While most businesses tend to slow down over the holidays, physician recruitment does the opposite. The end of the year is a time when candidates are more available for interviews. Physicians, who are dissatisfied with their current position, start considering new opportunities as part of their New Year goals. Residents and fellows begin solidifying their post-training practice venues. They’re all gearing up to take action, which means we also need to be ready.
During a webinar I recently provided for a client organization, I shared the three “mission-critical” components of successful physician recruitment:
1. Define the Position
The best way to ensure success is to clearly define the position from the candidate’s perspective. How do the features of your offering benefit a candidate? That being said, who will be most attracted by the opportunity? Does what you’re offering match who you’re targeting? If not, adjust either the offering or your search criteria.
To test how well your position matches your search criteria review your practice offerings with “test” providers – those who “match” your ideal candidates. These providers can shed some light on the benefits that, from a candidate’s perspective, will be the most enticing. (Remember, every opportunity has three distinct components: professional, personal and financial. Your offer might not be the the “best” in all areas, but as long as the position offers more positives than negatives, you’re good to go.)
2. Sell the Position
Once you’ve clearly articulated the benefits, be sure that your recruitment team can effectively sell the opportunity. To find out, ask the questions a candidate might ask. Debriefing your team tests not only their depth of knowledge but also their response “script.” Sharing suggestions (maybe as simple as offering a different way of saying something) can help prepare your ambassadors to really “pitch” the position. This is also a good opportunity to review your team’s interviewing approaches so that they don’t all ask the same questions.
3. Manage the Process
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to manage the process, but a critical piece is having a “point” person, a liaison who will make sure that all of the “hand-offs” flow as they should. This sounds easy enough, but as I work with organizations, this is the step that makes a real difference. Some organizations involve lots of different stakeholders, so recruiters have to work just as hard to manage the team as they do the candidates. Others involve very few, which raises “red flags” for candidates who wonder if the organization is hiding something. A good point person provides the finesse and balance that brings the art and science of recruitment together. It takes a strong person with incredible management skills and credibility – with both internal stakeholders and candidates – to effectively pull it all together.
While clinical activity might be slowing down, recruitment is really heating up. ‘Tis the season to package up your benefits, help your team to “put their best foot forward”, and deliver a gift that keeps on giving year after year: successful recruits.