Hiring an Associate Optometrist or Ophthalmologist Who Requires Visa Sponsorship

Long a part of medical doctor staffing, optometrists and ophthalmologists requiring visa sponsorship have come to represent a much larger segment of the available work force. Often these associate candidates bring extensive training and geographic flexibility that is not easily found in the domestic applicant pool. Also, they often offer a longer-term associate solution, as the visa process discourages the kind of “job-hopping” that is more routine with traditional early career optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Whether a practice is considering sponsoring a new Visa or transferring an existing Visa, the process is not as intimidating as it may appear. Our friend Ken Gauvey of The Law Practice of Ken C. Gauvey (http://www.gauveylaw.com/) provides the following overview of the Visa sponsorship process from the employer’s perspective. For more information or to consult with an immigration lawyer, please contact Ken Gauvey at www.gauveylaw.com.

Hiring Doctors in the Era of Health Care Shortages

The U.S. faces a national shortage of doctors. In fact, the Association of American Medical Colleges released a report indicating that the U.S. shortage of qualified physicians is at 20,000 now with half of the nation’s doctors being over the age of 50. As a result, that shortage, even before the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. A study in the Annals of Family Medicine projects that the country will need 52,000 more primary care physicians by 2025. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, only one in five graduating medical residents plan to go into primary care. In the face of this shortage, it is clear that hospitals in the U.S. will have to rely more on qualified foreign doctors to fill this gap.

Unfortunately, the means to hire foreign nationals are limited and complex. In general, when hiring a foreign national doctor, the immigration timeline follows a predetermined schedule. In many cases, a doctor will need a J-1 waiver, followed by an H-1B visa, followed by some form of permanent residency sponsorship. Doctors who come to the U.S. to finish their studies commit to a two-year period of practicing medicine in their home country. The J-1 waiver is required to waive that two-year commitment. In exchange, those doctors agree to work for three years in the U.S. in a medically underserved area. However, once the waiver is approved, the doctor still needs an H-1B visa to actually work in the U.S.

The J-1 Waivers are limited. At present, each state only gets 30 of them. Moreover, each state has its own processes and procedures developed by the state department of health in place to determine who gets one of the waivers. Some states require the putative employer to demonstrate six months of recruiting efforts. Other states have few actually requirements outside of an application. Some states process the waivers at no cost to the employer; others have large fees associated with waiver requests. Having knowledgeable counsel who is familiar with the requirements for multiple states is of significant benefit to the employer. Once the state approves the request, the U.S. Department of State has to approve it. This process generally takes six to ten weeks. Following this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through USCIS provides the final approval.

Concurrent with the review, the employer can file for the H-1B, which is the visa that actually allows the doctor to work. With premium processing, the H-1B can be approved, along with the final waiver, two to three weeks after the Department of State issues its approval. The H-1B is valid for three years, and permits one three year extension. During this period, the employer has to make a determination on whether to sponsor the employee for permanent residency.

There are many ways to obtain permanent residency through an employment relationship. The two most prominent ways are the National Interest Waiver (NIW), and Labor Certification. If a doctor subject agrees to work for five years (two in addition to the typical J-1 service requirement) in a medically underserved area, the doctor can immediately apply for a NIW. Additionally, assuming an immigrant visa is immediately available; the physician can also file for permanent residence, though the final approval of permanent residence is granted only upon proof of five years of service. An additional benefit afforded by the NIW and concurrent application for permanent residence is that the immediate family of the physician may apply for work authorization. Moreover, this process avoids the Labor Certification process which is time consuming and expensive.

The Labor Certification process requires the employer to conduct a specific test of the labor market to determine whether there are any qualified, ready, willing and able U.S. physicians to fill the position. The employer must conduct, at minimum, a two month recruiting effort using methods dictated by the U.S. Department of Labor. The employer must conduct a good faith recruiting campaign using five different types of recruitment efforts such as newspaper advertisements, web advertisements, etc. The employer has to interview minimally qualified candidates and if one candidate meets the qualifications the Labor Certification process fails. Therefore, this process requires an in depth review of the job description, and strict adherence to the regulatory requirements for the recruiting campaign. At the end of the recruiting effort, assuming no minimally qualified candidates are found, the employer, through their attorney, can file the Labor Certification application asking the DOL to certify the position. The DOL can request an audit, approve or deny the application, or have the employer redo the recruitment process under DOL supervision. Once approved, the employer can file the employment-based visa application. Following approval of the visa, and the completion of the three-year waiver requirement, the doctor can then file for permanent residency, subject only to the per country limitations in this process.

The process for hiring foreign national doctors is complex, but manageable with competent legal counsel. Employers should not shy away from engaging in this process especially as the shortage of doctors in this country continues to grow. However, employers do need to know the options when seeking to hire doctors who are subject to the J visa requirements. Competent legal counsel can manage the J waiver process and the H-1B process; and provide legal guidance throughout the Labor Certification process; and can prepare the remaining immigration filings. Therefore, while hiring doctors can be complex, employers cannot afford to shy away from the process in this era of health care shortage.

For more information or to consult with an immigration lawyer, please contact Ken Gauvey at www.gauveylaw.com.

Electronic Cover Letters

Attached you will find my resume. I have 7 years of Medical Receptionist experience but no dental office experience.  I read that you need to have dental office experience and I don not have that but still feel that I would be a good choice for the job. Thank you for looking at my resume.

Writing a cover letter can be tough.  However, it is an important to getting your foot in the door.  Above is a cover letter that I recently received.  Yes, that is it, spelling error and all.  Honestly, I did not even open this individual’s resume, but it did get me thinking about what other individuals need to do to improve their chances at getting the attention of a potential employer.

In this day and time, the cover letter is especially crucial since communication is electronic.  When your resume is an attachment, this is your first chance to make an impression on a potential employer.  Unless you are copying and pasting your resume into the emails, which I do not recommend, your resume is not staring the reader in the face.

So, what can you do to stand out and get the reader’s attention?

First, address the reader.  Now, in this person’s defense, she was applying to a blind ad.  She could have, however, addressed the email to the hiring manager or with a “Dear Doctor”.

Next, let the reader know which position you are interested in.  They could have more than one opportunity available.

Then, focus on the positives.  The phrase that jumps out at me in this letter is “no dental office experience” a requirement for the position.  She even goes on to say that she read that it is a requirement.  Focus on what you have. 

A few other points to hit on in the body of this email, spell out simple numbers.  Spell check is a wonderful thing-use it.

Finally, there is no way to contact this individual in the email.  What if the attachment does not work?  Always, always, always include contact information! 

Below is a simple letter that would have made a much better impact for the job seeker.

Dear Doctor or Hiring Manager,

Attached you will find my resume for the opening you have available for a dental receptionist.  I have seven years of experience working in the medical field as a receptionist.  I am computer savvy and have strong customer service skills; I believe that my skills would transfer well into your practice and would welcome the chance to interview for your opening.  Please feel free to call me at (xxx)xxx-xxxx if you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to meet.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Your Name

A few extra minutes and minimal work can mean the difference between your resume getting deleted or you scoring the interview.  Take your time!  Happy job hunting!


Tiffany Worstell is a nationwide Recruiter for Vision Staff at ETS Vision. She can be reached at tworstell@etsvision.com or 540-491-9112. ETS Vision is a Vision Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, and Vision Staff throughout the United States. www.etsvision.com

Recruitment in 2014 - Employers Look for Unique Ways to Compete for Top Talent

As we kick off the New Year, the candidate-driven market that MRINetwork has been observing in the executive, managerial and professional sector is projected to become an even greater challenge in 2014. The media is increasingly making note of this trend, referenced as "overwhelmingly candidate-driven" in the most recent MRINetwork Recruiter Sentiment Study, as exceptional candidates with specialized skills gain more leverage due to a shrinking talent pool. The reality is that employers must compete like never before to bring in the best people to lead their organizations into the workforce of 2020 and beyond.

Click to enlarge.

"2014 has been slated as the Year of the Employee, due to global economic growth that is increasing demand for top candidates with specialized skills," says Nancy Halverson, vice president of global operations for MRINetwork. "As 'A' players gain more control over the hiring process, employers will need to develop innovative processes to recruit and retain exceptional talent."

The following are some suggestions for how employers can make themselves more attractive to the professional workforce:

• Create an employee experience that is engaging and motivating. Confidence is growing in the economy, providing more candidates with the incentive to leave less than desirable work arrangements. As companies become more vulnerable to losing key talent in 2014, they will have to seek ways to provide an employee-centric work environment that is fun, motivating and focused on the things the employees within the organization value most.
   
• Include millennials in succession planning. As succession planning and executive searches are becoming a priority for many companies who need to replace retiring baby boomer executives, employers should not forget to include millennials in these plans. Millennial professionals, who are in their mid-twenties and thirties, possess the skills and experience needed to grow into mid and senior management roles, if provided the appropriate support and guidance.
   
• Provide continuing education opportunities to avert skill gaps. Finding qualified candidates that have the specialized skills that employers need is becoming a global dilemma, with skill gaps in the workplace at an all-time high. Companies that invest in their staff by providing ongoing learning opportunities, create added value to current employees while also attracting desirable talent into their organizations.
   
• Keep technology simple. New human resources and recruitment technology are emerging every day. No matter what platforms or solutions your organization uses, the key is to make sure the technology facilitates a user-friendly experience that engages employees and candidates, instead of creating a frustrating or tedious process that diminishes the organization’s ability to attract and retain talent.

"The candidate-driven market in our post- recessionary economy presents some unique challenges, given mounting skill gaps in our professional workforce," states Halverson. "Companies will have to assess whether their branding and recruitment practices are attractive and engaging enough to allow them to compete for the best talent."

Optometrists and Ophthalmologists - Are You Ready for the Interview?

Are You Ready for the Interview?

You want to work for the practice, they've seen your credentials and they've asked you in for an interview. You want the job. Here are some suggestions that will help you make sure your interview goes as well as possible.

Preparing for the interview

Thorough preparation is critical. It is great for your confidence in the interview room and it leaves a very positive impression with the interviewers.

 

1. Get the logistics right. Time, location, interviewer's name and position title.
2. Do your research. Find out as much as possible about the practice: size, scope, location of the office and any satellite locations, etc. The practice website should be a very good source. If the website includes a biographical sketch of the owner, be sure to research the organizations and institutes of which the owner is a member.
3. Do some more research. Make sure you have key data in your head about your existing and most recent employers.
4. Do even more research. Ask former co-workers to tell you about your professional traits. What did they most admire? Try to find some faults as well. This leaves you more prepared for questions such as "what are your greatest faults" or "if I were working with you ...".
5. Prepare questions. The employer will be trying to work out whether you fit the available role. You should also take the opportunity to ensure that the practice is right for you.
6. Practice (see below). Take time to run through some of your answers. Don't over-rehearse, but make sure that you are coming across confidently.
7. Present yourself well. Find out what the office culture is regarding business dress. If in doubt, go more formal, not less formal. Make sure you are well groomed on the day.

What you should practice

When practicing for an interview, you should focus particularly on the way you answer questions.

1. Be descriptive. Don't just answer "yes" or "no" to questions. But also avoid "over-answering." Make your answers colorful but not lengthy.
2. Sell yourself to the interviewer, but without exaggeration or telling lies. You are there to market yourself, "blow your own trumpet" and explain why you'd be right for the role. But don't come across as arrogant.
3. Avoid making negative remarks about your current employer, or past employers or colleagues. This will only reflect on you in the interview.
4. Be determined. Make it clear that you want to get the job, even if you are given information in the interview that sheds a new light on the role. Be positive, and then evaluate the opportunity again when you are away from the interview. Don't burn your bridges.
5. Have positive body language, and maintain a good posture.

Remember: expect unexpected questions. It's fine to pause for thought. It's also acceptable to admit you don't know the answer.

For more interview tips and additional information, visit us online at www.etsvision.com. 

What Does Your Interviewing Process Say About Your Company?

Grabbing the attention of top candidates can be challenging for employers trying to court their first picks in the executive, managerial and professional job market. These applicants are typically interviewing with multiple companies and have additional options at their disposal. Employer branding and a streamlined recruitment process are just a few of the strategies companies are using to make themselves more attractive in this candidate-driven market. While these strategies can help make the recruitment and hiring process more efficient, many employers forget to consider the subtle messages they could be conveying about the company, through the interviewing process itself. This oversight can create a lasting impression that turns candidates off before an offer is ever made.

With a shrinking talent pool and increased competition for top candidates, employers have to not only sell the company well, but also conduct an interviewing process that presents the company and its corporate culture in the best light possible. "When companies approach the interviewing process from the candidate's perspective, they are much more likely to create an experience that is mutually engaging and appealing to the 'A' players in their markets," says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork.

The interviewing process should be an opportunity for both parties to evaluate a professional and cultural fit with the company. Yet, consider as an employer that perhaps you are additionally sending out unintended messages about weaknesses in the company culture or work practices.

Have you reflected on the following?

1. Is your process executed in an organized, seamless manner?
2. Are the company representatives experienced at interviewing candidates, or are they just winging it?
3. Are the interviewers polite and sincerely interested in learning more about the candidate's background, or are any of them annoyed that the interview is taking them away from their work?
4. Does the company do its best to follow-up with top applicants and keep them engaged or do several days or weeks go by without any feedback from the interviewer?
5. Is the interviewing process lengthy or is it respectful of candidates' time?

If you answered no to any of these questions, it may be time to re-evaluate what the company's interviewing and recruitment practices say about the organization. "Just as employers are concerned about making a bad hire due to poor cultural fit or lacking skillsets, candidates are equally concerned about working for companies that seem disorganized, unprofessional, unreliable or inconsiderate of their employees' needs," notes Romaine. "Even the slightest glimpse of poor work practices can send top candidates away from your organization and straight to a competitor."

At the end of the day, the interviewing process is as much about candidate discovery as it is about employer branding. It is therefore important for employers to evaluate whether their practices are attracting or detracting key talent from their organizations.

Hiring an Associate Optometrist – Experience vs. Potential

When we start working with a practice, we collect a lot of information about the owner, practice, and the position. Some details are quantitative, but many crucial points are open for interpretation. Most practice owners tell us they need an experienced optometrist for their position. In most cases, that is the best option. In fact, most of the doctors we place have over one year of experience in practice or residency. But what are the tradeoffs to experience? When should an office consider hiring a doctor a year or two out of school rather than five to seven years out?

Experience

Pros-

• Production: Optometry School is just the beginning. It takes several years, lots of CE and thousands of chair side hours for most optometrists to hit their stride. An experienced optometrist should be better able to handle a full schedule.
• Known quantity: A seasoned optometrist brings credentials, a work history, and track record of past successes that will allow a new employer to project reasonably accurate results
• Less Babysitting: With experience comes independence and the ability to handle

Potential

Pros-

• Malleable: While an experienced optometrist will come to your practice with his or her own idea on how an office should operate or with a well-defined clinical philosophy, a less-experienced optometrist will be open-minded and receptive to guidance.
• Less up front needs: This is true of patient load as well as guaranteed income. While many recent graduates have huge student loan debts to consider, they typically have less expense in the rest of their lives. They also come to your practice without the burden of trying to reach previous income levels. They typically are better able to handle a growing practice than an optometrist who needs to maintain a higher standard of living
• Superstars are still available: Most practices would love to hire an optometrist who is motivated, great with patients, can keep procedures in house and who will be a boom to the practice for years to come. Optometrists like that are rarely available long. These are the optometrists who are partners or practice owners within a few years of practice.

ETS Vision is a Vision Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, and Vision Staff throughout the United States. www.etsvision.com

Is Your Quest for the Perfect Candidate Hampering Your Company's Recruitment Goals?

Until a few years ago, prospective Google employees had to endure a hiring process that could involve more than 10 interviews. The resulting length of the hiring process created a time-intensive ordeal for hiring managers, causing the company to frequently lose top talent to its competitors. Two years ago Google overhauled its process and limited each candidate to five interviews, recognizing that the longer candidates are on hold, the more time they have to get another job offer or accept a counteroffer.
While Google's previous 10-interview process is atypical, many companies employ a lengthy interviewing and hiring process. Some organizations recruit in this manner because of lingering practices developed during the recession when companies focused on filling only the most vital roles, incorporating lengthy interviewing processes to avoid making hiring mistakes. Other employers simply argue that their process has historically proven to be successful in ensuring great hires within their organization. In either scenario, these companies don’t realize that lengthy interviewing processes are no longer effective in today’s executive, managerial and professional job market. In this space, which is largely candidate-driven and where the talent pool is small, top candidates are being courted by several companies and have many options at their disposal. A prolonged search not only hampers companies’ ability to recruit the best candidates, it also keeps employers from seeing the potential of well-qualified individuals who may be missing some of the job requirements.

Employers frequent look to recruiters to help them locate talent that are a perfect match to job descriptions, however the purpose of all new hires should be not only to match job requirements but also to bring in people that have the growth and leadership potential to help companies move their businesses forward.
"It's important to learn to recognize potential in candidates who can become 'perfect' employees through guidance and leadership," advises Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork. "Don't focus only on how closely they match your job description, but also consider whether they can evolve into the current role and beyond."
MRINetwork recruiters typically offer the following advice to companies trying to evaluate whether they should streamline their hiring processes:

1. Determine if your interviewing process is time-efficient and considerate of candidates’ time. The best candidates are typically employed and are interviewing with multiple companies.
    
2. Review whether you struggle to hire your top picks or if you are losing them to counteroffers and other job offers.
    
3. Keep the lines of communications open. Explain each step of the interviewing process to the candidate up front. Provide feedback within 24 hours of the interview and explain next steps to keep them engaged in the process.
    
4. Consider what your interviewing process says about your company culture and brand. A lengthy process could give the impression that there is always a lot of red tape with getting things accomplished or approved. It can also give the wrong impression that you are no longer interested in the candidate.

Adds Romaine, "The most successful companies realize that recruitment is not about finding candidates that perfectly match job descriptions." "It is about matching talent that have the experience, skills, maturity and cultural fit to impact the company and lead it into the future. Most job-related skills can be taught within three to six months, but intelligence and leadership skills are something candidates either have or they don't. It is up to hiring managers and highly-skilled recruiters to be able to discern whether talent have the potential to not only fit into a given role, but also become strong leaders in the company."