As a permanent physician recruiting firm, we talk daily with candidates and get down to the nitty-gritty of what motivates them to consider new opportunities.
Many of our clients are in rural communities and we often get asked… how do we communicate with candidates to determine if they are open to considering a move to a rural practice?
According to the AAMC, only 11% of physicians are practicing in rural areas. So, it stands to reason that most physicians focus their search on larger metropolitan areas because they are more familiar with these locations, either by personal experience or name recognition. This doesn’t mean that a more rural location wouldn’t be a good fit for them, it just means they need to be informed about what a rural location can offer them. Determining whether a candidate would be interested in your rural opportunity starts with learning about the physician!
Instead of asking a candidate if they are interested in a rural area, focus the conversation on talking points that have nothing to do with “Zip Code”.
Try asking…
What is important to them in a community?
What does their spouse enjoy doing when they are not working?
Do they have children, and if so, what activities would a community need to offer to keep them happy?
What do they enjoy doing as a family on weekends, but also what do they actually have time to do?
What are the candidate’s personal hobbies or interests outside of medicine?
It’s important to remember that most physicians won’t have a rural location in mind when they start their job search – in fact, some will even be turned off by the prospect of moving to a rural location. Therefore, you should use language that emphasizes the experience and positives of what your community has to offer the candidate based on their specific values and interests, just to open their mind. Avoid using language that emphasizes the remoteness of the location. (“There are two airports within an hour drive of our location” is much more appealing than “There aren’t any major airports in our town”).
Once you’ve learned what is important to a physician, you can then determine whether they might be a good fit for your facility and community. Oftentimes, the needs of the physician and their family can be met in a rural area, they just need a little help in seeing it!
Almost certainly your practice opportunity is significantly better than anything they will find in a big city, so that is your hook. The goal should always be to gain interest from the candidate in things about your facility – organizational goals, personalities of your staff, and their ideal professional goals. Sell the practice as the one thing that meets their professional needs, and just open their mind on the community. The goal is to get them onsite, and then woo them with that small town hospitality when you have all of their attention focused on you!
