Senior Search Consultant Katie Moeller’s innovative recruitment strategies combined with a Minnesota hospital’s dedication to supporting candidate needs led to a successful search for a Family Medicine physician.
A competitive compensation package is critical to finding success in physician recruitment but offering top dollar on its own is rarely enough to win over today’s top physicians. Rural hospitals, especially, find that determination, creativity, and a willingness to go the extra mile throughout the recruitment process is key to attracting physicians to their communities.
This was certainly the case for a 25-bed hospital in central Minnesota that needed to recruit a Family Medicine physician. Over the course of previous recruitment engagements, Senior Search Consultant Katie Moeller had built a strong relationship with the hospital’s Director of Recruiting. They shared the belief that successful physician recruitment requires a strong partnership and a proactive approach that is best accomplished with a robust, long-term staffing forecast. It was an easy decision for the hospital to return to Jackson Physician Search and trust Katie with this new search.
Casting a Wide Net for Qualified Candidates
Katie began by immediately casting a wide net to capture the interest of several candidates, including soon-to-be-graduating residents. Using multiple job boards and a targeted email campaign strategy, Katie highlighted Minnesota’s many benefits, including its family friendly culture, enviable outdoor lifestyle, superior public education system, and leading healthcare network. She also focused on the hospital’s commitment to providing physician autonomy – a feature nearly all physicians highly value.
The Promise of Physician Autonomy is Hard to Turn Down
It wasn’t long before a physician stood out to Katie. Dr. L had strong Minnesota and Wisconsin ties, but explained that she wasn’t really considering practicing in the region. She was born in the area, but her familiarity with the community was limited as her family had relocated shortly upon her birth. After Katie shared that the hospital valued quality over quantity, which would allow her to provide the highest level of quality care without as much emphasis on patient volume, Dr. L agreed to Katie’s request to present her for consideration. Despite not having any family in the area, nor having been back for a visit in years, Katie encouraged her to keep an open mind. As it turns out, it was a perfect match, and the hospital didn’t want to risk losing the candidate to another opportunity. Katie worked to arrange an interview as soon as possible.
Catering to the Needs of the Physician and the Family
One way a hospital can demonstrate its commitment to a candidate is through a customized on-site interview and community tour. With only one chance to make a great first impression, the hospital ensured every detail in the itinerary would address the specific needs of Dr. L and her spouse.
Leading up to the interview, Dr. L had expressed to Katie that she was passionate about addiction health and treatment. With this insight, the hospital had prepared ways in which it could support her ongoing efforts. Additionally, Katie shared that Dr. L’s husband had his heart set on finding a home on a significant piece of land. In an effort to recruit the whole family, the hospital immediately connected him with a vetted real estate agent.
With an interview itinerary in hand and an excited husband ready to preview selected properties, Dr. L could already see just how much the hospital cared about her professional and personal wellbeing.
Dr. L Meets the Doctor Who Made a Very Special Delivery
At the social gathering where Dr. L and her husband had the opportunity to meet her potential colleagues, the hospital found the most unique way to demonstrate that it was invested in her past, present and future. Because Dr. L was originally from the area, the hospital tracked down the now-retired physician who had delivered her as a baby and invited him to attend! As you might imagine, Dr. L was extremely touched by the gesture.
She left the interview and community tour feeling already like an esteemed member of the hospital’s collaborative team. When combined with the promise of autonomy, it was an easy decision to accept the hospital’s job offer. With her residency training nearly complete, Dr. L is excited to take the next step in her very promising career.
As the endorsed physician recruitment firm by the Minnesota Hospital Association, we’re dedicated to placing candidates who will fit, succeed and stay in Minnesota. Our mission, rooted in four decades of service in healthcare, is to always deliver what we promise. Find out how our track record built on trust and transparency is the proven path to physician recruitment success. Visit us at www.jacksonphysiciansearch.com.
Let’s Get Social: Capturing the Attention of Passive Physician Candidates
At any given point in time, as many as 75% of physicians are passively exploring their career options. This means that they may not be actively applying to job opportunities, but they are more than willing to listen if something catches their attention. Reaching these passive candidates is critical, and now more than ever, the best way to reach physician candidates is via a targeted, digital recruitment strategy like the one Jackson Physician Search offers.
Physicians, like most Americans, are extremely active on social media, so physician recruiters should have a strategy to meet candidates where they are – online. Did you know that 80% of physicians have claimed their profile and are active on Doximity, the social media networking site dedicated to physicians?
To reach these in-demand physicians, every recruiter at Jackson Physician Search has a Doximity license and is a certified user. No other firm has this level of access to Doximity, which is yet another reason why we’re known for our unbeatable candidate acquisition. Find out more at www.jacksonphysiciansearch.com.
