5 Tips for Recruiting Physicians & Specialists in a Competitive Market

The healthcare landscape is changing. An aging population and the Affordable Care Act have led to an increased demand for physician services, while at the same time, the number of physicians has remained relatively static. It has created a seller's market for doctors, which means that employers need to step up their recruitment strategies for physicians in order to attract the best and brightest. Let’s discuss how healthcare organizations can optimize specialist and physician recruitment strategies.

What Makes Recruiting Physicians and Specialists Different?

When it comes to how to recruit physicians and specialists, healthcare employers face a unique challenge. Compared with recruiting nurses or administrative professionals, hiring doctors requires a different set of skills, plus specialized knowledge of the physician landscape. This means that healthcare employers must invest in learning how to target and attract high-caliber physicians effectively. Primarily, how recruiting physicians must go beyond offering basic hiring bonuses.

To attract the best of the best in physicians, organizations must consider how their opportunities benefit the physician in terms of how it helps them advance their career, how it will impact their quality of life, and how they fit into the environment as part of a team. Ultimately, when recruiting physicians, developing relationships – both with the physician candidate and their family – is paramount.

Top 5 Recruitment Strategies for Physicians and Specialists

When strategizing the best way to recruit physicians, healthcare organizations should examine the profession itself, focus on career planning in a broader sense, leverage personal or employee networks, use a multimodal approach to advertisements and outreach, and consider the physician’s entire family in the hiring process.

1. Understand the Profession.

To successfully recruit physicians, it’s essential to speak their language and understand what they prioritize. It is important to start by researching the physician’s specialty. Consider the industry trends in terms of salary, benefits packages, and job duties so that you can make a competitive offer.

Physician specialists have varying roles in the healthcare system, in contrast to other healthcare disciplines which often have standardized roles. For example, a physician may be involved in intake, assessment, intervention, and transition of care across multiple units whereas a nurse is often assigned to a single unit.

Therefore, physicians will often ask about not only salary, hours, and job duties but also how the hospital system works as a whole. Be prepared to not only talk about their specific duties, but also their specialty in the context of the larger healthcare organization.

2. Focus on Career Planning.

When recruiting physicians, it’s important to focus on the long-term career opportunities they will have within your organization. Physicians and specialists need to be shown that their career paths will continue to evolve within your system so they can enjoy long-term success. Discuss not only salary and benefits but professional development as well, such as continuing education, leadership programs, and research opportunities.

For surgeons, specifically, they will often want to know the size of the operating rooms and any plans for expansion. Highlight aspects such as robotic surgery, minimally invasive techniques, or innovative research programs that are in the works within the healthcare system.

For hospitalists, consultants, and other physicians, they may be looking for a job that offers more flexibility or outside interests. Show them the opportunities to pursue their own research and medical writing on top of the traditional clinical duties associated with their specialty.

3. Leverage Personal Networks.

The medical community is tight-knit and referrals from trusted colleagues and mentors can go a long way in helping to recruit physicians. Employers should work to extend their reach by building relationships with key influencers such as physician associations, research centers, and universities. In turn, these connections can lead to physician referrals and help you create a positive employer brand in the medical community.

One of the easiest ways to streamline recruitment for physicians is to partner with a local university or medical school. Develop relationships with faculty, attend career fairs and sponsor research opportunities that would be attractive to medical students. If your hospital system is not already, consider starting a resident program for specialties that are difficult to hire in your area.

Even without academic connections, you can leverage your current physician pool to source referrals. Offer incentives for successful referrals and make sure to explain the job duties and requirements clearly so that you get only qualified candidates.

Create an Account to Find High-Quality Physicians

Start Hiring

4. Use a Multichannel Approach.

In today’s digital age, a multichannel recruitment strategy for physicians is essential. Employers should use traditional methods such as job boards and print ads, but also expand to newer channels like social media and email campaigns. Social media can be particularly effective for recruiting physicians since the medical community is likely already engaging with you on these platforms. Use physician-specific social media groups and channels such as KiKo XP to meet doctors where they are.

Email outreach is another powerful tool for recruiting physicians. Utilize a CRM system or other automated software to send out personalized messages to physician prospects, as well as job postings to multiple relevant listservs and newsletters. And don’t forget about other digital marketing strategies like pay-per-click campaigns and display ads.

These channels should be used in conjunction with industry events like medical conferences and career fairs. Participating in these kinds of events is a great way to meet potential candidates face-to-face as well as connect with other industry players.

5. Involve the Family.

Following the years of medical school, residency, and fellowship, physicians often have a number of family members in tow. It’s important to not forget about their needs when recruiting physicians, as the whole package must be attractive for them to make a successful move.

Be sure to discuss opportunities and resources available to spouses and children – things like childcare, education programs, and career coaching can all be major factors in a physician’s recruitment decision. You should also be prepared to discuss the overall quality of life and culture at your hospital or health system, and show how it can benefit their family members as well.

Ask early in the process what the spouse does for work and if they would need to relocate as a part of the move. You may often be working to hire the physician’s spouse at the same hospital system as much as the physician themselves. Additionally, consider providing relocation assistance for the entire family in order to make the transition smoother.

By taking these extra steps, employers can increase their chances of successfully recruiting talented physicians and help them feel welcomed when they arrive.

The Best Recruitment Strategies for Physicians

These strategies will go a long way toward helping you successfully figure out how to recruit physicians – but remember to stay flexible if needed. The medical industry is constantly changing, and with it, the needs of today’s physicians. Being able to adjust your physician recruitment approach as needed is key to finding the right fit for both you and your new physician hire.