As a recruiter, getting to a confirmation agreement is the ultimate goal, but first your bid needs to be selected by a healthcare organization (HCO). With so many bids out there, how do you make yours stand out? During the 2020 Educational Conference, Amy Little, director of online workflow management, shared three tips for creating an eye-catching presentation in Locumsmart so you can win more bids.
1. Don’t skimp on details
Before you can get a provider working, you need to make a good presentation. In the Locumsmart platform, this starts with the provider profile.
Little recommends providing as much information as possible when creating your provider’s profile. Make sure to include all of your provider’s certifications and licenses, because this information will carry over into your bid. “If you’re bidding to a site in Oregon, and the provider has an Oregon license but you haven’t put that in the profile, that’s going to reflect negatively in the bid score,” says Little.
Filling in all relevant fields – even ones you don’t think you’ll need for this specific assignment, like holiday or overtime rates – gives HCOs a fuller understanding of the physician. “If a site wants to extend a provider’s assignment, they know what the rates are, and they don’t need to negotiate them. It saves time and makes it more likely they’ll be extended,” Little says.
She also recommends taking full advantage of the “other details” box. “This is the best place to sell your provider,” she says. “What makes them stand out? Why is this the best provider for the job?” You can provide any information the HCO might find relevant – certifications, specific date and time availability, EHRs the provider has experience with, or any malpractice issues.
The more accurately you can present the provider, the better the site can assess if it’s the right provider for them, says Little.
2. Leave productive comments
Using comments during the bid process is a great way to maintain a productive workflow and get your assignment confirmed faster. Not only does it act as the “one point of truth," according to Little, it also serves as a direct line of communication to the HCO.
If you leave a comment on a bid, the message will remain private and can only be seen by the HCO, not other agencies. These comments can be used in the same way one uses email, but it’s important to make sure your messages are productive, says Little.
Asking for an update with no other context isn’t helpful, she says. Instead, provide additional information about the provider to prompt a response by the HCO. In situations where an HCO isn’t responding, Locumsmart staff can intervene and attempt to keep the workflow going.
Keep in mind that comments left on assignment requests are public and can be seen by anyone who’s opened that request. Don’t leave proprietary information in these comments, and instead use them to ask clarifying questions about the assignment. For example, does the provider need a Florida license? What does the nursing staff at the site look like? This can help agencies determine which provider is right for the job.
3. Pay attention to the provider score
Every time you submit a bid, your provider receives a score. This score is calculated by Locumsmart and is a way for HCOs to quickly see how closely a provider matches their needs. Sometimes, a score can be inaccurate because the provider’s profile is missing information.
You can look at your provider’s score by hovering over it to see which elements are missing. For example, if your provider is receiving a zero percent match for the ‘license score’ section, but you know the provider has a license for the state they’re bidding, you can update that information in their profile. It will then update their score, resulting in a higher number – and a better chance at securing the bid.
If you have questions about submitting bids or want to improve how you use Locumsmart, contact us at support@locumsmart.net.