Best Practices

How to interview an MD candidate on the phone

The key is in the preparation and asking the right questions.

By Richard C. Koval, MPA, CMPE

Richard C. Koval, MPA, CMPE, is a principal and senior consultant with BSM Consulting, an internationally recognized health-care consulting firm headquartered in Incline Village, Nev., and Scottsdale, Ariz. More information about the author, BSM Consulting or content/resources discussed in this article are available at www.BSMCafe.com.

An effective telephone interview process can help you get better-qualified candidates for an associate MD while minimizing your recruitment cost and time. Success does not happen by accident, although many practices approach the telephone interview casually and without appropriate preparation. Here are a few thoughts to consider before you begin this stage.

WHAT PHONE INTERVIEW SHOULD ACHIEVE

The telephone interview usually follows the preliminary qualification of the candidate based on review of the CV and e-mail transmittal. The candidate who fails to meet qualifications for the position because of questionable training or experience, or both, is not worth further consideration.

The telephone interview should accomplish four main goals, enabling:

• The practice to clarify and expand upon written information the candidate submitted.

• The candidate to clarify and expand upon the practice’s description of the opportunity.

• Both parties to assess their potential commonalities and compatibility.

• Both parties to determine the wisdom of a subsequent on-site visit.

WHAT TO ASK

Note that the interview is not an interrogation of the candidate, but rather an exchange of information leading to an informed decision by both the practice and candidate regarding the next step to take. Ideally, your questions should engage the candidate and provide a glimpse of the individual’s thought processes.

For example, you might ask:

• What is the biggest disappointment you’ve faced in your life? Then follow up with: How did you deal with that?

• Tell about the individual in your training program you’ve found most frustrating to work with. Follow this up with: What did you learn from that experience?

• Who did you find to be the one person in your life who has most influenced your success?

A tale to tell

Prompting the candidate to “tell a story” can lead to helpful insights as you evaluate how he or she fits within your practice. An unexpected question such as, “What will we learn about you after six months that wouldn’t have been obvious to us in the interview?” can be a good test of the candidate’s poise.

Asking the candidate, “What do you know about us?” can be a helpful gauge to measure how well the candidate prepared for the call and how serious she or he is about the position.

Stay in bounds

As a rule, your questions must focus on aspects relevant to the position. Employment law prohibits asking questions unrelated to bona fide requirements of the job. Among the forbidden topics are questions relating about a person’s religion, childbearing plans, nationality, age or other potentially discriminatory aspects. Be sure to consult with your attorney if you have questions about such issues.

THE CANDIDATES’ TURN

Also, be prepared to answer the candidate’s questions. These may involve:

• His or her short-term and long-term compensation potential.

• Why you believe this individual’s personal practice will succeed and in what time frame.

• Events of a typical week in the practice.

If applicable, the key terms expected for eventual co-ownership, including timing, ownership percentage and how pricing would be determined. In most instances, the telephone interview will require at least one hour and should be conducted when both parties are free of interruptions. If the candidate’s qualifications and the practice’s requirements seem to match, an invitation for on-site interview would be the next step. OM