There's a lot we could learn from the Maître D’

Imagine that there is a restaurant you walk past every day on the way back home from work. Something about it piques your interest – the weekend is coming up, and you have friends from out of town visiting. You wonder if the restaurant would be a good place to bring them, so you decide to have a quick chat with the host, who stands at the front. How would you want that host to behave?

I was appointed as lead for recruitment to the FMLM Trainee Steering Group (TSG) when it was founded in 2012. I had little idea of what was expected – the word ‘recruitment’ had always conjured up images of twentysomethings dressed in grey suits, interviewing other twentysomethings in the offices of a very tall building.

One of the advantages of serving a small, new organisation is the scope for flexibility and creativity, and I was allowed to make the role my own. I will be stepping down in the New Year, and if I could offer one guiding principle for teams, committees and organisations that may be recruiting trainee doctors, no matter what their size or purpose, it would be to view the process as akin to being a good host for a restaurant.

• A good host should greet customers with a smile…

…because their first impression may be based on you. 
Many junior doctors can attest to a distinct lack of courtesy and enthusiasm during the many recruitment processes they have been through. I have always been very mindful of the fact that I am the first point of contact for most doctors interested in joining the TSG. There is no reason that recruiters cannot be friendly and professional at the same time. This intimacy is certainly easier to achieve in smaller organizations, but larger ones can still aspire to this.

• A host should answer the phone promptly…

…as ringing a restaurant to make or change reservations without success is frustrating. 
The same can be said for candidates making enquiries into an organization’s recruitment process. In the era of email overload, we made a conscious effort to prioritise messages from candidates during a recruitment phase, and always aimed to reply on the same day.

• Know what is on offer.

A good host should be able to offer in-depth knowledge of their restaurant that goes beyond what customers can read online or by looking at the menu. Similarly, recruiters should be able to offer insights into their organisation’s purpose and direction, how it functions and communicates.

• Organise the basic tools of the job.

Hosts need very little equipment to do their job – perhaps a pen to write down names, a seating chart, and a list of names, and nothing else. Without these, the job becomes impossible. 
When we have been recruiting, we have always been fastidious about making sure links to application forms were working, and that the technology we used for the remote interviews – usually the Go To Meeting app – was setup and working; and if it didn’t, that there was a back-up plan. If these things are not in place and secure, they can delay and drag out the process for everyone involved.

• A host should keep the unique needs of customers in mind and be prepared to make special accommodations.

Customers may arrive late; they may have disabilities, or have young children with them. A host should be prepared to accommodate as much as possible. 
We have always been aware that many doctors in training lead busy lives, working full time clinical or research jobs, and have families. We have thus always sought to be flexible with our interview schedules. We do not want to miss out on talent because of heavy on-call rotas or childcare.

• Communicate with the restaurant…

…because they will give you an idea of how things are at the back of the house – is the restaurant getting too full, or are they out of a certain dish? 
Recruiters should not work separately from the rest of the organisation; they should involve them as much as possible. We always asked fellow TSG members to sit on interview panels, especially outgoing members. Though we recruit trainees, we work closely with consultants and senior leaders, and have had them on panels as much possible. This provided the candidates opportunities to ask questions about the TSG and FMLM; and also allowed us to get feedback on the process.

• Be ready to change roles…

…as sometimes hosts are required to help serve food, or to clean up when the restaurant is busy. 
At times, I had to step in as an interviewer for certain roles because of sickness, for example.

• Be proactive in telling customers about delays and waiting times.

Deadlines shift; sometimes there is a change to the process, and it is helpful to be proactive in informing candidates about these.

• When the restaurant is full, turn people away politely…

…because they are potential customers. 
We always offer candidates who have not been successful individualised feedback that is constructive and detailed. My recollection of feedback from national specialty recruitment in particular is that one is often told where they have fallen short, but very rarely what could be done better. We believe that each application and interview should be an opportunity to learn, no matter what the outcome is. This means they can return to us as a stronger candidate, should they wish to re-apply.

• It’s not just about filling seats for the sake of it.

A good host can make a huge difference to the future of the restaurant. 
Recruiters should see themselves as being shapers of the organisation they are serving; it is more than just plugging the gaps. We have always done our best to be friendly but we believe in making the process challenging because we want to attract individuals who will challenge us, and thus in turn, help the TSG and FMLM to evolve.