25 Mar How to Use a Recruiter for Executive-Level Healthcare IT Roles
Executive level positions in the health IT industry continue to be in high demand since the HITECH law took effect, and it can be tough to find qualified candidates without help. Candidates for these roles are sought by companies such as major health providers, HMOs, hospitals, national chain pharmacies, universities, and government health agencies. Some of the tougher-to-fill HIT positions include:
- Vice President of Clinical Informatics
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
- Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics
- Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO)
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO)
They are high-profile positions within the companies, and as such are more easily filled via specialized, executive recruiting techniques performed by seasoned HIT recruiters with tightly focused candidate pools. And since there are two ways that recruiting firms can perform their searches, it’s important to understand the differences.
Retained Search
The goal of retained executive search is to fully relieve the company of the burden of finding top-tier, hard-to-fill executive-level vacancies. A dedicated healthcare IT recruiter works to locate the best person for the job no matter if she is actively looking for a job or not. The recruiter is responsible not only for sourcing passive candidates, but also handles everything from networking by attending industry seminars, performing in-depth interviews, salary negotiations and reference checking. Retained search does all the legwork for a company in finding top talent, from start to finish.
A bonus of retained search is that it typically comes with a longer guarantee, upwards of 12 months. This is highly focused, white-glove service performed by a single dedicated recruiter. With retained executive search the company makes an initial investment to find C-suite and VP level positions.
Contingent Search
The goal of contingent search is to help a company’s HR efforts to find mid-level talent. Working hand in hand with a recruiter, together you tap into candidate pools and search for the perfect match.
In contingency search, recruiters get paid if and when they fill a vacancy. Contingent is best for mid-level and line-level positions, and supplements a company’s own recruitment efforts. This type of search keeps initial costs lower and the agency only gets paid if position is filled. Contingent guarantees are typically 90 days.
Get the Right Help for the Right Positions
When you work with a staffing agency that can offer you flexibility, you’ll get the top talent you need in a way that pays off for your company. 1st Solution USA has the depth of experience and healthcare industry connections that grant you access to the kind of superior talent you otherwise couldn’t get.
When you’re trying fill a healthcare technology executive position, using an expert HIT retained recruiter is ideal because our entire pipeline of candidates comes from the healthcare space — and only healthcare. We don’t need to spend as much time as other firms who recruit in a variety of industries to research and build a candidate pool to tap into. We already have those pools established.
If your company searching for a top-level, highly skilled executive, we can help. We specialize in connecting employers with the most talented, experienced candidates who have leading-edge healthcare IT chops. Contact us now to land the staff you need.