4 challenges for recruiting specialty physician partners

Physician recruiting is challenging, especially when looking for a skilled professional to join your specialty office. Finding a physician partner that fits into the organization’s culture is just as important as finding an individual who meets your professional requirements.

Here are four challenges physician recruiters face when filling specialty physician searches as well as how to overcome these pain points:

1. Knowing where to look for professionals

Even the best efforts will fail when aimed in the wrong direction. Putting resources into unsuccessful recruiting channels will drag out the search, causing further resources to disappear. Organizations may not have the time to spend waiting for the perfect candidate.

So where should recruiters look for specialty physicians? According to the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters’ 2016 annual report, 20.9 percent of positions are filled via job boards. Recruiters would be wise to focus their efforts on job boards - but they shouldn’t neglect other channels such as print ads in specialty journals. In fact, Kantar Research states that 46% of physicians read current medical journals only via the print edition. Make sure you don’t exclude almost half of your target audience!

2. Understanding the local market

Recruiters must have a thorough understanding of their local markets if they are to make the best use of their resources. For example, it can help to understand what average salaries are like and how they compare to the cost of living. Staying competitive can help attract top talent from other cities and states, too.

3. Appealing to recent graduates

Recent medical graduates are millennials, and before long many will be members of the up-and-coming Generation Z. For physician recruiters who have been in the game a long time, it may be a good idea to do your reading about these young professionals.

Recruiting millennials for the medical workplace is quite a bit different than filling positions in the past. Not only do you need to utilize digital channels such as job boards and online display ads, but the messaging needs to be honest and straightforward. Further, millennials want to see opportunities for advancement, so you will need to ensure your job descriptions reflect an emphasis on individual growth.

4. Writing a unique job description

Developing a punchy, detailed job description is easier said than done. BetterTeam suggested writing out a bulleted list of responsibilities and requirements, then paring it back to the essentials. Your job descriptions shouldn’t leave the reader without a true understanding of the demands of the role, but they also don’t need to be the length of a novel.

Ask yourself what a successful candidate would achieve within the first few weeks of employment. Use the answers to fill out the description when you’re having trouble figuring out the specifics.

If you’re ready to find skilled physicians, post your next open position on myHealthTalent.com.