How to recruit physicians is the biggest question healthcare organizations are facing today. So many physicians are suffering through burnout for many reasons namely long working hours, less time with patients, lack of resources and higher administrative tasks.
This burnout among physicians is the ultimate cause of physician shortage and makes the physician recruitment process challenging.
Before we discuss how to recruit physicians let me ask you a few questions.
- For how long did your last physician work at your place?
- Was he satisfied with your work culture?
- Was he happy with the compensation you offered?
- Had you taken enough care of your most important caregiver?
If your answer to the above questions is “yes”, then you don’t have to worry about finding physicians to recruit, and if your answer is “No” then, let me tell you first you have to work on your end.
Medicines can cure diseases but only doctors can cure patients: Carl Jung
Patients don’t come to your hospitals for all the modern amenities you are giving them, they are coming because you have the most qualified, experienced, and empathetic doctors.
That’s why physician recruiting and retaining is vital for any healthcare organization.
But the recruitment of physicians is not as easy as it looks when
- 58% of physicians want to change their career path
- 34% of physicians looking to change jobs due to burnout
- 40% of currently practicing physicians will reach the eligible retirement age
Physician recruiting has become very challenging because of many reasons, let’s discuss some of them in brief to get a better understanding of the market.
Challenges of Physician Recruiting
According to a study by the Association of American Medical colleges, there would be a shortage of 1,22,000 physicians by 2032. This will make the recruitment of quality physicians even more challenging. Let’s see some of the challenges in the physician recruiting process.
1) Lower talent supply
Because of increased chronic disease and the increased number of baby boomers, the number of patients has outpaced the number of doctors.
Not only that, but the number of doctors passed out each year from the school is also less. This has resulted in a big gap in the demand and supply of doctors.
Every year the demand for physicians is increasing at the rate of 11-19% while the supply of physicians is increasing at the rate of 9%.
2) Finding quality employees
Just because there is a huge demand for physicians, recruiters will not hire anyone! Recruiting qualified and experienced physicians is highly essential.
That’s why recruiters have to depend upon high-quality medical institutions. Lengthy interviews and in-depth research can be useful for organizations to evaluate the candidate.
3) Demographic challenges
Along with high pay, good working experience, and work-life balance, employees prefer a quality lifestyle. And they believe the quality of life is good in metropolitan cities, so there is comparatively less shortage of physicians than in rural areas.
Rural areas are facing a high shortage of physicians which takes a year to fill.
4) Lengthy recruitment cycle
The most difficult challenge of recruiting physicians is the time-consuming recruitment process. It takes several months to a year to fill the place; meanwhile, the existing staff becomes overwhelmed by the workload. This leads to dissatisfaction among patients and hits the reputation of your organization.
5) High expectations of physicians
In the urge of having a work-life balance and to prevent burnout, many physicians want to work for limited hours but demand high pay. This makes it difficult for healthcare organizations to find physicians to recruit.
How to Find Physicians to Recruit
The challenges in the physician recruitment process are real, but you can take some actions to combat these challenges. Let us make your physician recruiting process as smooth as possible by showing the best way to recruit physicians.
1) Contact medical organizations
One of the first answers of how to find physicians to recruit is to contact medical organizations. National medical organizations help many professionals to get jobs through various job boards and employment search tools.
By contacting such organizations, it would be easy for you to find qualified doctors for the available position in your organization.
If you are looking for niche-based physicians, such as oncologists, or cardiologists then going to specialized national academies to conduct the search would be a great help.
2) Get in touch with medical school and residency program
If the positions you are looking to fill up are suitable for freshers, then considering the aspiring physicians from the medical schools and residency programs can be the one of the best ways to recruit physicians.
Get in touch with the placement department of medical schools and discuss the options for screening candidates based on their resumes.
You can even take part in a job fair where you can promote your healthcare organization and meet the doctors looking for jobs.
3) Take the help of a physician’s database
Targeting the potential candidate is one of the best ways to recruit physicians. For that, you need a reliable and accurate database of candidates looking for new opportunities.
If you are looking for such a database, then Ampliz can be the right choice you can make.
Ampliz provides you with a 99% accurate and real-time updated database of most potential candidates along with their names, email IDs, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles.
4) Create irresistible employer-driven material
Every candidate loves to work with top brands, and it’s your job to convert your organization into the most recognized brand.
Once you get access to the data of physicians, create the materials that best represent your brand.
Create a compelling message that appeals to your potential candidates and helps you to find physicians to recruit.
Before you start mentioning your hospital, mention the key benefits they are going to get if they join your team. Like competitive compensation, work-life balance, career opportunities, financial and professional growth, a chance to work with state-of-the-art technology, etc.
Write it in such a way that it is easy to read, design it in such a way that it appeals to candidates to read, and is backed with a strong Call To Action.
5) Leverage the power of online platforms
Social media platforms offer you vast opportunities to get in touch with many potential hires.
Once you curate the content to pitch the doctors to join your organization, you have to gain visibility and attention. For that, you can use social media and other platforms to pitch and engage them.
Don’t depend on only one platform, as by using one platform you can’t reach all your potential candidates. Leverage the power of all the platforms like Email, social media ads, google ads, landing pages, etc.
You can also try other communication practices like:
- Create your presence on healthcare networks and discussion forums
- Use keywords and messages that match the specialties of potential candidates
- Optimize your healthcare page to draw attention
6) Optimize your physician recruitment campaign
To drive consistent results from your efforts, you should evaluate the campaign you have created for physician recruiting. For that run the A/B test, as described below.
- Set your goal
- Design a layout
- Create two variation
- Run the test
- Collect data
- Run with a better option
7) Character and Commitment
The first impression is the last impression, for both you and the candidates. During the introduction interview, you will get some ideas about the dedication and commitment of the candidates, the same way they will also get an idea about the work culture, and environment at your place.
For a smooth and successful physician recruitment process, you can take the help of a physician liaison, they guide you in understanding the language of the physician you are trying to recruit.
If you are involving them in your recruitment process, they can give you feedback and observation, which otherwise is difficult to get.
A physician liaison helps you to understand the basic characters of your candidates, their communication styles, and their drive. Moreover, they help you to present yourself in such a way that they can trust you.
Recruiting physicians can be a challenging task, as it involves attracting highly qualified and specialized candidates to join your organization. Here are some tips for recruiting physicians:
- Identify your needs: Clearly define the type of physician you need, including their specialty, experience, and qualifications. Before you start the recruitment process, it is important to assess your organization’s needs and determine what type of physician you are looking for. Consider factors such as specialty, experience, and location.
- Develop a compelling job description: Highlight the benefits of working for your organization, including the opportunity to work with a supportive team, access to advanced technologies, and opportunities for professional development. Once you have determined your needs, create a recruitment plan that outlines the steps you will take to find the right candidate. This should include the recruitment budget, target audience, and advertising strategies.
- Utilize job boards and professional networks: Post the job opening on relevant job boards and professional networks, such as the American Medical Association’s job board or the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Career Connection. Once the physician has accepted the position, be sure to provide thorough onboarding and support to ensure their success in the organization. This may include training, mentorship, and access to resources and support.
- Consider offering incentives: Incentives such as sign-on bonuses, student loan repayment, and relocation assistance can make your organization more attractive to potential candidates. Once you have found the right candidate, make a competitive job offer that includes salary, benefits, and any other perks that may be relevant to the position.
- Use social media: Utilize social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to reach a larger pool of potential candidates and showcase your organization’s culture and values.
- Partner with local universities and colleges: Building relationships with local educational institutions can help you identify and attract top talent from the next generation of physicians.
- Invest in employee retention: Once you have recruited a physician, it is important to invest in their professional development and create a positive work environment to help retain top talent.
Conclusion
Physicians have the power to bring back that lost smile on the face of patients and lost hope in their hearts.
That’s why having such physicians in your organization is a complete privilege for you. Although recruitment of physicians has become very difficult due to shortage of physicians in the market, by following above mentioned strategies you will find the most suitable physician for your organization.
To accelerate your physician recruitment process, Ampliz can be your best choice. Ampliz provides you a 99% accurate and updated database of healthcare professionals like physicians, nurses, executives, etc, looking for new opportunities.
This database is backed with all the important, authentic, and real-time updated pieces of information like names, contact numbers, email IDs, and LinkedIn profiles to give you instant access to your potential candidates.
Acquiring these data would enable you to target the right candidates.
