When an old contact reached out with an urgent need, recruiter Jeff Foster’s vast network of candidates allowed him to place an orthopedic physician assistant in just 13 days.
As Divisional Vice President of Business Development for Jackson Physician Search, Ben Stadjuhar has relationships with healthcare leaders nationwide – especially in the Western region where he is based. These relationships have developed over years of serving as a physician recruitment partner for their organizations, but the connections often begin with a cold call or email. That is, Ben reaches out to someone he doesn’t know to explore if his or her organization might need physician recruitment services.
If you are involved with hiring healthcare providers at your organization, it is likely you will receive emails like this. You may even reply or call to learn more. (We love it when you do that!) But more often, when you receive an email like this, you delete it without opening it or because you don’t need recruitment help at the moment. On the other hand, if you’re like the CEO of this orthopedic group in northwest Colorado, you might file the email away just in case you need recruitment services in the future.
An Old Contact Reconnects
For the CEO, that day came two years after Ben sent the initial email. The orthopedic group was losing a physician assistant and needed to find a replacement quickly. The administrator searched his inbox and found the old email from Ben, so he took a chance and replied.
Ben was happy to receive a reply from an old contact and quickly set up a call. The CEO was talking to multiple recruitment firms, but when he learned that Jackson Physician Search worked with the nearby hospital where the group provided orthopedic services, he knew he’d found the right partner. His contact at the hospital was happy to recommend us, assuring the CEO that Jackson Physician Search’s reputation for trust and transparency is well-earned. The CEO felt confident about his decision and was eager to get started.
A Recruiter with Connections
After the initial conversation, Ben brought in Senior Director of Recruiting Jeff Foster, the recruiter who had long worked with the group’s affiliated hospital. Jeff felt confident he could leverage his network to fill the position quickly. He immediately thought of one specific physician assistant candidate whom he had screened for a recent PA search for the hospital. The hospital was looking for a physician assistant to work in the Emergency Room, and her ortho experience wasn’t the best fit. However, Jeff thought she could be perfect for the orthopedic group. Jeff got to work as soon as the client signed the contract to open the search officially. He contacted the local candidates in his network, starting with her.
She was working about two and a half hours away in western Colorado, but she was still looking for an opportunity closer to Steamboat Springs, where her parents lived. When Jeff called her about the job, she was immediately interested. Jeff presented her to the client the very same day that he opened the search, and the administrator called her right away. Impressed by what he heard, he invited her for an interview as soon as possible. She cleared her schedule and made the two-and-a-half-hour drive for the interview. The meeting went incredibly well, and the client extended an offer. She signed the contract just 13 days after the start of the search.
Physician Assistant Recruitment Success
When asked about his quick success, Jeff humbly says the “stars aligned,” but a closer look reveals how relationship building was key to making the placement. First, Ben’s commitment to connecting with healthcare leaders in his region led Jackson Physician Search to the opportunity to conduct the search. Then, Jeff’s consistent communication and results over the years made his contact at the hospital quick to recommend Jackson Physician Search to the CEO of the orthopedic group. Finally, in screening applicants for the hospital job, Jeff made note of each candidate’s specific skillset and job search needs, establishing a connection with each one and asking if he could reach out about a future opportunity, should one arise. When it did, Jeff knew he could look to his network to find a good fit.
Jeff and Ben prioritize relationships and focus on growing a network of healthcare leaders and providers. This approach, coupled with a cutting-edge digital physician recruitment process, has helped Jackson Physician Search place thousands of physicians and advanced practice providers over the last four decades.
If you need physician recruitment assistance – now or in the future – the team at Jackson Physician Search would be happy to share more about our relationship-focused approach to recruiting physicians. Reach out today to learn more.
