Featured Recruiter - Derek Sawyer

Posted on Mon, Feb 15, 2016
Featured Recruiter - Derek Sawyer

Looking to make a career change? Meet recruiter Derek Sawyer!

Name: Derek Sawyer    

Division: Alliance

Position: recruiter

Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Stetson University

Location: based in Clearwater office (recruiting locations are all over)

Years with EmCare: just over 3

Years in the recruiting field? About 10 now

Why did you decide to become a recruiter? Didn’t even know it was a field when I first interviewed for the position. Just fell into it and was lucky that it fit me nicely.

How does your experience enable you to connect candidates with the right positions? I think the top two qualities of a recruiter are being able to listen and being resourceful. Instead of operating a cookie cutter, I simply try to gather as much data as possible and then rely on creativity and past experience to find unique solutions that fit providers wherever they are specifically in their career.

What makes EmCare different from other EM groups? The possibilities are endless. EmCare has such a diverse client group that there is always a new opportunity or position being developed. All of the unique fellowships, clinical sub-specialties and leadership openings that have been popping up lately have led to new areas of opportunity that weren’t even thought of a few years ago.

Describe your ideal candidate. Someone that is honest with me and more importantly themselves. Everyone is different but having an open dialogue about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) is the best way to ensure that there are no unforeseen issues down the road.

How important is the “relationship” between recruiter and candidate? Extremely.

What do you like most about working at EmCare? Building relationships.

What do you enjoy outside of work? Cooking and anything on the water.

What’s your favorite inspirational quote? Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

What qualities make a successful recruiter? Hard work, availability and provider-first mentality.

What should residents do now to prepare themselves for future hiring opportunities? Make a list of preferences. This may seem silly, but openings come in all shapes and sizes, so it can be very difficult to compare unless you are very specific with your wants and needs in the beginning. Loans, family situation, location, clinical setting, future opportunities, etc., all are factors in determining what position will best suit both your long- and short-term goals.

Can you give an example of something a candidate has done that really impressed you during the recruiting process? Research. One of the more impressive interviews I went on was with a candidate who knew as much about the hospital as I did by the time we arrived onsite. He knew the CEO’s background and alma mater, which immediately started the meeting on the right foot. He pulled articles about challenges in the area and was prepared to speak on them as well as ask very pointed questions based on them.

What “insider tips” do you have for anyone applying to EmCare? Track down a recruiter and speak to them directly. The internet is a great tool for research but direct communication is most definitely the best bet.

Where do you look for candidates? Referrals are always my favorite way to recruit but certainly social media and the internet play a huge role these days. Those media are a great way to see what’s out there and compare with other geographical locations.

Tell me about your ideal candidate. What kind of clinical and educational experience is in demand now? Certainly clinical training and experience are of the utmost importance but there is another factor that seems to carry just as much weight lately and that is leadership. Not necessarily being a director but being able to lead the emergency department and all staff while on shift. As hospitals rely more and more on the emergency department as the hospital front door it can be difficult to juggle all the goals and responsibilities that are present. This makes it critical to establish great relationships with other providers, ancillary departments and most importantly the nursing staff to keep the team operating at the highest efficiency level possible.

Tell us something that most people at work don't know about you. I am an open book, so most of my coworkers know more than they bargained for!

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or historical, who would you choose and why? Tough one but I think Nelson Mandela would be pretty high on the list. Humility is a trait that I respect immensely and he is a personification of that. He also was a big sports fan which I can relate to as well…

What’s the most interesting place that you’ve been? I used to live in Portland, Ore., and while I am a bigger fan of the warm weather, I really enjoyed all the unique outdoor activities to do up there.

What personal accomplishment are you most proud of? Eagle Scout.

Blog post currently doesn't have any comments.