Advice for cold-calling employers.

[hebel]

I'm a pgy-4 currently on the post residency job hunt. I know what area I want to settle in, so I'm not using a recruiter and am just looking up places with psychiatrists to see if they are looking to hire.

Here's my question: should I be contacting the head psychiatrist at these places instead of HR?

So far I've found that HR doesn't seem to have the full picture of their facility's actual psych needs, so can get hung up on "check this website for any job postings."

On the other hand, the few times I actually speak with a psychiatrist at a facility the general sentiment is essentially "hell yeah we need psychiatrists here, for now and in the foreseeable future."

So basically, my worry is that by contacting HR first I'm speaking with people that have limited understanding of what their psychiatry service actually needs or the kind of positions it could even create because they have a myopic view of "if the job isn't posted, we don't need it."

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[Sushirolls]

Pretty much... HR departments know nothing.
Hospital employed recruiters possibly know what's going on if the institution has had enough grumbling from the department to say they need another doc, then they'll have an official posting. I've seen first hand some positions be open but the recruiter failed to actually post it in typical job boards or even on the institution website. Or the recruiters are sick, lazy, on leave, etc and simply not responding to inquiries.

Reaching out to the head doc will likely get you that positive response. I've done it in the past when I was once an eager PGY-III/IV. However, the doc might want more people, but the glacial wall of bureaucracy within the institution may say, "nah, we don't need a doc" or "sure, we'll make the posting after we get it thru the admin, the board of directors" etc, which means no job will be posted for 1-2 years. Or these days, "nah we don't need a doc, but maybe should make a posting for an ARNP!" I had one head doc as a PGY-IV excited for the prospect and wanted to set up an interview, but their recruiter never followed thru, even after a second reach out to the doc. Some institutions are just that dysfunctional. Happy hunting.

 

[Merovinge]

Speaking to another doctor is almost always superior but internal recruiters or top administrators can be pretty capable as well (depending on the institution). At small/medium sized places very high level admin (COO, CEO) may be principally in charge of physician recruitment and they should know pretty quickly if things are a good fit. I would expect to play phone-tag a lot and make sure you keep track of who you talk to at which location (I failed to do this during my last search and I won't make this mistake again).

It feels really awkward going "hello my name is Dr. Blahblah, I am moving to the area and wondering if there was someone I could speak to about prospective psychiatry positions" but I do think it's often better than using an external recruiter.

 

[nexus73]

Definitely call the head doctor or medical director of the place you might want to work. Many places want more doctors but aren't advertising. Or maybe there isn't a clear cut need, but they're happy to have another doctor added to the practice group. The problem with HR or in house recruiters is they're busy recruiting for multiple specialties and, and my job at least, I think psychiatry takes a back seat. Especially if the same person is trying to recruit or cardiologist or trauma surgeon...or someone who actually makes money for the hospital.

 

[hebel]

Thanks for the confirmation, atleast I'm early on in the process so can adjust course.