A colleague or friend makes an introduction. You meet informally for coffee. You exchange text messages, speak frequently, and even swap holiday and birthday cards. Recruiting is often likened to dating (with good reason), but we think physician recruiting is more like marketing.

Marketing typically focuses on a larger audience, but the real goal of marketing is to create a personal connection. Marketing does it through branding; recruiters do it by constantly sourcing great candidates. True marketing turns a brand’s customers into its employees and vice versa (people love the company so much they want to work there). Physician recruiters do the exact same thing.

You're more likely to make a personal connection if you understand the journey of your candidates. You're more likely to attract the right candidates if you learn where and how to target them. You're also more likely to hire physician candidates if you know how to persuade them. So to help you maximize your role as a physician recruiter – and turn candidates into employees – we offer these helpful tips.

1. Read the blogs your candidates are reading.

You’ve no doubt heard of KevinMD.com. Physician candidates are definitely reading this blog, and if you’re not reading it you're missing out. Dubbed “Social media’s leading physician voice,” the New York Times calls KevinMD.com “A highly coveted publishing place for doctors and patients.” Spend some time there and see what topics care trending. 

MD Whistleblower  from Michael Kirsch, MD, is a blog that “presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession.” When Dr. Kirsch isn't doing colonoscopies, he's writing, tackling issues like increased medical school enrollment, price gouging on drugs and more. His passion for medicine is evident in every post – probably why his blog is so well read. Check out a few articles and you're bound to learn something new.

2. Look to healthcare leaders in the social-media sphere.

In 2009, the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan shocked the healthcare industry by live-tweeting a medical procedure. Now, the industry that was once considered slow to the social media party has jumped headlong into the fray. Do you tweet? We suggest you give these folks a follow:

The Cleveland Clinic is a clear leader in healthcare, but they’re also a social media juggernaut. Cleveland Clinic's content-driven social media strategy has proven successful across the spectrum of online platforms.You'll find them on Twitter @ClevelandClinic, and to learn how they’re attracting physicians and patients, the keys to their social media success are outlined here. You might try a page from their playbook. 

Roni Zeiger @rzeiger is the former Google Chief Health Strategist, a practicing physician, and Smart Patients CEO. Straight from his Twitter bi-line, he's also a "father and husband and forever student and believes in networks of microexperts."

Rich Duszak, MD @RichDuszak is Chief Medical Officer at the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, and Vice Chair at Emory Department of Radiology and Imaging Services. Dr. Duszak is "striving to put the care back in healthcare by redefining value."

Glen Stream @grstream  is a family physician, health IT geek, AAFP Past President, and Board Chair of Family Medicine for America's Health. 

3. Schedule a blind date with a book or two.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine Americans works in sales. Best-selling author Daniel H. Pink writes: “Like it or not, we’re all in sales now." Recruiting is definitely selling, so we recommend you download the e-version or pick up a copy of Pink's book To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. 

Recruiting is persuading, so why not delve into Influence: Science and Practice by Dr. Robert Cialdini, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and a New York Times bestselling author. Marketing and social media guru Guy Kawasaki calls it, "The de facto standard to learn the psychology of persuasion.” The book is now in its 5^th edition. Cialdini's Influence at Work website also features videos and other helpful tools.


Every company, no matter how large or how well known, markets its brand. The goal for physician recruiters and marketers alike is to make your company part of your candidate's and customer's life – and turn them into employees. Because social recruiting is critical in today’s market, we offer one last resource: Doximity Talent Finder's glossary of "44 Social Recruiting Terms Every Physician Recruiter Should Know." Click the button to get your free copy now.