Dr. S scrolls a physician job board while waiting in the carpool line.
Dr M scans your physician job ad on her phone while in line at the supermarket.
Dr. P reads your job alert email in the hospital breakroom between shifts.
What do these physicians have in common? They’re busy! They don’t feel like they have time for a physician job search, and yet, they are ready to take the next step in their careers. They scroll in the hopes of seeing something that catches their attention–a physician job opportunity that’s potentially worth the time it will take them to submit an application.
So, how can you increase the chances that your physician job ad will catch the attention of Dr. S, Dr. M, and Dr. P? In an endless feed of physician job ads on multiple physician job boards, the ones that get the most attention generally have four things in common: 1) They are clear and concise; 2) They highlight positive differentiators that address physicians’ most important wants and needs; 3) They identify physician compensation expectations; and 4) They paint a positive and relatable picture of the location. Keep reading to learn how to apply these four traits to your physician job ads.
1. Grab Attention by Being Clear and Concise
Busy physician recruiters spend a great deal of their time talking with candidates, so they’re often under pressure to quickly scan job applications. The same holds true for physicians when reading job ads. It doesn’t matter how great the physician job opportunity is, if the candidate has to read a dissertation to learn the details, many will move on to the next ad and never know what they’re missing. So, first and foremost, your physician job ad should be short and to the point. To the best of your ability, include the most attractive and important details in the job title or headline. This means, in the span of 8-12 words, the headline should communicate the specialty, location, and one or two differentiators such as flexibility, compensation, leadership opportunity, etc.
Then, early in the body of the job ad restate the need followed by a clear reason candidates should consider the opportunity. This opening statement may include the organization type, location, why the position is open, and what the right candidate can expect to gain if hired.
Remember the importance of brevity as you develop the rest of the physician job ad. Use bullets to share the most important details and benefits of the job. The physician job ad should not be confused with a physician job description. There is no need to outline every responsibility and task that may be assigned to the physician. Rather, the job ad conveys notable aspects of the job and highlights the details that make it attractive.
2. Highlight Positive Differentiators that Address Physicians’ Most Important Wants and Needs
Before you begin to write the physician job ad, you should have a clear idea of what makes the job attractive. Use your knowledge of what impacts physician job satisfaction to gauge which traits to highlight. For example, studies show that physicians increasingly prioritize work-life balance, so if the job offers flexible hours, the option to practice telehealth, or a four-day work week, this is a differentiator worth highlighting.
Studies also show widespread problems with physician burnout, the cause often cited as a lack of support and/or autonomy among physicians. If applicable, highlight the medical scribe or other administrative support provided to physicians in your group. Note the path to leadership available to physicians or the number of physicians with seats on the board. Be clear on how this job opportunity is different from others in how it supports physicians and grants them control over how they practice medicine.
Also note, that some physicians feel called to work with the medically underserved, so if the opportunity is with an FQHC and/or in a healthcare desert, highlight this as an opportunity for physicians to make an impact in an underserved community. Your differentiators don’t have to appeal to every physician, they just need to attract the right physician.
3. Identify Compensation and Benefits
Of course, one of the most effective differentiators is competitive compensation. For this reason, don’t bury compensation details among your other bullets. Create a separate section to outline compensation and benefits.
Again, don’t confuse the physician job ad with the physician offer letter. You don’t need to go into the details of your physician compensation model and stipulations for receiving various levels of pay. Candidates want to know base pay, income potential, and any notable extras–loan repayment, signing bonus, housing assistance, etc. You may also want to list paid time off in this section as well as health insurance, 401(k), malpractice insurance, and other general benefits.
4. Paint a Positive Picture of Life in the Job’s Location
Physician job ads not only have to sell the job, but they must also paint an attractive picture of the location for the physician and his or her family. After all, physicians are not only evaluating the job opportunity, but they are weighing the pros and cons of building a life in that location.
For this reason, the most effective job ads have a section devoted to sharing details about the city or region in which the job is located. Candidates not only want to know facts (population, cost of living, taxes, etc.), they want to know what it is close to (airports, major metros, beach, mountains, universities), what activities are popular in the area (theater, museums, hiking, fishing, skiing, surfing), and other details like the quality of schools, the prevalence of shopping, restaurants, breweries, and more.
Attracting the Right Candidates
Impactful physician job ads are clear and concise, highlight differentiators, specify compensation, and paint a picture of life in the given location. While the details of each physician job ad will vary, the critical information–differentiators, compensation, and location details–should remain consistent. If you can deliver this information clearly and concisely, the physicians you want to hire will easily see why they should apply to your job.
Once you’ve done the hard work of capturing their attention, make sure your call to action makes it easy for them to request more details or apply to the job. Don’t send them to an ATS that will require half an hour of their time. Instead, provide your contact details and invite them to send you a CV and/or reach out for more details. And above all, respond quickly. You can assume that if they applied to your job, they likely applied to others. Time is generally not on your side.
Crafting impactful physician job ads is critical, but it is just a small step in a comprehensive physician recruitment program. If your organization needs assistance with any part of the recruitment process, a Jackson Physician Search Recruitment Consultant would be happy to advise. Contact us today.
