You know these three words well: recruiting is selling. The product you’re selling is your healthcare facility. Physician candidates are your sales leads. And since you’re selling a position at your facility, it’s imperative to know everything possible about it. But that goes well beyond patient volume – you also need to sell the community.

Selling the community doesn’t equate to job posts filled with prose about scenic beaches and waterways, either. When you truly sell the community, you create a sense of belonging. Sure, that might include a beach, but that’s one small part.

In real estate, sales are about location, location, location and in many ways, physician recruitment is no different. Somewhere in your pipeline is a physician who’s looking for a community just like yours. Urban, rural, every community has a unique strength. If your opportunity is in a rural town where the only stoplight in town is on Main Street, sell that one stoplight and sell Main Street. Something as simple as sidewalks and parks can translate to a more livable environment because sidewalks and parks encourage people to get outside and interact – and that fosters a sense of community and belonging.

To sell the community, start by selling lifestyle. Ask yourself how moving to your city or town will fundamentally change a physician candidate’s lifestyle. The town’s events, food, shopping, cultural offerings, and recreational opportunities are all things that weave together to form a community’s unique personality. By showcasing these aspects you become not just a recruiter but a lifestyle consultant. And isn’t that why people move?

Here are a few ways to approach selling the community:

1. Depict what it’s like to live and work in your community and tell a story about what makes it special.
2. Don’t tell candidates the job offers a work/life balance – describe it!
3. Ask other satisfied physicians in your facility/community to help showcase the opportunities from their perspective.
4. Beyond your immediate community, what does the neighboring state or town offer? Are there ranking universities, national parks, attractions for teenagers or kids?
5. How does the cost of living in your community compare? If it’s higher, describe a community that’s worth it. If it’s lower, you have another positive selling point.

It’s basic recruiting economics: the demand for top-quality licensed physicians is consistently high and the supply is low. Your opportunities must stand out in a sea of opportunities and lifestyle is a key component to making the sale. You can have the best community in the world, but that means nothing if you don’t tell physician candidates all about the community through authentic stories.    

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