It can be difficult for any facility to find the right doctor -- and it's even tougher for practices in small communities. A recent survey of hospital physician recruiters revealed two very interesting facts: It takes hospitals an average of 222 days to fill a physician opening, and only 68 percent of offers extended to physicians are actually accepted (the acceptance rate for hospitals in smaller areas was even lower).
If you are recruiting for a small practice, here are a few tips for finding the right candidate faster and improving your chances of an acceptance.
- Understand your competition. To find the best fit for their physicians, agency recruiters research the ins and outs of what many different practices have to offer. If you don't know what your competitors are offering, find out. Compare benefits side by side to see how you stack up. It's important to remember that it's not all about money. Your cultural benefits can be an important selling point for your facility.
- Remember that it's not about you, it's about them. Avoid posting a job ad that only lists what you want in a candidate. Instead, focus on communicating what your candidate will find attractive and how he or she will benefit from the opportunity. Take a look at your last job posting. If you're talking more about what you want than what the physician will get, it's time for a rewrite.
- Ensure a good interview experience. Often physicians accept an offer not because of a better financial package, but because of a better interview experience. Much like a job posting, a good interview should focus on the candidate. That means catering the tone, questions, and format of the interview to his or her personality and preferences. Don't worry; this doesn't mean that you have to give up the opportunity to gauge the candidate's skill set and fit for the job. You just have to just do it in a candidate-friendly way.
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recruiting providers to small medical practices.
