Physician Recruiting and How It Can Benefit Your Business

Physician recruitment takes an integrative approach to developing long-term working relationships between healthcare employers and qualified physicians.

Recruiters go beyond just finding candidates. They often visit internship sites and attend job fairs to form those bonds.

Understanding candidate motivations is a cornerstone of successful physician recruitment. Maybe they’re looking to advance their careers or improve their financial situation, but whatever the case, these headhunters can help your healthcare business thrive, and here’s how.

1. Recruiters are paid on a performance-based scale

A recruiter is a human resources professional who assists healthcare employers in finding qualified physicians to fill open positions. This process typically includes conducting background checks on candidates prior to interviewing and providing contract negotiation assistance.

In addition, the process also provides other services designed to speed up recruitment and hiring processes. Although recruitment of doctors can be a highly competitive field, successful headhunters have readily available strategies and tools that allow them to quickly find candidates to fill open roles with qualified physicians.

Physician recruiting firms can use social media to grow their candidate lists by using targeted messaging on Facebook and LinkedIn to both active and passive job seekers.

Engaging with prospective physicians through targeted messaging ensures that you can reach as many prospective physicians as possible, even in competitive markets like San Francisco, where competition for talent can be intense.

Recruiters must be committed to finding their clients the ideal match. This requires understanding what drives physicians to choose a practice and location considerations, such as proximity to schools and amenities, as well as offering unique opportunities not found in other workplaces.

2. They are responsible for sourcing candidates

Headhunters are responsible for screening, selecting and hiring physicians. Their services are of two types: permanent placement (for full-time employment) and placement (recruiting medical providers for temporary vacancies).

Recruiters must post job openings and interview candidates. Posting ads requires in-depth knowledge of the medical field while understanding the recruiting process thoroughly enough to provide recruiters with accurate information about the position’s benefits, location, and motivations for seeking employment.

Headhunters (https://www.science.org/content/article/what-are-headhunters-and-how-do-they-work) should be committed to finding doctors in an ideal position and never forcing them into an unwanted job.

They can further streamline recruiting by providing helpful resources such as contract negotiation assistance and office tours, while matching physicians with hospitals or physician groups that best match their career goals and personal life demands.

However, recruiting firms may be biased due to their fiduciary duty to paying clients. Some physicians reported that recruiters were more focused on selling than helping them find suitable positions.

It is important that you choose a reputable company and, if possible, discuss with colleagues who have worked with the company in the past.

3. They are paid based on the success of the Placement

Recruiters specialize in recruiting doctors for healthcare organizations that have vacancies, often paid on commission.

Some hospitals may reimburse these costs, and the costs may even be covered directly. While this arrangement can significantly lengthen candidate searches, most headhunters also receive some form of salary compensation from these arrangements.

The shortage of doctors creates challenges for healthcare facilities. Many hospitals and health systems are hiring local physicians to meet the growing demand. Recruiters in this field act as liaisons between employers and physicians and serve as advocates for both parties.

Recruiters play an essential role in the recruitment process, but can sometimes oversell jobs and misrepresent locations. To prevent this from happening, work with recruiters who understand your needs and culture; by working with managers who visit your practice, you can save both time and money by making sure the candidates they present meet your criteria.

Recruiters have vast experience in their field and understand the nuances of healthcare recruitment. They have an extensive network of physician contacts they can tap into to quickly find suitable candidates.

Headhunters can help candidates set realistic expectations for their job hunt. Helping them avoid applying for jobs they’re not qualified for while dispelling feelings of imposter syndrome.

4. They are paid based on the duration of the contract

Recruiters are charged with finding, screening, and interviewing physicians, such as: outlined here, according to the parameters set by their customers. They assist candidates at all stages of the hiring process, from application submission to contract negotiation and completion; relevant positions that match candidates’ lifestyle and career goals, and provide insight into what drives physician recruitment and retention.

Ask colleagues or search online to find potential hunters in your area. Once identified, learn more about their services while confirming that they have extensive knowledge in their chosen practice area.

A great medical recruiter will always be upfront about the opportunities they have for you. They will not represent workplaces with a culture of poor practices or an unhealthy work environment. They should sell you on local facilities and schools, as these are often a key factor when considering new positions for doctors.

Recruiters can be invaluable sources of information on compensation packages and benefits available to top candidates, such as malpractice insurance, relocation benefits, CME benefit loan repayment plans, 401(k) plans, or sign-on bonuses.