When faced with a particularly difficult search and an urgent need, VP of Business Development Brent Barnacle recommended a co-branded search strategy. Working closely with the CEO, Search Consultant Lauren Vanlandingham proceeded to lead the co-branded search to impressive results.
In the current market, some of the most challenging searches are for CRNAs and Family Medicine Obstetricians, and the difficulty increases considerably when those positions are in the rural Midwest. So when Divisional Vice President of Business Development Brent Barnacle met with the CEO of a hospital in rural South Dakota, he was not surprised to learn that they were struggling to hire for those roles. Brent explained in detail how Jackson Physician Search’s 100% digital recruitment strategy could accelerate its efforts. He introduced Search Consultant Lauren Vanlandingham, who assured the CEO that she would work the process tirelessly until she found the right candidates. If anyone could find success, it would be the Jackson Physician Search team.
Leveling Up the Strategy
Lauren visited the facility and enjoyed meeting the stakeholders and getting to know the community. She could see the appeal of both the organization and the location, and she knew if she could just get candidates interested, they’d fall in love once on site. Attracting their initial attention with the job ad would be the biggest hurdle. She discussed the challenge with Brent, who agreed that the difficulty of these searches might require something beyond the standard strategy. He proposed a “co-branded search,” which would combine the power of the facility’s employer brand with the targeted reach of Jackson Physician Search.
Brent and Lauren presented the idea to the CEO, and she immediately saw the benefits. The hospital was a known entity in the region, but they had not been able to reach their target audience. Jackson Physician Search had the reach, and the CEO knew an ad specifying the hiring organization would be more likely to receive traction than advertising the job at a “rural hospital in South Dakota.” When Brent confirmed this by explaining that naming the employer in a job ad typically increases the response rate by as much as 50%, the CEO readily agreed.
What is a Co-Branded Search?
Typically, when a recruitment partner advertises a job opening for a client, they do not specify the hiring organization. Potential candidates see something they like in the ad and contact the recruiter, who then shares more about the employer while screening the candidate for specific skills and experience. If the call goes well, the recruiter will present him or her to the hiring organization.
In a co-branded search, the recruiter highlights the hiring organization in the job ad, leveraging its reputation to attract candidates who have heard of the organization and allowing those who haven’t to visit the website and conduct some research before applying. Candidates feel understandably more comfortable applying to a job when they know the name of the employer, so the volume of applications often increases.
In this case, another benefit of a co-branded search was our ability to post the CRNA job on AANA MOTION, a map-based career exploration platform exclusively for the CRNA/RRNA market. Jackson Physician Search is the only AANA-endorsed recruiting firm of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, and posting the job on AANA Motion allows us to reach up to 65,000 nurse anesthetists at no additional fee to the healthcare organizations we recruit for. During a time when recruiting CRNAs is extremely challenging, this additional reach is often critical to success.
Connecting with Candidates
Exposure on AANA Motion as well as other, more traditional job boards, proved to be an impactful candidate sourcing strategy. A particular candidate, who was originally from South Dakota and wanted to move back home, quickly became the favorite. Finding a provider with ties to the area was extremely important to the client, and the fact that this CRNA was committed to putting down roots in the community gave him a competitive edge. The CRNA search took just 104 days.
The favored FMOB candidate, Dr. L, had a similar story. He also saw the co-branded FMOB job ad on a job board and submitted his CV. His wife, originally from the area, was expecting their first child, and they both wanted to move back to be near family while they started their own. Knowing this would be appealing to the client, Lauren presented Dr. L, and the process moved quickly from there. The search took a remarkable four months.
The CEO was thrilled with Lauren’s quick success and promptly opened a second FMOB search. The co-branded job ads continued to work their magic. Lauren received an application from a candidate who had already researched the facility and the surrounding community extensively. Though Dr. P was not originally from South Dakota, his proactive research suggested a sincere desire to relocate to the area. After learning more about him and his family’s needs, Lauren felt confident recommending him to the CEO. Less than 30 days from the start of the second search, Dr. P came on-site for an interview, and the CEO agreed that he would be an excellent addition to the team.
Secrets of Physician and CRNA Recruitment Success
Everyone involved recognized the powerful impact of co-branding the search. As the number of applicants increased, Lauren, who had done an excellent job getting to know the client’s needs and preferences, could screen the incoming applicants and only present those closely aligned with the client’s wants.
The CEO repeatedly commented that she appreciated how Brent and Lauren handled the search. She had previously worked with other firms that tried to provide direction but felt they didn’t fully consider the organization’s needs. In contrast, she liked that Brent and Lauren listened and worked with her as the strategy evolved. Lauren explains the approach as “consultative without being controlling.” This method worked well for the hospital, as it does for many Jackson Physician Search clients nationwide.
If your organization is facing a particularly challenging search or has a tight recruitment timeline, co-branding your search with Jackson Physician Search could significantly increase the volume of applicants. Reach out to the recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search today to learn more.
