry. 
• Gives no specifics on reasons for leaving. 
• Suddenly wants to move far from an area that has been home for many years
• Has a consistent reason for leaving – has a ‘pattern.’ 
• Appears to make poor/illogical career moves. 
• Has weak references. 
• Has low educational qualifications as compared to the norm. 
• Will only provide dates of employment in years. 
• Becomes angry when asked a specific, legitimate question. 
• Changes tone/presentation during the interview. 
• Is hesitant to respond to your questions. 
• Does not respond consistently to interview questions. 
• Has no idea of his or her next career step. 
• Suddenly brings up family/personal issues that would prevent accepting an offer. 
• Resume shows no progressive growth or mobility. 
• You feel you have to be ‘nice’ to candidate to get a response or to receive paperwork.
• Once offer is made, keeps trying to negotiate more and more changes.

Let us know if you have any to add or comments.

Blowing Smoke

We all know the effects that cigarette smoking has on a person; it has been shown for years in the media.  We have seen the yellowing teeth, bad breath, wrinkles, and probably know individuals that have had even more detrimental health issues stemming from the activity.  More and more, smoking is being banned in public places and employers are following suit.  So what does this mean for your practice?

Can I legally not hire smokers?

A number of employers have gone on record announcing that they will not hire smokers. And, while this sounds as if it the company is promoting a culture of wellness, it can be construed as discrimination.  In fact, there are twenty nine states and the District of Columbia that have protection in place for smokers; below is a list of the states as reported by the American Lung Association. 

■California ■Colorado ■Connecticut ■District of Columbia ■Illinois ■Indiana ■Kentucky ■Louisiana ■Maine ■Minnesota

■Mississippi ■Missouri ■Montana ■Nevada ■New Hampshire ■New Jersey ■New Mexico ■New York ■North Carolina ■North Dakota

■Oklahoma ■Oregon ■Rhode Island ■South Carolina ■South Dakota ■Tennessee ■Virginia ■West Virginia ■Wisconsin ■Wyoming

If you are hiring in these states, it is illegal to base your decision to hire, or not to hire, simply on if the candidate is a smoker. You can, however, choose not to hire a candidate based on other, legal, factors.   Frankly, you may miss out of some great talent by limiting the pool based upon if the candidate smokes as the single factor as the CDC found that 19% of all American adults were smokers in 2010.

What can I do as an employer?

As an employer, it is within your right to ban smoking on your property.  While this will not stop the smokers completely, it will deter the activity on company time and in front of your patients.

It is also worthwhile to look into cessation plans for your employees.  If your practice currently offers an EAP (Employee Assistance Program), look into the benefits that it provides and encourage your staff to take advantage of the services.  

Another option to consider is a having cessation program available. The American Lung Association endorses its own program, Freedom From Smoking, as an option for employers to provide to their staff; it allows the employee different options to cater to their own lifestyle such as online support, a hotline, and one on one support.  For more information, check out this site: Freedom From Smoking.

With the right resources and encouragement; you can make a difference in promoting a smoke free workplace while retaining quality staff.  Monitor the results of your efforts and listen to the feedback of the staff members.  It is possible to have a happy, healthy staff.  A happy staff is a productive staff; and that is not just “blowing smoke.”  

Contributed by Tiffany Worstell, Eye Care Staff Recruiter at ETS Vision. To Contact Tiffany, call 540-491-9112, or email at tworstell@etsvision.com

Managing Return on Human Capital

When a factory is providing its maximum return on capital it is easy to see. A third shift needs to be added, the loading dock is constantly nearing capacity with product before the trucks come to take it away, and inputs are arriving just in time to be put into production.

Return on human capital, though, requires a different perspective and analysis because of how malleable that capital is. A hydroforming aluminum press that is set up to manufacture parts of a monocoque automotive chassis cannot put out a different product without significant retooling that could take days. Humans are quite different. A senior in-house legal counsel can just open a different document and suddenly be doing the work of a paralegal--yet at several times the hourly cost. If this scenario were occurring regularly across sales, marketing, development, and operations roles, everyone at the managerial level would appear to be busy, working at capacity, yet the company would be operating well below the potential return on capital.

"During the recession, asking people to absorb other roles and make do with lower staffing levels helped to trim budgets and survive in lean times," says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork. "Nearly three years after the end of the recession, though, employers are hiring throughout their organizations, and there are nearly 3.7 million current job openings."

The highest job opening rate is in the professional and business sector where there is one job opening for every 27 workers currently employed, in contrast to one opening for every 33 healthcare workers or one for every 50 construction workers. Considering that the unemployment rate for management, professional and related occupation professionals is 3.8 percent, or one in 26, the sector is essentially near full employment.

"Maximizing your return on investment when it comes to professional talent today isn't a matter of how lean you can run the organization, but rather how effectively you are utilizing your top talent," notes Romaine. “This has been one of the largest shifts in talent demand this year. Managers aren't just looking at the capabilities they can add to their organization, but how to add talent that will let their talent reach their highest potential,” says Romaine.

While in a simple way this might mean freeing top producers of the responsibilities that distract from them doing what they do best, Romaine says it can also involve a more nuanced approach.

"A lone wolf could do amazing things, yet appear to be peaking in their performance. By bringing in someone on a similar level but with a different background, a manager can help to spark the rigorous debate and examination that allows a once plateaued performer to continue to grow and do their best work," says Romaine.

When talking about an organization's top performers, though, the conversation inevitably has to return to not just how to develop them, but how to retain them. A recent survey by the American Management Association showed that more than a third of employers are expecting turnover to increase in the coming year, while less than 20 percent of those employers feel they are well prepared for that turnover.

“Top talent is driven by success, their ability to have a positive impact on their organization, and the potential to continue to grow," says Romaine. "Building out teams that help top talent to grow is vital to increasing job satisfaction at a time when finding experienced replacements is becoming increasingly difficult. But helping your best people to work better also directly improves your return on human capital.”