Physician recruiters are an unknown group to many physicians. You've heard of recruiters, headhunters, search firms, and other terms used to describe those who try to recruit physicians. The problem with this is that many physicians lump all these recruiter types into one group. Each of these recruitment types is unique to itself, and it's important to know what type of recruiter you are interacting with to know expectations.
In-House Physician Recruiters
In-house physician recruiters are recruiters that are sourcing physicians only for the facility or organization that they work at. Since in-house recruiters work at the organization and often the actual facility you are applying to, they can speak more about the opportunity or community itself. With in-house recruiters, you will be limited to the opportunities open for that organization. In-house recruiters are great for you to reach out about questions about the opportunity, organization, or community because they work at the organization. Since in-house recruiters work at the organization there is also no placement fee.
Contingency Recruiters
Contingency recruiters are recruiters who will recruit for a wide area or nationwide. These recruiters are hired by organizations in order to find physicians who matches their needs. If they are working for multiple organizations and listings across an area, they will be able to introduce you to a variety of opportunities. Contingency recruiters will also request your CV in order to market you to their clients. Many times, they will call up an organization and ask if they want to purchase your CV because you match the opportunity. These recruiters try to shop your CV around quickly in order to place you quicker. The reason for this is because contingency recruiters are paid after a candidate is placed. You may find that they are marketing your CV to organizations that you are not interested in, so make sure that you are aware of who they are talking to and what they will do with your CV after receiving it.
Retained Recruiters
Retained recruiters work for recruitment firms that are sought out by healthcare organizations to fill their open positions. Retained recruiters will work closely with the organization to find out more about the opportunity, the location, and the community so as they reach out to physicians, they are able to answer questions that may come up. Retained recruiters are sourcing for only one organization at a time, so you will not have to worry about them talking to you about one opportunity and telling another client about your CV and shopping it to them as well.
As you can see each recruiter type has a different recruitment style, fee, and goals. For in-house recruiters they are trying to find the right candidate who will be a long-term hire, contingency recruiters are focused on promoting your cv, and retained recruiters are focused on finding good candidates to be hired again in the future. During recruitment, if you are unsure of what type of recruiter you are interacting with, ask for more information about them or the organization they are looking for. If you are given the run-around or brushed off this can be a red flag that this is not someone you want to work with.