Medical Staff

Ask the expert: How can our program make a final decision on an interviewed candidate?

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, April 12, 2011

After interviewing a candidate, be prepared to make a decision on that candidate. This may sound like obvious advice, but it is surprising how many practices seem unable to pull the trigger and decide on an interviewed candidate. Try to limit the number of decision-makers to about four people or less. Regardless of how many people get to have a say in the decision, all of them must submit their decision immediately at the end of the interview—though this is easier said than done.

The decision-making team must understand they are not judging multiple candidates. They do not have the luxury of judging the candidates against other candidates. Instead, each candidate must be judged against the predetermined criteria. Every candidate who meets or exceeds the criteria should receive an offer. Consider this a cardinal rule of recruiting. A decision to “keep this candidate interested while we look at the next” is no decision at all, and may kill the recruiting process.

The above excerpt is adapted from Practical Guide to Hospitalist Recruitment and Retention, by Kirk Mathews, MBA, and John Nelson, MD, FACP, FHM, published by HCPro, Inc.

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