Recruiting or Direct Hiring... Weighing the Options

Direct Hiring Versus Recruiting
When a company advertises a vacant position, it is essentially hosting an open house for applicants. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of resumes come through the door, and each must be processed. Many candidates are unqualified, and their resumes must be tossed. The company may take additional time to notify rejected applicants. Once the lengthy process of narrowing down qualified applicants to a manageable few is concluded, these candidates are invited for phone and in person interviews, which are also time-consuming endeavors. Background and reference checks are performed. In the end, the company has invested time, energy and finances in this process to wind up with the best of the lot—but often not the best.
On the other hand, when a business hires a recruiting firm, it can trust the screening process to an entity dedicated to exactly that, and meanwhile it can go on conducting its actual revenue-producing activities. Instead of passively inviting a pool of assorted job hunters with wide-ranging qualifications (many grossly unrelated to the position), a recruiter will actively seek the best, most qualified applicants in a highly targeted search.
Much of the success of recruiting lies in its distinction from the process mentioned above, commonly referred to as direct hiring. With the latter, it is the applicant who seeks the right job for him/herself. Thus, as business writer Sam Godin frames it, “[W]e end up hiring people who are good at self-marketing, not at what we need them to do.” On the other hand, with recruiting, it is the recruiter who seeks the right applicant for the position.
This of course means that the candidate may not currently be seeking a new job. Thus instead of merely advertising a position, the recruiter is charged with the task of marketing the position to prospective candidates. He/she is tasked with demonstrating how the new position, with its responsibilities, challenges, salary, benefits, re-location, and so on, will prove to be an overall more fulfilling experience than a candidate’s current one.
Godin states: “Recruiting is the act of finding the very best person for a job and persuading them to stop doing what they’re doing and come join you.” It requires a highly attractive position to entice the finest candidate. But rather than hoping he/she walks through the door, a recruiter’s job is to pursue such candidates with gusto and then deliver the very best to the hiring business.

Ask A Manager by Anne Sydnor

Feisal Nanji
Executive Director, Techumen

What inspired you and your partners to create Techumen?

One of my partners and I worked together at a previous firm. We saw a new business opportunity when one of our gold standard IDN service provider clients had patient record security issues. There are complex workflow issues and lots of steps and processes involved in a hospital environment from the minute a patient walks into a hospital, including admission, eligibility, and discharge, just to name a few. As well, there is a need for wide patient information access – from billing clerks to doctors and nurses. We saw the security area as a good business opportunity.

Ensuring privacy and security of person health information is one of the five pillars of “Meaningful Use” in the ARRA/HITECH Act. What are the implications for hospitals receiving ARRA/HITECH funding?

Compliance will become a bigger issue for hospitals. THE ARRA/HITECH requires public disclosure of breaches of patient health information of 500 patients or more. This public disclosure must happen in a media outlet by the hospital – whether that is on the television or in newspaper. So the security issue crosses a lot of lines in terms of trust for the healthcare provider.

Because of HITECH, there will be a significant increase in the number of individuals delving into patient health records by providers and auditors as well. With the passage of the ARRA bill, there are audit incentives within the federal government to levy fines for HIPAA violations. This is under the Office of Civil Rights. This arm of the government will get a portion of the revenue from these fines so there is now a built in incentive for enforcing HIPAA violations. Of course, there is always a need to protect patient health information.

How have your efforts been received so far?

Receptivity to enhanced security for medical records has been quite good after the ARRA/ HITECH ACT. We’re at a seminal point in healthcare electronic and security issues right now. The federal government has earmarked $20 billion for advancements that must occur between 2011-2015. So in a short span of time, healthcare has to start connecting a wide range of systems and we must be concerned about access to patient information, including who has access and how patient information is being accessed.

Who has access and why that person has access require a fundamental rethinking of your core processes and technical abilities. It’s a great opportunity for hospitals to shore up existing capabilities.

Unemployment Rx

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
While employers are not allowed by law to ask questions about a candidate’s nationality, religious beliefs, children, etc., that doesn’t stop some from doing so. What do you do if you are asked an illegal question during an interview? There are basically four options.
1. You can inform the interviewer that she is not allowed to ask for that information, but of course her next response may be, “OK, thank you for your time. Don’t call me—I’ll call you.”
2. You could try to skirt the question by changing the subject, and you may be successful.
3. You may decide to answer the question outright.
4. You could address the question indirectly, by responding to the underlying issue. For example, if you are asked about your family and you believe the interviewer is digging at whether or not you have children, you could respond by emphasizing your commitment to your work and your family’s support of your career.
Regardless of the course you choose, you will have to consider whether this employer is simply not in touch with employment laws that have been in place for half a century or whether the issue is one of integrity. Either way, you will need to ask yourself if this legal breach would be a deal-breaker in your decision to work for this employer if you are offered the job.
As you weigh this decision, also keep in mind that some illegal questions may be asked in harmless banter, as the interviewer is trying to connect on a personal level and set a relaxed tone. For example, “Do you have just the one boy? I have two very close in age and they are a handful!” or “Adolfo, is that Italian or Spanish? My father is Italian,” while bordering on illegal, may simply reflect poor judgment on the part of an interviewer who was actually trying to put you at ease.
It can be tricky deciding whether or not to answer an illegal question, but have a plan for how you would handle this before you find yourself in such an awkward situation.

Ask A Recruiter with Jennifer Salter

Q: Many companies are switching to skype or web cam interviews, what advise would you give a candidate that is going to be interviewed in this format?

Keep in mind that visuals are magnified on camera. Have you ever watched a news reporter who had flyaway hair or a distracting background? It very quickly becomes the focus, regardless of what the reporter is actually saying.

Take even more care than you normally would for a face-to-face interview. Make sure your hair and makeup are immaculate – have them professionally done if you aren’t confident in your own ability to do so. Wear a conservative or understated suit. For women, this means a wool or wool-blend jacket and slacks, along with a cotton-blend button down, perfectly pressed. Try to find a button down in a color that is flattering to you, along with simple jewelry – such as pearls. Men should also wear a wool blend suit, pressed shirt, and a conservative, or at the very least, non-distracting tie.

Next, be aware of the background, particularly if doing the interview from home. Choose a room that is well-lit, neat and doesn’t reveal too much about your personal life. Do not use the bedroom or bathroom! Make sure the location you are in at the time of the interview is free of clutter, background activity, excess noise from television or children, and pay attention to how the lighting may cast your face into a shadow or create glare on the screen of the viewer.

Finally, take some time to practice on camera. Have a friend look at the video and give feedback about any distracting habits you might have. Again, little things such as repeated use of “um”, or shifting in your seat, or focusing on the wrong place, will quickly annoy the viewer.

Web cam interviews have their advantages – they save both you and the potential employer time and expense, particularly if the company is located out of your area. They also remove the pressure of getting lost or running into traffic on the way to the interview. Like anything, these interviews can pose unique challenges, so taking the time beforehand to deal with these potential issues will go a long way.

IRBeat Scheduling Technology with Lisa Disselkamp

Unemployment Rx

Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What not to include on your resume:
• --Your age, height, weight, marital status or Social Security Number
• --A personal email address with an unprofessional handle i.e. sexymommy@hotmail.com
• --A generic objective. We prefer you replace with a Professional Overview and list three or four top items in bullet format i.e. 18 years experience in healthcare including clinical, management and technology. 12 years of bedside nursing in ED and NICU. 5 years of healthcare IT experience to include implementation training and support. 3 years experience with EPIC Clinical Documentation
• --Your college GPA
• --High school attended (especially don’t include tidbits such as homecoming queen or track star)
• --The word “I.” Phrases beginning with verbs drive resumes; the subject is assumed
• --All your odd summer jobs in college (unless related to your field)
• --General administrative duties
• --Personal interests or hobbies (unless thoroughly relevant)
• --Salary history
• --References or even “References Available On Request”—that’s assumed
• --Fancy fonts or formatting—keep it simple, readable, and don’t be afraid of white space