Perhaps the biggest risk factor in any search engagement is the fact that time is not always on your side. What do I mean by that? In part two of this blog series, I warned against the practice of lengthy and cumbersome selection and hiring processes...

<p>
  Perhaps the biggest risk factor in any search engagement is the fact that time
  is not always on your side. What do I mean by that? In part two of this blog
  series, I warned against the practice of lengthy and cumbersome selection and
  hiring processes given today&rsquo;s tight candidate market. It&rsquo;s worth
  repeating given that a recent
  <a
    href="https://resources.healthecareers.com/hubfs/Reports/recruiting_trends/pdfs/2018-Healthcare-Provider-Recruiting-Trends-Report.pdf"
    >survey</a
  >
  indicates time-to-fill rates for physician candidates is taking even longer
  than it did last year. In addition, the number of candidates rejecting offers
  or taking counteroffers from their existing employers is also on the rise.
</p>

<p>
  Due to these factors and others, it is imperative to audit your current search
  and hiring practices and identify areas to streamline or simplify the process.
  Start by following these best practices:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <div>
      Keep candidate&rsquo;s engaged through frequent communications and
      touchpoints.
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Ensure candidate&rsquo;s understand the institution&rsquo;s tenure
      guidelines earlier in the search process and self-evaluate their
      experience in comparison these guidelines.
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Start salary and start-up package negotiations with candidates as soon as
      they are considered a finalist.
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Use &ldquo;Draft Terms of Appointment/Offer&rdquo; memo to nail down
      details and expectations prior to extending formal, written offer.
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      If needed, request your Dean or hiring offer to stay in contact with the
      candidates in which they are most interested.
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Know what signatures and university/organization approval is needed prior
      to extending offer and get the offer to the selected candidate in a
      timely manner.
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Avoid large gaps of time between date of offer and official start date
       to reduce chances of counter offers or candidates considering other
      opportunities.
    </div>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>Improve Offer Acceptance Rates by Avoiding These Common Mistakes.</p>

<p>
  The best way to ensure someone accepts an offer with your institution is to
  avoid putting up any red flags to the candidate during the search process. To
  that end, start by involving the entire administrative team and analyze the
  process from the candidate&rsquo;s perspective. Look for these common red
  flags that candidates notice:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <div>A lack of communication during the process</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Unwelcoming faculty or search committee members</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Disinterest during video conferencing and on-site interview</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Interrupting candidates while responding to questions</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Comparisons to incumbent and particularly other candidates</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Failure to coordinate logistics (hotel, car service, campus interview
      locations, meals, etc.)
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Low attendance at on-campus presentation</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Unprepared stakeholders</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Lengthy time delays in hearing about next steps at each stage of
      recruitment.
    </div>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>Speaking of Red Flags&hellip;</p>

<p>
  Although you are certainly not in the drivers&rsquo; seat in today&rsquo;s
  competitive labor market, it is critical that you continue to take the wheel
  in choosing the best-fit candidate for your institution. There is little worse
  than investing the abundant time, money and resources to recruit a candidate
  only to find you&rsquo;ve made the wrong hire.
</p>

<p>
  Here are a few red flags every search committee and other stakeholders should
  keep top of mind when deciding on a new hire:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <div>Recent job move(s)</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Difficulty/tardiness in responding, communicating or scheduling interviews
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Rude to support staff</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Impatience with the process</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Current start-up package exhausted</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Failure to obtain tenure</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Negative or inappropriate social media presence</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>
      Family issues, such as children in final years of high school, relocating
      aging parents or spouse/significant other remaining in current location
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Tough real estate market or location for selling home</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Struggles with technology</div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div>Overly focused on salary or inflexible on salary negotiation</div>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>Finally, the Green Light!</p>

<p>
  Here are the key takeaways on conducting a successful academic search
  engagement:
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Make Candidate Experience a Priority.</strong><br />
  Remember that recruitment is a two-way street wrought with high competition
  and complexities, but the candidate experience will reflect on you and your
  institution so always respect every candidate and their interest in the
  position.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Keep An Open-Mind.</strong><br />
  Stay open-minded and consider a candidates&rsquo; entire body of work and
  potential.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Maintain Strong Communication.</strong><br />
  Communication throughout the process is key and that includes getting to know
  each candidate and the factors at play with family, career goals, etc.
</p>

<p>
  <strong>Lay the Foundation for a Strong Future.</strong><br />
  Invest in the onboarding phase to ensure all the hard work pays off with a
  great start to the relationship.
</p>

<p>
  If you are interested in learning more about preparing for search engagements
  or require a consultation to secure top medical, nursing, cancer research or
  other academic leadership talent, contact <a
    href="https://www.cejkasearch.com/alan-johns"
    >Alan Johns</a
  >, Executive Vice President and Managing Principal.
</p>


Part Three: Red Flags and Roadblocks to Look for in Every Search Engagement