Senior Search Consultant Becky Casias provided the resources and reach necessary to recruit a Hawaiian critical care group the candidate it needed in fewer than 100 days for its first-ever physician recruitment partnership.
Healthcare organizations of all types, sizes, and locales often find a need for assistance recruiting physicians. Even those in the most beautiful places on earth may struggle to attract candidates if they don’t have the tools, resources, or time to do so. Such was the case for a private critical care group in Honolulu, Hawaii. Historically, it had some success recruiting local candidates but lacked the reach to draw from a national candidate pool. When it became apparent that it needed to look beyond Hawaii to find its next hire, the group turned to Jackson Physician Search.
Divisional Vice President of Business Development Ben Stajduhar met with the group’s leadership to explain how the Jackson Physician Search 100% digital recruitment strategy would broadcast the job opportunity to relevant physicians all over the country. Our extensive resources allow us to widely spread the word about the job, but ultimately, it is our recruitment team’s industry knowledge and expertise that help us identify the best candidate for the group’s clinical and cultural needs.
While our team members are well-versed in finding physicians for remote locations, Honolulu presented some additional challenges. The high cost of living and limited housing availability would be obstacles to overcome with candidates, and the group’s hesitancy to cover the expense of costly on-site physician interviews would have to be discussed as well. Luckily, Ben knew he could count on our team of dedicated physician recruiters. He enlisted Senior Search Consultant Becky Casias to face the challenges and find the perfect candidate.
Setting Up for Physician Recruitment Success
Becky packed her bags and went to Hawaii to get a firsthand understanding of the community, organization, and role she was recruiting for. Because the group had primarily sourced candidates locally and had yet to partner with a physician recruitment firm, Becky detailed the recruitment process. She shared her extensive knowledge of industry trends and best practices and even helped create or update the necessary documents, forms, and contracts.
Once Becky and the organization were on the same page and had a clear vision, Becky began setting the search up for success. She crafted a job posting highlighting the most attractive features and distributed it throughout the extensive Jackson Physician Search job board network. She also launched a targeted email campaign to relevant physicians in the database.
A “Dream” Physician Job
Through a physician job board posting, Dr. K saw the critical care opportunity, and she was immediately intrigued. Married with a young child, Dr. K had grown tired of the city life’s hustle and bustle and was looking for a more remote community where she and her young family could build a life. Honolulu seemed like just the right place.
Becky was thrilled to hear about Dr. K’s interest in the community and was even more excited to learn how well she aligned with the position. Dr. K had worked as a hospitalist in the ICU for two years following residency, where she found her true passion for critical care. She had internal medicine training, critical care training, a fellowship in infectious disease, and experience with transplant surgeries. When Dr. K expressed that the position was her “dream job,” Becky and the client felt she was the one.
A Make or Break On-Site Visit
While the cost to fly Dr. K out for an onsite visit was daunting to the healthcare organization at first, Becky ultimately explained how necessary of a step it is in physician recruitment, especially when dealing with unique or remote locations. The candidate’s on-site physician interview would be a crucial part of the recruitment process.
The group decided to place full trust in Becky and went all out to immerse Dr. K and her family in the life they could potentially have in Honolulu. The client gave Dr. K a facility tour, introducing her to potential colleagues. They also intentionally placed her and her family in a local hotel that provided an authentic experience rather than a tourist’s. The group invited the whole family to dinner, gathering activity recommendations and researching 23 neighborhoods nearby to help with house hunting, a common obstacle for those relocating to the area.
Secrets of Physician Recruitment Success
The combination of Becky’s expert physician recruitment knowledge and the critical care group’s willingness to accept feedback both contributed to this search successfully concluding in fewer than 100 days. This search demonstrates how partnering with a dedicated, national physician recruitment firm can open up doors that lead you to candidates who are looking for you just as much as you are looking for them.
