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Elizabeth Brite, Business Development Executive, Healthcare Technology at Oxford, is a fierce friend to her clients. Her focus on developing and maintaining relationships with them led her to a 19-year career with Oxford that continues to grow. Read this article to learn more about what truly makes a successful Business Development Executive at Oxford.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: I went to school at Texas Christian University, and when I graduated, I went to Oxford.
Q: How long have you been with Oxford?
A: 19 years.
Q: What daily habits do you recommend for success?
A: Lots of coffee, a good night’s sleep, and preparing for the day. I prioritize and list out what I should do each day. I’ve done it for so long it comes naturally. I make sure I’m ready to go before I start working.
Q: What is one of your greatest achievements to date (personal or professional)?
A: I’m proud of my personal and professional relationships with my clients. Outside of work, I’ve even helped some of them plan their weddings and baby showers. My clients are my favorite part of the job.
Q: What attributes do you think are most important in a leader?
A: I would say respect, honesty, and a willingness to step up and help when needed. When you’re a leader, you set a bar, and you need to make sure that it’s consistent, not constantly moving.
Q: What skills do you think will be most in-demand in 2022?
A: I would say cloud migrations, digital experience, telehealth, and AI. Epic is going strong, and we’re also seeing a lot of mergers and acquisitions as well as hospital system integrations. We’re in a new world now; Covid changed a lot of things.
Q: As technology continues to advance, how do you see that impacting the recruiting and staffing industry?
A: Since Covid hit, we have seen many rapid changes with telehealth as well as a focus on value-based care. Another result is the ability to adapt quickly to abrupt changes. Hospitals have to reprioritize rapidly and make changes to their workflows when something truly disruptive like a pandemic happens. We’ll all get through it together.
Q: How do you define customer care?
A: Being available when your clients need you. My clients have my cell phone number, so they can reach me any time. I have a very good relationship with them, and I think it’s vital to treat them like real people, to know them, and have an open rapport with them. It’s not all about the sale. I genuinely like my clients. So when they reach out, I respond quickly and make sure they know they’re a priority.
Q: What advice would you give to individuals interested in consulting?
A: Consulting is a totally different world. For instance, are you willing to spend four nights a week in a hotel away from your family and loved ones? It’s a fast-paced atmosphere; you’re expected to be an expert at what you do, so they’re going to pay you at an expert price. It’s an adventure, but you’ve got to be ready to undertake it.
Q: How do you support driving change with your colleagues based on strategic business decisions?
A: I am someone who personally does not take change very well. However, I understand that things are constantly changing, and we have to move with it. I’m usually hesitant at first with change, but then, when I see the light, I’m all for it.
Q: What do you like best about working with your team?
A: We all have a good working relationship, so we can lean on each other and ask questions. It’s nice to be able to bounce ideas off of each other. Whatever the problem, one of us has probably been through it at some point and knows how to handle it.
Q: How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
A: Since becoming a mom, I only work in the office two days a week – Oxford has been very flexible. I’m a mom first, but my job is also very important to me. I never hesitate to take a work call with a kid around or if I’m at a grocery store. My clients have learned that my children might be around, and they’re ok with that. I don’t think anyone will judge me if I’m doing something with my family on my own time. They know that if they need me, I’m going to be there for them. I never shut it off. But being a mom, you learn how to multitask pretty efficiently.
Q: Why Oxford?
A: Oxford offers our clients the best resources, and we do our due diligence to ensure we have references in place. We have a credentialing team that helps with our onboarding, and our consultants seem to be happiest when they’re with us. Our overall process – from when we first hear of the need until the time we fill it – goes very smoothly, and we’re able to respond quickly.
We also pay our consultants weekly rather than whenever the client pays us. So we’re quick to reimburse expenses. We get a lot of consultants as referrals from other consultants. In the market, everyone knows who the best of the best are, and they’re typically working with us or soon will be.
For our internal employees, I think as with any sales job – whether it’s recruiting or account management – it’s all based on how hard you want to work for something or how much you want to succeed. Oxford has a strong database to start with, and we have great benefits. There’s also flexibility to work from home. There are incentives from quarterly goals to yearly goals and our annual sales trip. Whether you’ve worked for six months or 19 years, anyone can be successful here.
For me personally, I would say Oxford allows me a lot of flexibility as a parent. Our bonus incentive program is good. I love my management; they let me do my thing. But above everything else, it’s my clients. I come to work every day for my clients because they are the best.
Q: What is your work motto/favorite quote on success?
A: Live life in the moment.
Elizabeth’s strong work ethic, positive attitude, and dedication to her clients make her an essential member of the Oxford family. As she continues to take on new roles and responsibilities, her future at Oxford looks Brite.