Building a Robust Pool of Clinicians: From Scarcity to Strength

In the booming healthcare sector, effective talent acquisition and management are crucial for sustained growth. Hospitals attract talent through offering competitive salaries, advanced training opportunities (both international and domestic), and promotions and career advancements. Recruitment can be done through specialized online job portals, boutique medical recruitment firms, internal job postings, referrals, and off-campus.

Sometimes, a good clinician’s database can also be gathered by attending various medical conferences, seminars, and medical equipment exhibitions, and connecting with pharmaceutical companies.

Digital tools streamline recruitment and personalize development efforts, enhancing efficiency. Prioritizing skilled professionals ensures the sector's growth and the delivery of quality healthcare services.

Some countries have government-funded universal healthcare, while others rely on private insurance. Whatever the case, there will always be a challenge in meeting the organization’s hiring requirements for experienced and trained professionals.

In this article, we are privileged to highlight the hiring challenges, opportunities, Clinician’s engagement model, general recruitment process followed, and the suggested (4S) Recruitment approach for Clinicians, who are the backbone and the business drivers in healthcare.

Hiring Challenges in Healthcare

The challenges faced by the hiring authorities are hospital-specific, clinical specialty-specific, and the services rendered.

• Scarcity of Well-Qualified & Trained Talent: The demand for qualified and experienced healthcare professionals far outstrips the available supply. This creates a competitive environment where institutions compete to attract top talent, often from the same pool of candidates available in the market.
• Credentialing and Licensing Processes are cumbersome: Verifying medical qualifications and licenses (Registrations with MCI or state medical council) holds much importance in the healthcare sector. An established process/ procedure is laid down under several acts and guidelines for assessing the credibility of clinicians. This creates difficulty for the hiring board regarding time and effort spent.
• Language and location Barriers: Language and location constraints also hinder selection and suitable placement.
• Retention of clinicians due to differentials in offering Competitive Salary and Benefits: Prospective Candidates are attracted to better work-life balance, attractive salaries, and perquisites. Therefore, retention can be a challenge in this industry.
• Retention of clinicians due to lack of relocation and mobility offerings: Many times, organizations cannot provide relocation assistance and benefits like housing, schooling, and spouse employment to attract and retain suitable talent. Necessary internal approval takes time to come by and differential offerings create anomalies in the organization.
• Lengthy Hiring Process: Time-consuming paperwork, lengthy documentation process, multiple rounds of interviews, time-consuming background checks, delayed decision-making, etc. can be very discouraging in attracting suitable talent. Candidates can also drop out owing to multiple offers.
• Mismatched role expectation: Variance in “Agreed upon role versus Actual role.” (Placement and Positioning of clinicians)

Opportunities (Roles) for Clinicians

Super Specialty, Multi-specialty, Single Specialty, Nursing Homes operate on various models covering the entire spectrum of healthcare facilities and patient care. The best possible outcome can be achieved through a combined effort of human connection, compassion, and technology.

Clinicians could be from various branches of medical education.

• Medicine Field (MBBS+MD+DM): Internal Medicine, Cardiologists, Neurologists, Medical Oncology, Radiologists, Pharmacologists, Pulmonologists, Gastroenterologists, Emergency Medicine, Pathology, etc.
• Surgical Field (MBBS+MS+Mch): General Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Orthopedic Surgeon, Gynecology, Oncology Surgeon, Head and Neck Surgeon, ENT Surgeon, etc.

Sample Designations Practiced in Corporate Hospitals: It could be organization-specific and as per hospital requirements. ?Broadly speaking the designation is broadly based on the qualifications, experience, exposure (stature of healthcare organizations associated with), research papers publications in medical journals of repute & other professional accomplishments.

They can be as under :

• Chairman
• Director/HODs
• Senior Consultant
• Consultant
• Associate Consultant
• Attending Consultant
• Senior Residents
• Resident

Here's a walkthrough of a few clinical designations and functioning

1. Chairman/Director/HOD/Senior Consultants: Often, these are highly experienced specialists who also hold leadership positions within their department and hospital. They oversee clinical practices and mentor junior Clinicians.

2. Consultants/Associate Consultants/Attending Consultants: These are upper to middle-level Clinicians in the clinician’s hierarchy who have vast experience in their specific fields.

3. Senior Resident: Clinicians who have completed their postgraduate degree in their specialized field.

4. Residents: Clinicians who have completed MBBS with some prior experience, They work under the supervision of senior clinicians.

5. Emergency Room /Trauma Clinician: Specialized clinicians in emergency medicine, trained to handle medical emergencies and critical cases that arrive in the hospital's emergency department

In Practice - Clinician's Engagement Model in Hospitals

1. Full Time – On Regular Employment/Professional Fee Basis
2. Partime (Consulting)- Forenoon/Afternoon for a period of 4-6 hours
3. Visiting – Visit based on Days & Hours (eg: Mon, Thu, Sat- 10 AM-12 Noon)
4. On-Call (Need Based)

• Full-time Clinicians: These Clinicians work on a regular schedule. They may be employed by a hospital, clinic, or institution.
• Part-time Clinicians: These Clinicians work in a set number of hours per week, but less than a full-time schedule. They may be associated in a hospital, clinic, or group practice, or they may work independently.
• Visiting Clinicians: These Clinicians see patients at a location other than their primary practice. They are generally attached to a hospital, nursing home, or clinic.
• On-call Clinicians (Case to Case Basis):. They are generally associated with institutions, hospitals, or clinics, and may be called upon for medical or surgical intervention?or they may be part of an on-call service and may be called upon.

Hiring Process

Hospitals generally adopt the following recruitment process.

• Application & Screenings
• Interviews (In Person)
• Reference Checks
• Selection and Offer Letter Generation
• Onboarding and Oreientation

Application & Screening:

• Candidates typically come through employee referrals, advertisements, headhunting, walk-ins, and recruitment consultants. Generic job platforms are not very useful.
• Screening of applications as per the hospital requirement as per vacancy in speciality and skills, qualifications, and experiences.

Interviews:

• In-person interviews with a single or multiple panels. Questions asked generally revolve around self, professional experience, cases handled, etc.
• Reference Checks (Validation of Medical Registration): Checks are conducted to verify credentials, employment, and medical registration. (Validation through colleagues, peers, seniors, or the HR, which can be done formally or verbally)
• Selection and Offer Letter Generation: Candidates will receive a job offer that outlines the salary, benefits, and start date.
• Onboarding: Once candidates accept the job offer, they undergo an onboarding process, which may include orientation sessions, training, and completion of required paperwork.

Suggested - The hiring process.

The 4S Mantra can be adopted for recruiting top medical talent.

To attract the best talent there is a need for a strong recruitment approach. So, the 4S approach (Sourcing, Screening, Segmentation, and Selection), comes into the picture.

Stage 1: Sourcing - Casting a Broader Net

• Job Boards & Medical Portals: To source skilled professionals it is required to use online recruitment platforms. Some of the platforms are available in the market like job boards, professional networks, and communities.
• Employee Referrals: Existing staff can be a valuable source. Referral programs incentivize employees to recommend qualified colleagues, fostering a sense of community and trust.
• Headhunting & Recruitment Agencies: Partnering with specialized agencies with experience in the medical field can provide access to a wider talent pool and niche expertise.
• Medical Colleges: Tap alumni networks, word of mouth reference, participate in placement fairs (although it is a tough proposition).

Stage 2: Screening-Setting up the High Standards.

• Qualifications: This second stage involves verifying a candidate's basic credentials – MBBS degree, relevant postgraduate qualifications (MD/MS/DNB/MCh/DM), and mandatory registrations with the Medical Council of India (MCI) or state medical councils.
• Experience & Skills: Resumes are scrutinized for experience in the specific medical speciality, including previous hospitals, roles held, and key achievements. Shortlisting may consider factors like years of experience, expertise in specific procedures, or research contributions.

Stage 3: Segmentation - Tailoring the Approach

Once a pool of qualified candidates emerges, it is time to segment them based on specific requirements:

• Specialization: Matching candidates with the precise medical speciality needed is essential. E.g. “A cardiologist can’t perform the function of a cardiothoracic surgeon.”
• Career Stage: Fresh graduates might be ideal for residency programs, while seasoned professionals are better suited for mid-level to senior leadership positions.
• Location Preferences: Understanding a candidate's willingness to relocate can be crucial, especially for hospitals located in remote areas.

Stage 4: Selection - Finding the Best Fit

This final stage involves in-depth assessments to identify the best candidate for the role:

• Interviews: Panel interviews with senior Clinicians and HR leadership deeper into a candidate's experience, communication skills, and cultural fit within the medical team.
• Reference Checks: Verifying past employment details and references helps assess a candidate's work ethic and professional conduct.

Beyond the 4S: Additional Considerations

• Offering monetary and non-monetary benefits: Offering lucrative compensation packages that justify’ s experience and specialization is crucial to attracting top talent.
• Alignment of professional and personal life: Clinicians most often face demanding schedules that require their constant presence in the hospital. Hiring appropriate numbers of clinicians in every speciality can provide a healthy work-life balance.
• Provision of dynamic growth and learning opportunities: A good measure of opportunities to participate in paid international and national medical conferences and seminars, objectivity in performance appraisals, and adoption of rewards and recognition programs will go a long way in retaining top talents.

By implementing the 4S recruitment process and focusing on these additional considerations, hospitals can build a strong talent pipeline of skilled medical professionals, leading to better patient care and improved medical outcomes.

This thorough and multi-step recruitment process ensures that hospitals select the most qualified and suitable candidates, maintaining high standards of care and professionalism. It combines various methods of assessment and verification to create a comprehensive evaluation of each candidate, fostering a competent and resolute healthcare workforce.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the healthcare industry's future hinges on building a strong workforce. The 4S approach, coupled with innovative recruitment methods, can address talent shortages, and ensure a skilled clinician pool. Prioritizing a supportive work environment and continuous learning will further enhance retention. By embracing human expertise alongside technological advancements, the industry can deliver exceptional patient care while meeting the demands of a growing sector.

Disclaimer: Bhaskar Sen penned this article with Utkarsh Sahay (HR) and Abhay Prakash (HR). This expressed content is solely the author’s viewpoints on Building a Robust Pool of Clinicians: From Scarcity to Strength and does not reflect the views of their employer, company, institutions, or any other affiliated parties, groups, etc.