Eskridge & Associates: Preparing for the Future

Board-Certified Physician Recruiting, Part 4

In other blog posts in this series, I have described why it benefits clients and physicians to work with a board-certified recruiter, what each of the certifications mean to someone who is looking for a recruiter, and how the ongoing education of certified recruiters will help both hiring managers and candidates. In this last post, I want to talk about how certified recruiters play a crucial role in the future of the staffing and medical industries.

Many changes are in store for the staffing profession, and recruiters must respond to new challenges. One of the biggest issues in the staffing profession as a whole is the ability to attract and retain top talent. For every ten professionals who leave the workplace, only four or five physicians are replacing them. Certified physician recruiters can help alleviate the problems of retention when they facilitate discussions with clients on retention issues and best practices. They can provide solid advice on managing the workplace to minimize attrition. Those recruiters who are certified through NAPS have the advantage of a wide network of information and resources to remain on top of current issues and trends.

Certified recruiters can be a source of guidance and counsel for HR professionals and hospital environments as they work with personnel issues. Physicians who change practices are making a decision that affects them and their families deeply - especially if they are relocating. These decisions are not made lightly, and any difficulties along the way can greatly affect their attitude and response to their new employer. When recruiters ensure that procedures are followed when a physician is hired, and make sure that no steps are missed during the process, physicians are assured of a smooth transition and a favorable impression of the new organization. Ongoing reviews of the situation, with both the client and the physician, can help uncover problems with the position that are more easily resolved if caught early on. The physician recruiter is a key part of retention and satisfaction in the client/physician relationship.

In fact, board certified recruiters can be seen as the ultimate professionals in the personnel arena. Just as someone would go to an accountant for tax issues or a lawyer for legal problems, when you have staffing, employment or retention questions, you should contact your recruiter. By working with a certified professional, you are assured that you’re contacting a professional who has gone the extra mile to learn all he or she can about the profession. You are working with a staffing expert who has high standards and an up-to-date education about the industry.

About Eskridge & Associates. Eskridge & Associates is a service disabled, veteran owned, small business (SDVOSB), recruiting Physicians of all specialties for locum tenens and permanent employment opportunities in hospitals and practices nationwide.

CONTACT:

Bob Eskridge, CPC, CTS, PRC, CSP, CERS
President &
Board Certified Physician Recruiter
Eskridge & Associates
www.eskridge-associates.com
512.244.7023 (Office)
512.532.0771 (fax)

Member - National Coalition of Healthcare Recruiters
Member - National Association of Personnel Services
"A Service Disabled, Veteran-owned, Small Business"

Eskridge & Associates is a Texas Top Ten Executive Search Firm!

Round Rock, TX, December 15, 2007. Eskridge & Associates has been selected as one of the Top Ten Most Dependable Executive Search Firms and Staffing Agencies in the state of Texas as determined by Goldline Research. The full list was published in the January 2008 issue of Texas Monthly magazine. Firms were selected based on excellent client references, no grievances or lawsuits, having more than 60 clients, eight or more years of industry experience, and no client loss within the last 12 months. Eskridge and Associates was the only firm that specializes in physicians and is the only service disabled, veteran–owned small business selected. “We are extremely happy to be selected for this top ten list and continue to work hard to meet the needs of our clients and candidates,” says Bob Eskridge, President of Eskridge and Associates.

About Eskridge & Associates. Eskridge & Associates (www.eskridge-associates.com) is a service disabled, veteran owned, small business (SDVOSB), recruiting Physicians of all specialties for locum tenens (contact) and permanent employment opportunities in hospitals and practices nationwide.

CONTACT:
Bob Eskridge, PRC, CPC, CTS, CERS
President
Eskridge & Associates
(p) 512.244.7023
(f) 512.532.0771
bob@eskridge-associates.com
www.eskridge-associates.com

Member - National Coalition of Healthcare Recruiters
Member - National Association of Personnel Services
"A Service Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business"

Eskridge & Associates: A Recruiter’s Ongoing Education

Board-Certified Physician Recruiting, Part 3

Certification is a process that benefits the recruiter, the client, the physician, and the recruiting profession as a whole. In the first blog post of this series, I talked about why this certification is important to a physician or hiring manager. The knowledge that a recruiter absorbs in the certification effort pays big dividends to their candidates and clients, because they are the tops in their professional knowledge. In my second post, I outlined the various certifications and which specialties are most likely to benefit candidates and clients. In this post, I’d like to explain the process for a recruiter to remain certified, and how that assures you, as either a client or physician, that your recruiter has a strong working knowledge of today’s trends, legislation, staffing issues, and current events in the staffing profession. Certified recruiters are always the most educated leaders of the field.

To remain certified, staffing professionals must complete 50 hours of professional development or training experiences in each three year period after certification. The NAPS certification states that if the continuing education requirement is not met every three years, the recruiter’s certification rights will be revoked.

However, the continuing education can be met in a variety of ways. There is no standard procedure or specific course of study to retain the certification. This benefits recruiters as they can take advantage of the educational media and subjects that suit their individual growth plans, local issues, and specialized interests. Anything that recruiters learn to enhance their ability to perform professionally and serve their clients and candidates can be submitted for continuing education credit. For example, a recruiter might study personal productivity books or read industry-specific training magazine. Studying a book is worth 5 hours or .5 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). Recruiters are expected to complete 50 hours of learning, which can be satisfied by a number of learning opportunities. They can complete classroom training, attend seminars or conferences, study training materials, or meet with industry experts.

These requirements ensure the public that the recruiter remains up-to-date on all aspects of his or her profession. Rather than just responding to industry changes, the recruiter becomes an industry leader who helps guide his or her clients and candidates through new issues in the field. These specialists have resources and knowledge at their disposal that go beyond the reach of the average non-certified recruiter. To answer the question – How do you choose a recruiting professional? The answer is ask if they are a board certified recruiter!

About Eskridge & Associates. Eskridge & Associates is a service disabled, veteran owned, small business (SDVOSB), recruiting Physicians of all specialties for locum tenens and permanent employment opportunities in hospitals and practices nationwide.

CONTACT:

Bob Eskridge, CPC, CTS, PRC, CSP, CERS
President &
Board Certified Physician Recruiter
Eskridge & Associates
www.eskridge-associates.com
512.244.7023 (Office)
512.532.0771 (fax)

Member - National Coalition of Healthcare Recruiters
Member - National Association of Personnel Services
"A Service Disabled, Veteran-owned, Small Business"

Eskridge & Associates: Types of Physician Recruiting Certification

In my previous post, I talked about why medical facilities and physicians should work with board-certified physician recruiters. Today I’d like to explain the different certification designations and what each one indicates.

The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) is the board that provides education and the certification process for recruiters. There are several types of recruiting certifications. Currently, there are more than 10,000 professionals designated as Certified Personnel Consultants (CPC) or Certified Temporary-Staffing Specialists (CTS) through NAPS, while more than 300 professionals hold both certifications. The Physician Recruiting Consultant (PRC) is a third certification that focuses exclusively on the nuances of placing physicians in both permanent positions as well as contract or locum tenens positions. These recruiters are thoroughly familiar with physician training, licensing, credentialing and referencing of physician recruiting laws and regulations. A recruiter is required to take either the CPC or the CTS prior to being allowed to take the Physician Recruiting certification. The NAPS certification helps recruiting professionals become knowledgeable about employment law, changing regulations, best business practices and the highest standards of ethics in the industry.

The CPC certification focuses on direct hire placement. If you are a physician looking to join a hospital or new practice, you will do well to find a recruiter who has studied and become certified in this field. Hiring managers for an organization will also benefit from the experience of a CPC/PRC combination.

CTS certifications pertain to recruiters of locum tenens placements. Physicians looking for locum tenens work or clients who want to fill contract or temporary positions will appreciate the specialized education of CTS/PRC-certified recruiters.

Certification also requires candidates to have experience in the field in which they desire to become certified, whether that experience comes through employment as a recruiter, manager, HR professional, or other related role. In the past, recruiters were required to have two years of experience in the field before working toward certification, but now even a new recruiter can begin the certification process. If your recruiter tells you that he or she is working through the certification process, you know that the person is making an investment to grow and excel in the profession.

When a recruiter is certified, he or she must agree to uphold the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) Standards of Ethical Practices and certification program rules. In addition, the recruiter must participate in continuing education programs and re-certify every three years. The continuing education requirement helps keep recruiters current with legal, business and related practices.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, certification enhances the recruiter’s career and aids in professional growth. Those recruiters who achieve certification stand out from all the other recruiters, and have the advantage of knowledge that makes their job easier than the average professional. Though the path to certification takes additional effort, the end results are well worth it.

About Eskridge & Associates. Eskridge & Associates is a service disabled, veteran owned, small business (SDVOSB), recruiting Physicians of all specialties for locum tenens and permanent employment opportunities in hospitals and practices nationwide.

CONTACT:

Bob Eskridge, CPC, CTS, PRC, CSP, CERS
President &
Board Certified Physician Recruiter
Eskridge & Associates
www.eskridge-associates.com
512.244.7023 (Office)
512.532.0771 (fax)

Member - National Coalition of Healthcare Recruiters
Member - National Association of Personnel Services
"A Service Disabled, Veteran-owned, Small Business"

Eskridge & Associates: Why Choose Certified Recruiters?

Whether you’re a client or a candidate, you may be wondering why it matters if your recruiter is board certified. Clients just want the right physician. Physicians just want the right job. What difference does it make if the recruiter has a certification or two?

Board certification is becoming more recognized all the time. Fortune magazine has actually recommended that clients ask their recruiters for certification (July 20, 1998 issue). Certification is an assurance that the recruiter you have chosen has made a large investment in his or her professional growth. The certification program through the National Association of Personnel Services provides information on key areas that a recruiter must know intimately, including employment law and regulations, standards of business practice, ADA, drug testing, contract issues, and standards of business practices. Not only must the recruiter have a solid understanding of these areas, he or she must also keep that information up-to-date through continuing education. Sound like a lot of work? Maybe, but in an industry of employment experts, a certified recruiter is at the top of the game.

Certification also provides recruiters with a set of standards and guidelines that help them respond to and resolve ethical dilemmas or difficult situations. These recruiters have the knowledge and experience of many other professionals to help guide their behavior and enable them to make quicker decisions. The certification is a reassurance that you have chosen an expert who holds themselves to high standards of quality.

Certification requires recruiters to learn all they can about their profession, and no learning is ever lost. As a client, if you have thorny question on employment you can have a higher level of confidence in the answers a certified recruiter can provide over a non-certified recruiter. As a physician, if you contact your recruiter with concerns about your contract, they will more likely be able to offer the right solution or an alternative solution as a result of being very familiar with the legislation regarding the Stark Laws, for instance. The continuing education requirement will keep recruiters informed about all that is new in the industry, as well as growing each recruiter as a leader and professional. In the competitive field of recruiting, certification ensures you have the sharpest staffing professional representing your interests.

About Eskridge & Associates. Eskridge & Associates is a service disabled, veteran owned, small business (SDVOSB), recruiting Physicians of all specialties for locum tenens and permanent employment opportunities in hospitals and practices nationwide.

CONTACT:

Bob Eskridge, CPC, CTS, PRC, CSP
President &
Board Certified Physician Recruiter
Eskridge & Associates
www.eskridge-associates.com
512.244.7023 (Office)
512.532.0771 (fax)

Member - National Coalition of Healthcare Recruiters
Member - National Association of Personnel Services
"A Service Disabled, Veteran-owned, Small Business"