Don’t Do This on Your Next Interview

Interviewing for any job requires a few steps, and most of the time the early steps in the interview process determine if you continue to move forward.  While many of the optometrists and ophthalmologists we speak with understand that they need to “sell” themselves, others jump right to questions or make statements that will leave us or any potential employer wondering if we should even waste our time moving forward.

Here are some common examples of things that end your chances of moving forward in the interview process with an eye care practice.

1. Not showing a spark of excitement and interest.  You have to do more than say things.  A great attitude and personality will get you everywhere.  Monotone and uninterested will end it before it even starts.  Everyone is saying they have great patient rapport, strong communication, and that all their patients love them.  Skills can be taught, personality and attitude cannot.

2. Trying to negotiate compensation during the phone interview. While many eye care companies, groups, and practices may have set compensation models, I assure you that if you are really worth it, they will be willing to negotiate the package.  However, they will not and cannot do this without first meeting you in person and thoroughly understanding you and how you may fit into the organization. 

3. Leading with a list of 20 questions regarding the practices history, current staff tenure, compensation model, if they will pay for interview travel, copy of fee schedule, etc. The point of the phone interview is threefold: make basic introductions, share a summary of the practice opportunity, and communicate why you should be interviewed in person.  Phone interviews lead to face to face interviews.  Face to face interviews are where all the details are shared with you.

4. Complaining about the poor ethics or criminal acts of your current/previous employer(s).  We have all had poor experiences at some point in our careers.  However, you have to craft a professional response as to why those previous employers were not right for you.  We have interviewed doctors who stated ethical concerns with multiple past employers.  It is hard to believe that reason won't be used for the next, and we start to think the problem is the doctor, not the practice.

5. Making your current economic situation the practice’s problem.  Interview for the job.  Help the practice owner understand why you are the best associate for the practice by focusing on your skills and how you will benefit the practice.  Don’t tell the owner you need a job because you need money.  That does not show long-term commitment.  It just shows you need a paycheck to get by right now.

Personality-Focused Interviewing

Have you made the decision that it's time to hire a new associate? While skills and experience are important as you plan for a new employee, the right chemistry or personality can make or break your team. Before starting the interviews, it's important to define the atmosphere of your practice and look for personalities that will fit in easily and enhance that atmosphere.

Go in to the interview with the goal of discovering a true sense of the potential new associate's personality by allowing your own personality to be seen. Make the interview more of a conversation rather than an interrogation. "You put people on guard if you ask them to reveal something about themselves but don't give them anything in return," says Jonathan Basker, a vice president at Betaworks, a New York-based company that builds social web companies. He recommends acting natural and opening up to interviewees about yourself and your practice. As the conversation flows, encourage questions about yourself or your practice from the potential hire.

Have a good idea of what personality type your practice needs to run smoothly. Are you looking for someone serious or fun-loving? Are you open to different cultures? "To find the right people for your company, your hiring process needs to give each candidate an opportunity to showcase their personality. Creating that level of comfort is a matter of knowing what you want and establishing trust," says Nadia Goodman, contributor to Entrepreneur.com (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225852#ixzz2PvdwHBj3).

Your goal is to find a match, so the right person will be comfortable with the challenges they'll face and excited about the opportunities. "Let them know it's okay if you're not looking for the same thing," Basker says. "That permission lets them show a real version of themselves."

Employer Branding: The Key to Recruiting Star Candidates

There are jobs and there are dream jobs—the roles at organizations that you aspire to join. Maybe they make a product or service that you love, maybe they have an amazing corporate culture in which you know you could thrive, or maybe they have a mission statement which you could really believe in. If given the opportunity you would drop everything, move across the country and even take a pay cut just to get your foot in the door—and as an employer there is no better position to be in.

     Google is already one of those places—ranked as the best place to work by FORTUNE magazine in four of the last seven years—yet even they have turned to what some would call extreme means to further that devotion to their employer brand. A recent movie, The Internship, which takes place at Google headquarters, showcases the company’s legendary Mountain View, CA campus and corporate culture, complete with hazing, scary managers and wild goose-chasing pranks. While the movie makes light of the highly sought-after Google internship, it was seen by executives as a good way to further expose the company's "do-no-evil" culture and get more potential candidates interested in technology, computers, and ultimately becoming “Googlers." That such a highly sought after employer still sees the need to go to such lengths highlights the need for branding to attract top candidates in today’s economic climate.

     Locating exceptional talent continues to be an ongoing challenge, particularly in the executive and managerial space. Growing companies recognize the necessity of expanding resources and leadership to remain competitive, however the talent pool is competitive among mid-to-high-level executives and top candidates often need to be recruited out of current roles. Although recent unemployment data suggests a slow rebound of the overall U.S. economy due to an employer-driven market, the unemployment rate for this sector is considerably lower than general unemployment— 3.5 percent versus 7.3 percent in May. In May of 2012 those rates were 4.0 percent versus 7.9 percent, indicating that the job market in the executive recruitment space is increasingly employee-driven, making branding essential to entice A-players.

     "When it comes to post-recession recruitment efforts, where companies are focused on finding the best candidates, branding is more important than ever in the search process," says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork. "A concerted effort to communicate clear messaging about the company’s culture, mission, products and services, both internally and externally is key in attracting the right people. Essentially, recruitment begins well before positions are even posted."

     Considering Google's market recognition in the technology arena, its participation in the movie underscores the organization’s insight into the technology talent pool where unemployment is lower than in other industries and the number of star candidates for potential hire is smaller. "Google’s awareness of the value of employer branding proves that even large, renowned companies must be tireless and innovative in their efforts to create, maintain and promote a corporate culture that is appealing to multiple audiences including exceptional candidates, investors and the public," says Romaine.
Since 2003, he notes, employment in the IT industry has grown by 37 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), during the recent recession, the industry lost only 1 percent of its workforce in 2009, but otherwise maintained employment. By 2010, employment had recovered and was higher than it had been in 2008.

     How should companies develop branding initiatives and maximize these efforts for recruitment purposes? “First the organization has to be honest about its corporate culture and create brand messaging based on this premise, not the brand that it aspires to be," says Romaine. "Second, the company should identify and promote differentiating factors that separate it from industry competitors – qualities that will not only be attractive to the general public or investors, but incoming talent as well. Third, the business must constantly assess whether public perception of the company matches the corporate imaging and messaging that are being communicated."

     At the end of the day, employer branding and recruitment must go hand-in-hand to attract impact player candidates. Whether it’s for an internship or a senior-level position, company imaging and messaging are increasingly major components of the hiring process, helping ensure that employers locate talent that will not only fulfill job requirements, but will also be a good match with the company culture.

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."