RecruitingDaily’s “Tips From A Biller” – David Pierpont

Tips from a Biller this week features David Pierpont, Founder of Prodigy Healthcare Staffing and Stonebridge & Company.  Dave has a long track record of success on all levels of staffing and recruiting, managing, training, and developing recruiting professionals.  Dave is based in Fairfield CT but recruits nationally.

RD: Hello Dave, tell us your primary specialty area? (physician, IT, Financial, Nursing, Executive, etc)
Pierpont: We specialize in two areas – Healthcare and our Clients.

RD:  Specializing in your clients is indeed important!  Can you share a bit about your recruiting background/experience?

Pierpont: I have been in healthcare recruitment for 18 years. Cutting my teeth with Weatherby Healthcare (back in the day) when the internet was but a mere glimmer in the industry’s eye, and recruiters learned how to close. After a number of years with Weatherby then CompHealth I found myself in a small boutique firm, for a short period before moving in-house with Saint Mary’s Health System where my role, interest, knowledge and horizon in healthcare management expanded dramatically. Medical staff development, practice management, physician network development and today’s newest buzzword physician integration, are all areas that  have touch points in recruitment. And understanding the needs of a medical practice, hospital or health system really has become the key to successfully being able to effectively deliver the service and result our clients expect. Stonebridge & Company is a representation of my beliefs and experiences in this professional field, where we work to the be the best at what we do, combining classical recruitment with the today’s technology to accurately  respond to our clients’ needs and candidates’ focuses.

RD: Thank you, tell us what skill do you utilize the most often to succeed in recruiting?
Pierpont: Listening.

RD:  And what is the best advice you ever received from a fellow recruiter?
Pierpont: Address the challenges “negatives” right up front. Doing this enables you to accurately assess the entire process for a single hiring transaction and in turn to become a credible resource for both your candidates and clients.

RD:  That is something that I think everyone can use a reminder on, you need to address the negatives to get a positive outcome!  What is your most rewarding experience running a desk?
Pierpont:  Saved a life ?? I received a call from the sister of a female pediatrician who was trapped in an abusive relationship. She was desperate to move her sister away from he abuser who had control of everything. She explained to me that I should never contact the Pediatrician’s home directly, and so we coordinated conference calls for three of us to continue with a covert operation, quietly moving this physician, changing the name on her license back to her maiden name, coordinating a single interview which won her an offer, and relocating her with no notice over a one day period to settle into a new community and new practice. Now that we have the internet I look her up occasionally to see if she is with the same group. She is. Now I don’t know that I saved her life, but for her sister characterizing the need in such a way, but I think/like to believe, that she is better off now  by me efforts.

RD:  Wow!  That is an incredible story!  Do you have a tip or advice you would share with a recruiter?
Pierpont: Listen.

RD:  I think I see a theme here!  So if you were not recruiting, you would rather be….
Pierpont: Rich,  fat and lazy – minus the fat and lazy part.  I enjoy many things – but ultimately I think I would be a teacher and coach – the coaching part is something l love to do now – and the teaching part is a natural extension of that.

To learn more about David Pierpont find him on Linked here

And click on this link for Stonebridge & Co.

“Tips From A Biller” is a regular feature here at RecruitingDaily.  Do you have a colleague that you would like to see featured?  What tips might you have to share with our readers?

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