The old standby tools for physician recruiting (cold calling, posting to job boards while praying for a response, emailing and emailing again, and even attending medical conferences) just don’t offer the same returns they used to. The truth is, only about 11% of candidates are actively looking at new positions on job boards (per Doximity). It’s not as frustrating as it sounds, though; utilizing your tools thoroughly can lead to more hires. Here are a few simple ideas:
Take advantage of incentives whenever you can. Certain platforms may reward you for writing good messages, even if the messages go unanswered. Make sure you take advantage of these types of programs if they are available. At Doximity for example, if a recruiter sends a message to a physician that includes the compensation for a position, and the message doesn’t get opened within 10 days, the recruiter will get that message credit back to use again. Remember, transparency is what candidates want, so recruiters should give as much info as possible about a position.
Use geographic ties to search for the right candidates. Thanks to new technology, it’s now possible to search for candidates based on what is considered, for many candidates at least, the most important factor in their job hunt. A lot of doctors tend to take jobs close to where they trained, and they’re often unwilling to stray too far from their desired location. As a recruiter, make sure your candidate isn’t sacrificing a better job (and a better fit) simply for the sake of a specific location.
Cater to the candidate, not your organization or your client. Most of us respond to messages that prove there is something in it for us. Physician candidates are no different. Rather than leading an email or message with, “My facility (or my client) has a need for a psychiatrist to fill an opening,” trying to make the candidate the focus by writing: “I’m looking for a psychiatrist with (list his or her skills) in (location), and I think it’s a great opportunity for you based on your experience and background.”
Don’t write off unresponsive candidates. We all get busy, and a candidate may not be in the right place (or it may not be the right time) to engage with. At some point it will be the right time, though, so keep checking back with unresponsive candidates. If there’s a job where persistence pays off, it’s recruiting.
Once you get a conversation going – by all means, keep it going! When you engage with a candidate, ask how he or she prefers to communicate and continue to reach out to them via their preferred method of communication. Do not go dark! Even if an opportunity doesn’t work out, stay in touch. If you’re using Doximity, it doesn’t use up any additional DocMails to continue the conversation once a doctor replies to a DocMail. It’s also important to consider the day of the week when sending messages. If you send messages on Friday, you may be following up on the weekend. If you send messages earlier in the week, you’ll give candidates (and yourself) time to respond before the weekend.
Take advantage of the power of Doximity Talent Finder. You can communicate directly with clinician members (over 2 million) via DocMails. DocMails are delivered to candidates via their Doximity inbox, their regular email inbox, and to their mobile device. Our click-through rates are high because you’re sending relevant messaging to clinicians on platforms they’re using on a daily basis. So, make sure you’re using all of your allotted messages - the more messages you send, the higher the likelihood of getting a response.
These days, given the competitive landscape of physician recruiting, recruiters are most often seeking candidates who aren’t looking for a job; passive candidates comprise about 73% of the physician candidate pool! So, in order to be successful, we encourage you to be more proactive and use your tools effectively as possible.
