The passive physician candidate: he/she isn’t attending job fairs, scouring job boards, or sending out CVs, yet a whopping 72% of physicians are passive candidates—and they’re likely to be the best fit for your positions. Reaching them can be complex, but engaging passive candidates can transform your recruitment outcomes.
The difference lies in the introduction.
Passive candidates can be very particular about how they’re approached with opportunities. However, they're still curious about relevant job opportunities and open to discussing them. Passive candidates won’t come to you, though; you need to get in front of them. Fortunately, new communication channels and social media recruiting strategies were designed to entice employed candidates—and may be just what the doctor ordered.
Recruiting passive candidates isn’t black and white.
Being a passive candidate does not simply equate to whether a physician is actively looking for work or not. These candidates may not be focused on changing jobs, but physicians in general are high achievers — so career advancement and self-improvement can be strong motivators to start a discussion about a change. It’s also likely that passive candidates are too busy to be actively considering a new opportunity.
It stands to reason that physicians are increasingly conducting personal research, and engaging with readily available content. This represents a fundamental shift for physician recruiters to what is basically a self-service model of recruitment. That means engaging passive candidates can be as simple as asking: "Would you be open to explore a situation if it was significantly better than what you're doing now?"
Lou Adler, CEO of the Adler Group who originated the performance-based approach to hiring, penned The 10 Commandments of Recruiting Passive Candidates and the first commandment is crucial.
You must know the job and why it’s exceptional for the candidate.
Adler writes, “Top passive candidates who don’t know you will not speak to you for more than two or three minutes, nor give you any top referrals unless you know the job. Top passive people aren’t looking, so to get them to look, you must offer instant credibility with a job that offers significant upside potential.” In other words, you need to know more than just the job, you need to know about the candidate and why this job is perfect for them. Make sure your pitch is tight and that it highlights all of relevant benefits for the candidate."
It’s all about networking
Candidate approach is a form of networking, so another way to engage passive clients is to ask your existing candidates if they know a colleague who is suitable for your opportunity. Ask for referrals and you’re more likely to gain a new connection to a top-notch candidate, plus your common connection will give you more credibility—a great opening for a conversation. In fact, Adler’s commandment number two is this: proactively network only with worthy candidates to get more worthy candidates.
Create a “candidate-first” experience.
We often equate great recruiting with great marketing, and here’s another case in point: For years, marketers have examined the customer journey through the marketing funnel to implement tactics that put the customer first. So it's only natural that physician recruiters implement a candidate-first experience. How? Think about the journey potential candidates take, what motivates them, and how they feel about the recruitment process. You could map the path a candidate takes as he/she engages with you/your employer brand. Consider your values along with the opportunities you offer
A great candidate experience applies to every physician candidate you work with, not just the ones you hire.
If a passive candidate reaches out or agrees to a conversation with you, it’s a given that something about your organization or opportunity has piqued their interest. Find out precisely what that interest is, and move forward with a timeframe that fits that candidate’s needs.
The communication channels you choose to use are critical.
In an article from our partners at ASPR, Understanding the Passive Job Seeker, research shows that although passive job seekers initially were not interested in new job opportunities, they said they would likely click on a job posting that appeared next to clinical content that they were reading on a journal or association website.
Sound familiar? Doximity Talent Finder presents a member audience of 1 million+ clinicians, including over 70% of U.S. physicians in one secure network. Using Talent Finder, you can showcase opportunities where physicians are searching for clinical content—in an environment where care-related literature searches and discussions with colleagues can earn physicians CME credits. You’re also guaranteed communication with physician candidates via proprietary and secure messaging. Ready to learn more about how Talent Finder can help you achieve your hiring goals?
