5 Best Practices for Recruiting Physicians with Retention in Mind

The more specific you are about the opening and the candidate that you are looking for, the better your fit will be. And, most likely, the more satisfied the physician will be in their role and within your organization.

Do your due diligence by defining the:

• Clinical requirements
• Necessary expertise & experience
• Physician’s attitude, personality & practice philosophy (cultural fit)
• Personal needs and interests

Applying the 5 “W”s is a great place to begin your search launch. Sit down with the clinical hiring manager and ask Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Also, complete an intake form to continue the knowledge transfer about the opening. This will be incredibly helpful when you create ads or postings. It can also help you frame the right questions to screen potential candidates and ensure a mutual fit.

To ensure your success, you need to first know your program’s targets.

Some of the KPIs I often review with clients include:

• How many physicians for each specialty exist nationwide
• Where does your ideal candidate likely look for opportunities
• How many leads does it take to generate a candidate
• What percentage of candidates screened convert to a site visit
• How many touches does it take to successfully transition candidates to the next stage in the recruitment process
• How many days does it take to fill an open opportunity; does this vary based on specialty, location or recruiter

Without knowing these numbers, it is hard to properly set expectations or deploy the right sourcing strategy to get the optimal number of candidates in your pipeline.

Another tip to raise your sourcing strategy’s success is to use the Rule of 3. Use 3 touches along 3 different channels to maximize candidate engagement. This works!

Editor’s Note: To review Mitzi’s “Job Postings that Sizzle v Fizzle” template, watch her recruitment webinar here.

Start by reviewing CVs to determine an initial fit and to identify your interview questions. Key things you may want to note is whether a candidate’s expertise matches your defined needs, and if there are any concerning time intervals—i.e. multiple moves, abrupt departures, or lapses in licensure.

During the initial interview, ask open-ended questions based on your research, and be mindful to really listen to the candidate’s answers. This is also an excellent time to ask about other opportunities they are pursuing so you can differentiate (1-up) your organization.

Sample Interview Questions

• What specific experience do you believe will help you in this opportunity?
• Tell me about your current practice & work schedule — i.e. number of procedures per year, call coverage, patient demographics, work team?
• How would your patients describe you? Colleagues? Hospital staff?
• What are some of your professional achievements?
• What kind of decision-making involvement would be important to you?
• Professionally what do you feel you do best? Limitations?
• What are your long-term goals?
• What do you like to do when you are not practicing medicine?
• What can I share about living in this community that would be important for you to know?

Next, use the onsite visit when recruiting physicians to set the stage for retention. Being coordinated and prepared is key. This includes inviting all key players to the table, assigning each a defined role, and blocking off their schedules.

In addition to interviews and selling your opportunity, it is also important to build in a “red carpet” experience. Make sure to schedule plenty of social time so candidates, and their families, can connect with your organization and the community.

Editor’s Note: To get a free candidate interview and site visit planning guide, download Marketware’s Physician Recruitment & Retention tool kit.

Using measures to evaluate your program’s progress helps you demonstrate to leadership that you are constantly evaluating your sourcing methods and looking for new ways to find ideal candidates in a tough market. Of course, to get these measurements, you need a solid tracking system and a PRM.

Sourcing to Signature Metrics

I also encourage clients to monitor new provider satisfaction and retention, as well as key practice metrics at designated checkpoints following the new provider’s practice launch. Some of these may include 1st referrals (timing compared to outreach and totals), diversity and strength of referral connections, new versus unique patients over time, and growth in attending volumes.

Physician turnover rates of more than 50% within the 1st 5 years are quite common. What we’re finding through post-exit interviews is that new providers are leaving because they don’t feel connected to the community/organization or they lack a mentor. But, you can combat this trend with a robust, long-term onboarding process.

When recruiting physicians, onboarding is not just about getting providers credentialed, giving them a badge, and showing them where to park. It is about giving providers a dedicated mentor, ensuring they know what your organization has to offer and how they can connect and make referrals with colleagues. That is why many organizations are expanding their onboarding programs to include 90-day, one, 3 and 5 year check-ins.

Here are some best practices for the 90-day visit:

• Follow up with providers/clinics/referral sources within a quarter of introduction; this boosts referrals
• Send thank you notes to referring physicians for the 1st 3 to 6 months; this builds peer relationships
• Schedule a sit-down meeting to discuss the practice’s success/challenges; dashboards reinforce progress & opportunities
• Check-in on how new providers are adapting; this evaluates mentorships
• Get feedback from staff on new providers’ job satisfaction; this identifies problems that may lead to turnover