How to Evaluate & Negotiate Job Offers in Healthcare

Benefits can help make a lower salary palatable if the offerings go above and beyond the average benefits package. A few common components include paid time off, health/life insurance, 401(k) matching, and stock options. If two companies offer you similar salaries but one provides a better benefits package, this can help you make a more informed offer. Robust benefits packages can add up to thousands of dollars of indirect monetary benefits. If your employer provides health insurance and 401(k) matching, for instance, these are two expenses that you can avoid.

It’s also okay to negotiate your benefits. Common areas for discussion include number of paid days off, type of health insurance, access to company computer or cellphone, continuing education funding/reimbursement, and flexibility around working from home or changing your schedule.

Understanding the type of contract being offered is essential to making an informed decision. There are a few different considerations in this area, some of which we look at in this section.

It’s important to understand whether you’re receiving an offer to work as a salaried employee or an independent contractor. Salaried workers gain access to benefits and have their taxes and insurance costs taken out of their pay as an employee. Independent contractors must cover overhead costs such as insurance, taxes, and technology. They also do not receive any type of benefits.

You should also ascertain whether you will work as an at-will or contract employee. At-will workers can be terminated from their job at any time with no notice and no reason. Those who hold contracts receive certain rights and protections around wrongful termination and must be given warning and/or severance pay in the event of being let go.

Lastly, find out if the contract includes a non-compete clause. Some contracts may include language that disallows you from working for a competitor company or starting a business that could act as a rival to your current employer. Some non-competes can last for years after you leave a company, so make sure you understand what you sign.

One of the most important considerations you can make when vetting a potential employer is the company culture. Given that you will spend the majority of your time awake at your place of work, the atmosphere can make or break your experience.

If in a client-facing role, ask about the patient-to-provider ratio. Companies that overload their workers with a large caseload typically see higher levels of turnover. Even if your work is more administrative, take time to learn more about what current and past employers say about their experience. Glassdoor offers company reviews posted by workers, but you can also reach out to individuals on LinkedIn. Try to focus your questions on topics such as company culture, leadership styles, and organizational reputation.

Professional development and continuing education programming play an important role in the world of healthcare, as many jobs require professionals to hold licensure. To renew their licenses, workers must meet certain professional development standards.

After working in your current role for a while, it’s also possible that you decide to pursue additional education, such as qualifications required to move from a registered nurse to a nurse practitioner.

Regardless of your educational needs, finding an employer that supports both your required and optional programming can make a big difference. A few questions you should find answers to include:

• Will this employer pay for certifications or continuing education?
• If the company will, what are its expectations around how long you must work there to receive education benefits?
• What is the company culture and philosophy when it comes to its employees continuing to grow education-wise in their career and the company?

Understanding exactly what your job entails and which responsibilities you’re expected to take on can help clear up confusion and ensure both parties understand what is being agreed upon in a job contract. Being a team player is a great quality, but jobs that lack firmly defined responsibilities can also make it difficult to set boundaries and develop work-life balance. A few questions to ask during the process include:

• Does the contract layout how many hours per week you are expected to work?
• Does it clearly state how overtime is handled, both in frequency and in pay structure?
• Does the job being offered align with your existing education and training?
• How do this role and its responsibilities help get you closer to your ultimate career goal?
• Does it make sense to take the role if it doesn’t?

Finding a job that offers opportunities for advancement allows you to stay at the same company and build your career over time rather than moving to multiple employers as you take on more senior-level roles. When going through the interview process, it’s a good idea to ask if the role comes with a clear advancement path. Taking a dead-end job can sometimes be advantageous when trying to enter the healthcare arena, but jobs that lack any opportunities for receiving a promotion leave you with little options but to seek employment elsewhere after a couple of years in the role.

When asking about career advancement opportunities, pay close attention to how the hiring manager responds. Do they seem to have clear answers about this process? Companies that value employee retention and growth should be able to provide a well thought out answer.

Because you must drive to or take public transportation twice daily to go to and from your place of work, considering its location is important. Does the compensation package offered align with the cost of living for the area? Will the cost of traveling back and forth take up a substantial portion of your pay? If you need to relocate for the job, does the company offer financial assistance? Working further afield from your office can work, but the employer should offer space to negotiate terms. If getting to the office every day seems like it will take up too much of your time, ask about policies regarding work from home.

Working with your new employer to select a start date that works for both parties is an important part of the negotiation process, especially if your current company requires a specific period of notice. Leaving a previous employer on bad terms is never advisable, especially in regard to using them as a reference in the future, so try to get your new supervisor to work with you on finding a date that supports the needs of everyone.

Get a job now! Workers are needed out there. Graduation is even being moved up for medical students. Once this recedes, things will get back to normal, but it may take some time.

So many medical staff have traveled to COVID-19 hotspots. It’s the exact opposite of the “work from home” shift the rest of us have to follow!

We’re already seeing signs that hospitals are under strain when it comes to permanent employment. Coronavirus is financially wrecking the healthcare sector as well. We expect that more workers will move around and take part-time or temporary roles. Employers are shifting from stable jobs to flexible freelance work in exchange for giving folks more freedom.

Telemedicine is also being established in a huge way right now. Reliable video calling and well-funded startups are finally in place. You probably didn’t use telehealth because insurers strongly resisted paying for telehealth like in-person services. This crisis has forced temporary financial changes that may become permanent. If you want to work remotely full-time, then telehealth may become a viable career path.

When we try to match healthcare employees with clinicians, we find that they’re not prepared to submit documentation on time. That’s a mistake – candidates have to be organized and plan ahead. Healthcare has more bureaucracy than other fields. If you’re not ready to provide credentials and references, someone else will be. Taking too long to submit your certifications leaves a bad impression that can sink an otherwise great application.

Medical employees are typically ready to work from day one. Seeing patients is what they’ve been trained to do well. Clinicians become more valuable the longer they’re at a job, but many times just having another trained pair of hands is what’s important. That’s why so many healthcare jobs are on limited contracts or temporary in nature. Doctors love to work hard for several months and then take time off – and health systems are typically built to accommodate that.