Place the right people in the right positions and your healthcare facility will thrive. Sounds simple, right? We know physician recruitment is hard, but what if we told you there were some common recruiting habits that make the job even harder? We’re sharing 6 of those here. Are you doing any of them now? If you are, we encourage you to recognize it and start creating new habits! 

1. Not understanding why (or if) a candidate wants to change jobs.

Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask.” This method can also be used by recruiters in getting to the heart of a candidate. Why does he or she want to change jobs? Help them identify what their current issues or problems are – and what they (and their families) really want in the future. We outlined the top reasons physicians change jobs in an earlier article and while the details of reasons vary greatly, most physician candidates change jobs for 4 primary reasons:

• They want to make more money
• They’re exhausted and overwhelmed. 
• They want to live somewhere new.
• They want to advance in their career and they don’t see it happening where they are.

If you learn why they’re making a change, you’re bound to find physicians that stay.

2. Underestimating the value of your candidate pipeline.

Connecting with the right physicians at the wrong time is NOT a lost opportunity. A candidate may not be interested in a position you have open right now, but if you have another opportunity – or when they’re ready for a new position – you want them to remember you! Relationship recruiting means capturing candidates whether they’re employed or unemployed and continually engaging them until the time and opportunity is right. Circle back and keep engaging with doctors in your pipeline and it will pay off in the long run.

3. Not asking for referrals.

A good referral program can be the lifeblood of your recruitment process. The quality of the candidates is higher (88% of employers said that referrals are the #1 best source for above-average applicants, per Medium) and retention rates for hires made through referrals are higher, too. Plus, it costs less to recruit a doctor who comes to you via a referral. Keep in mind that referrals don’t just come from physicians – they can come from anyone close to you and your organization including colleagues and families of your colleagues. People who know top-performing doctors are likely to refer them as candidates.

4. Not thinking beyond the obvious.

Demand for physicians is continuously growing, so you need to be creative with your recruiting, especially if you’re not seeing traction. Can’t find a Family Medicine doctor for a position? Would a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant fit the need instead? The number of NPs and PAs are growing and in many specialties they just might fit the bill.

5. Overlooking physician candidates who are further along in their career.

Doctors are choosing to work longer these days, plus these candidates bring a wealth of skills and experience to the table. Don’t overlook them because you think a young doctor will stay longer when, in fact, a large percentage of doctors end up switching jobs within the first five years of practice, according to Kevin MD.

6. Giving up when a candidate doesn’t respond or goes silent.

There’s often a reason a candidate doesn’t get back to you. Doctors are busy people, and the timing may be off. You’ll never know if you don’t at least try to keep the conversation going.  If now is not the right time (they may be under a non-compete or contract, etc.), give your candidate the option to be “on hold” for now. You’ll reach out with other opportunities when the time is right. If you’re using Doximity Talent Finder, we recommend you regularly reply (every 2 weeks) to unresponsive candidates using the same messaging thread. It doesn’t cost any additional DocMails to continue the conversation once a doctor replies to a DocMail or Job Post. Take advantage of the “free” message and persist a bit more. It’s important to remember that doctors are busy, and they may not have had time to reply (or even read for that matter) your previous message.

Are you using Doximity Talent Finder to recruit great physician candidates? Take a peek inside the platform now, or sign up for a demo today and let us help you with some of the heavy lifting.