Interviewing for a new job? Start off on a stress-free foot

Interviewing for a new job? If you’re like other young doctors and lifestyle is an important factor for you, say so from the start.

“When you interview, take a stand,” advises David Frenz, MD, medical director for mental health and addiction care at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.

Consider options—prior to receiving a job offer—that are more viable today than ever, like working part time and job-sharing, suggests Deb Wood, PhD, senior consultant and certified employee assistance professional with Minneapolis-based VITAL Worklife, a national behavioral health consulting organization.

Everyone obsesses over compensation, but lifestyle is just as important. “Savvy applicants look at the big picture—especially the stuff that is harder to quantify—and ask for what they need.” – David Frenz, MD, St. Joseph’s Hospital. Tweet this.

“You can discuss call with organizations,” Dr. Wood says, citing one organization that began using hospitalists to take admissions when it started to lose physicians who didn’t want to take call. Also look for perks like childcare and wellness and concierge services. Consider this example Dr. Wood gave of one physician who spilled his coffee at work. A concierge hired by the practice was able to handle the cleaning so the doctor didn’t have to find time for that errand.

When another physician was relocating, she gave her lists of needs—from a nanny to an interior designer to a local garage—and the organization handled those requests. “It was part of the deal,” Dr. Wood says. “That took the stress off for her.”

Dr. Frenz mentions a young psychiatrist that his organization heavily recruited, but who was clearly concerned about avoiding burnout. His requirements? Straight salary instead of a production-based contract, no call and no weekends.

“He was such a good fit for the organization that we met those demands,” Dr. Frenz says. Everyone obsesses over compensation, he adds, but lifestyle is just as important. “Savvy applicants look at the big picture—especially the stuff that is harder to quantify—and ask for what they need.”

 

Watch our interview from ACP, May 2016, with Paula Johnson, MBA, CMPE, director of physician recruitment for CoxHealth. She focuses on the importance finding out what prospective employees enjoy outside of the workplace in order to find the perfect fit.