contingent vs. retained
At first glance, it is easy to see why everyone would prefer to hire candidates solely on a contingency basis. If identical services are performed with positive results, it appears that you’ve made no apparent investment unless an acceptable candidate is produced. This misconception has been voiced by hundreds of administrators and physicians who at one time felt contingency to be the “safest approach.” However, after further evaluation of the process and our track record of success, they have found the following points to be of importance in selecting our firm:
The Approach
Typically, a contingency firm markets a candidate or physician prospect to all client facilities, whereas J.D. Hawkins & Associates represents the client facility and markets the opportunity only to those pre-qualified candidates who meet the client’s criteria. When a candidate is presented with hundreds of vague opportunities, many times you simply are paying interview expenses so that the physician can compare you with dozens of opportunities.
Sense of Urgency
Are you prepared to wait another 6 to 12 months or longer for a candidate to look down the long list of available opportunities and say “that’s the one!” JDHA consistently places physicians in less than 120 days. Working full time on your behalf, we offer a more aggressive approach to those facilities with an urgent need.
Value of Your Time
In the past, we have spoken with many facilities, which prior to engaging our services, were utilizing as many as 15 to 20 different firms generating literally hundreds of unscreened CVs. Why should you pay someone an $18,000 - $25,000 placement fee when you did all of the work? Our clients do not even see a curriculum vitae until hundreds of physicians we contact have met your criteria, been vetted, referenced and the spouse is vetted as well. If you truly have the time to do this yourself, why use a firm at all?
Saving Money
As you know, “time is money.” Often, contingency firms cannot fill your search in a timely manner. Every month without a physician could average $60,000 to $70,000+ in lost revenue for your system. Are your really saving money by relying on a contingency firm?
How long are you anticipating a contingency firm to work on your behalf as the search progresses, with zero compensation for their time, marketing costs, overhead, payroll, etc.?
Quality of Candidate
The recruiting of a physician or advanced practice provider in this competitive marketplace is a difficult task, even for a seasoned professional. With more than 60 years of combined experience on our staff, we are always amazed when a contingency firm expects to recruit the best physician for your situation when they have never visited your institution, have never met the physicians on staff, and do not have a hands-on understanding of the right fit for your opportunity. If a contingent candidate contacted you directly, the firm would risk losing their fee, so little if any information is provided to the doctor prior to the interview. Would you as a healthcare professional respond to a blind ad or vague opportunity with the ability to study the location, check out the facility and discuss the opportunity with your spouse prior the introductory phone call with the client.
Our process is designed to pro-actively source, screen, vet and present only qualified candidates who have a sincere interest in your opportunity. Through front-end preparation and attention to detail, we can help you achieve the maximum return on your search investment.
