How's Your Hospital Recruiter?

In no way do I want to minimize the need for a great physician recruiter. Yes, a great physician retention program may decrease your need for them. On the other hand, however, a great physician retention program may also be an incredible recruiting tool. I mentioned this earlier: happy doctors recruit other happy doctors. They also make it very easy to convince visiting doctors that this is the place they want to be. This makes the job so much easier for the physician recruiter. In that sense, they love to recruit for your hospital.?

But what if your physician recruiter is not good? Yes, it happens. What if they are just mailing it in from a massive company? What if they are just not likable? This does happen when you work with third parties that are too large to care and work with tons of hospitals. If you are not aware of how this works in your hospital, then it may be time to do some surveys of doctors who eventually were hired and, more importantly, those who rejected your offer.?

A likable, responsible recruiter is really important. They represent you. The doctor doesn’t know they work from an office of a mega firm 1000 miles away. A great physician recruiter cares. I mentioned an anecdotal story from a radio program in an earlier chapter. That recruiter worked so hard doing the following:?

1.???? Made sure the doctor was qualified.

2.???? Made sure the doctor was a good fit and the place was a good fit for her.

3.???? Worked to make the visit great.

4.???? Made sure communication was ongoing.

5.???? Continued to have a positive attitude.

6.???? Made sure the family of the doctor saw the area.

7.???? And so much more.

The first hospital I worked at had a decent physician recruiter, I think. I really can’t remember. Maybe because I am old and my memory is shot. I am sure I would have remembered the one from Canada from the NPR show. The one we used had a relationship with a local real estate agent who did the community tours as well as showed homes. But that is all I remember about the recruiter. In other words, she didn’t stand out. But she didn’t have to because the hospital was lucky. As described in an earlier chapter, many of the doctors were friends from the same residency, and we just recruited each other. Again, that would hopefully happen with a good Physician Retention Program.?

My concern about massive physician recruiting companies is that the personal touch is lost. A designated recruiter for your hospital seems to be a no-brainer. I understand that it is another salary but, once again, you should see the benefits. Should the physician recruiter also be a physician liaison? I really hope you don’t do this. They do need to work together and collaborate on things, but one person really can’t do both jobs. If the physician liaison loses focus, then your physicians will notice and you go back to where you started.?

A good physician retention specialist will work with your recruiter as well. Will there be any animosity there? Maybe. Not from the PRS. Some recruiters may think we are doing their jobs and taking income from them. We are not. The PRS should have a nice conversation with them and explain how a PRP will really make it easier for them to recruit. This makes their job easier and more successful. We are not competitors. We would also update them on what to use to market to other physicians. This helps them explain how a PL works, explain the new Doctors’ Lounge and Doctors’ Day, and explain all the new initiatives that you have installed really helps them talk you up. It is a win-win for everyone.?

So, let’s talk about marketing for a second, shall we? Should the physician recruiter also market your physician retention program? Absolutely. It shows how much you care about keeping your doctors. As I have mentioned in this book, the culture that pervades the hospital is critical in keeping good doctors. If you can capture the magic and make it right, then you really need to market that. Even better, wouldn’t it be great to market your facility as a “Physician-Friendly Hospital?”

Obviously, I believe a PRP is critical here. Once that is in place, you want to allow or encourage your doctors to talk about it on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms. DO NOT TELL THEM WHAT TO SAY. The culture should speak for itself. You also would want the recruiters to do the same.?

Here are some examples that doctors or recruiters may brag about:

1.?????? How well they are treated.

2.?????? How they are valued.

3.?????? How there is little turnover.

4.?????? The Doctors’ Lounge.

5.?????? The Physicians’ Liaison.

6.?????? How Doctors’ Day is celebrated.

7.?????? The connection between doctors or collegiality.

8.?????? The personal touches the administration does that blow them away.

9.?????? Our hospital is “Physician-Friendly.”

This is organic marketing. This is authentic. This sells.

(This is chapter TWENTY-EIGHT from my book?The Hospital Guide to Physician Retention: Why Creating a Physician-Friendly Environment is Critical for Your Organization's Success. See earlier chapters on my LinkedIn, For more info, go to physicianretention.com)