Avoiding a Nightmare Candidate Site Visit

"The hospital put us up in a cheap hotel that backs up to a seedy bar. My husband was livid and shielded our 11-year-old daughter from it every time we went to our car. I don't care if there was a tournament in town, their hotel choice killed the deal for us."

"I was in the executive suite waiting on a meeting with the CMO. The executive assistant quietly mentioned to the CEO who I was. He waved his hand casually to me, and then totally ignored me as he chatted sports with another assistant. I never even met him formally on the visit. Why would he think I'd want to go there and run a multimillion dollar department in his hospital?"

These are actual comments from physician candidates after returning from site visits. With competition for physicians at an all time high, it is crucial that everything goes smoothly during a site visit so he or she leaves with a complete understanding of the position and the merits of the community. The first step is to carefully plan the site visit before you even have a candidate! Here are the important factors to consider when planning for a site visit:

Lodging
Choose an upscale, updated facility with a good reputation. Do not try to save money with an economy hotel. Have someone from your organization tour and evaluate prospective lodging. Check the quality of the linens, the room lighting, internet access, and the cleanliness of the facility. If possible, choose a lodging facility that provides food service or is located adjacent to a restaurant.

If you have ongoing recruiting needs and plan to interview several physicians, you may want to negotiate a corporate rate with the manager and arrange for your organization to be billed directly. If you take the time to choose carefully, your candidates will appreciate your attention to detail and will also understand their comfort is important to you. They will also appreciate a welcome basket with bottled water, fruit, and snacks.

Transportation
It is expected that the hiring entity will pay for interview expenses. This includes airfare or mileage, car rental, lodging, meals, and other incidental costs. For airline reservations, either have a member of your staff make these or allow the candidate to do so and then quickly reimburse him or her. Since many airline tickets are non-refundable, you may want to reimburse the physician so you don't have to pay for the tickets if the candidate cancels the visit.

Maps
In addition to providing directions from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the interview site, also provide candidates with a detailed driving map of the area. Sometimes an online map program contains errors, so be sure and inform the candidate of the best route.

A campus map, including instructions where to park, will also be appreciated by candidates. And with a map of the facility, they will quickly be able to find their way to each appointment.

Interview Itinerary
A typical candidate interview will include appointments with physicians and administration in a variety of departments. When considering the specialty of the physician interviewing, design an itinerary which will answer his or her questions about the opportunity. Questions such as:

It is important for candidates to meet the chief of the appropriate department. He or she can be instrumental in planting the vision and sharing their enthusiasm for the growth within the department. If the chief is not available, choose someone from the department who will be an enthusiastic advocate.

In addition to the candidate's interview itinerary, it is important to prepare a separate itinerary for the candidate's spouse. Learn ahead of time what the spouse's interests are and what criteria he or she believes is most important in a community. If career prospects are something you can assist the spouse in investigating, attempt to schedule visits with executives or hiring entities in their industry. Make arrangements for the spouses of existing staff physicians to meet with the spouse. The key? Do not leave the spouse to fend for him or herself for long periods of time. Make a favorable impression by making the visit as meaningful for him or her as you do for the candidate.

Community Tour
The community tour is essential to the success of the site visit. Plan the tour to allow the candidate and spouse to see the aspects of your community that will interest them (housing, schools, cultural and recreational activities, shopping and other amenities). If you use a realtor to conduct the community tour, make certain he or she is knowledgeable about the area, supportive of your endeavors, communicates well, and will not try to sell the candidate a house on his or her first visit. Instead of a realtor, another option is to use a business person or other community ambassador to conduct the tour.

Preparation is the key to success.
If you plan thoroughly, the site visit will likely flow smoothly. Candidates will feel well cared for and leave impressed. Your thoughtful preparation and attention to detail will indicate your seriousness about the candidate and show the quality of your practice opportunity.

For more assistance in planning a site visit, please contact us.