Many healthcare recruiters make the same promises. They ensure clients they have a stellar rolodex of top-notch candidates. They promise candidates a heap of favorable positions to choose from at prestigious organizations. More than anything, they promise results, for clients and candidates alike.
And to a degree, these promises are an important part of the job. In fact, they’re essential at my own boutique healthcare recruiting firm. But underneath these promises, there’s an even bigger contract at play — the promise of trust and transparency.
For any recruiting relationship to thrive, whether on the candidate or client side, a recruiter must establish professional trust and demonstrate a commitment to integrity, transparency, and honesty. Clients and candidates need to truly feel that their recruiter has their best interests at heart, and will provide sound, unbiased, expert advice on the path forward.
Trust is usually built through small actions over time. But sometimes, you may need the assistance of a healthcare recruiter while in crisis – maybe an irreplaceable leader has just resigned, or your hospital system has recently eliminated your position. In this case, you may not have time to build a foundation of trust before you hit the ground running.
Luckily, there are many small ways to build trust along the way during a recruiting partnership. If you’re about to embark on an executive search journey with a healthcare recruiter, whether as a candidate or a client, consider these five ways to establish trust and goodwill throughout the process:
Five Ways to Build Trust with a Recruiting Partner
- Ask good questions upfront. Before committing to a partnership with a healthcare recruiter, get to know them and their business. Are they a recruiting generalist, or do they specialize in healthcare? How have their recent placements gone? What are the trends they’re seeing in the marketplace right now? Be sure to ask some questions about their personal values and interests, too, to make sure your work approaches will align. Good questions give you a chance to not only evaluate a recruiter, but also pick up valuable information that will help you during the search process.
- Share your must-haves. Every client or candidate has non-negotiables. For health organizations, it may be a certain credential a candidate must have, or a job requirement they must be willing to fulfill. For professionals looking for an opportunity, it may be a certain salary level, benefits package, or job location. Whatever your non-negotiable is, make sure you share it upfront with your recruiter. This gives them the chance to prioritize your preferences and be honest and upfront with you if a non-negotiable will be hard to swing.
- Share your concerns. The recruiting process can be a delicate dance – one wrong move may knock an organization or a candidate off balance. If you’re feeling trepidation or anxiousness about any part of the process, see if you can summon the vulnerability to share it with your healthcare recruiter. If they’re a true professional, they’ll be able to express empathy for your concern while also being candid with you about how to manage it. Whether you’re worried about your hospital’s reputation or your personal interviewing skills, your recruiting partner will be able to offer advice, suggestions, and sincere expertise.
- Ask for honest and candid feedback. The name of the game in recruiting is preparation. Recruiters can be a great resource to run interview questions by, to practice conversation with, or to talk with about hiring strategy and long-term plans. Throughout the job search process, make sure to lean on your recruiter for support, guidance, and candid feedback about how the search is going so that you can make adjustments that will increase your chances of success.
- Ask for honest and transparent advice. Toward the end of the recruiting journey, hospitals and candidates will have important decisions to make. Taking a new healthcare leadership role may require a big move or shift in responsibilities. Taking on a new leader may lead to organizational change or operating challenges. When the stakes are high and you’re in the crunchtime phase of a search process, be sure to ask your recruiter for their candid advice. They’ll be able to give you an unbiased, professional assessment of the opportunity or leader in front of you that may help you see the path forward. This is an opportunity for the trusting relationship you’ve been building throughout the search process to truly shine.
At the end of the day, healthcare recruiting is all about working with people. Concrete results are important, but a truly thriving healthcare recruiting business relies on trusting relationships – long-term, meaningful connections to hospitals, health systems, organizations, healthcare leaders, HR leaders, and healthcare candidates. Before you start your next job search process, consider working with a healthcare recruiter you trust — it may make all the difference as you chart your path forward.
Lauren Bencekovich is the founder and CEO of Lauren Recruiting Group, a boutique healthcare recruiting firm that matches healthcare executive candidates with hospitals and health organizations. Looking for a new leader or a new role? Reach out and schedule a 30-minute intro call today!