Why Quality Over Quantity Matters When It Comes to Physician Recruiters

Leaders across every field often say that people are your greatest asset. In the healthcare industry, this is even more true. For your healthcare facility to function at peak level, you need the best doctors for your organization.

Unfortunately, hospitals, clinics and offices don’t seem to be finding the best matches. That’s evidenced by the fact that surveys on physician happiness show low levels of job satisfaction. Healthcare facilities should take note of this, as unhappy doctors negatively impact the organization.

So, what’s the solution? It’s to find recruiters that place emphasis on finding quality physicians for your organization. Here’s why:

Challenges and issues with physician recruitment

Key issues face recruitment in the healthcare industry, like:

Lots of jobs but limited candidates

The healthcare industry is adding jobs at a fast rate. For instance, from August 2016 through August 2017, the healthcare industry added nearly 30,000 jobs per month. That means healthcare professionals have plenty of opportunities. Their skills are in high demand, with the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a physician shortage of 90,000 by 2025.

High demand and low supply may make it seem like a recruiter’s job is simple, but if there’s only focus on filling as positions as possible, recruiters ignore whether candidates are a good fit culturally and clinically with the organization.

A high turnover rate

Because healthcare professionals are in high demand, there is a lot of turnover. Many switch jobs simply because they often see openings that they feel will make them happier and/or better compensated.

For example, physician burnout rates have been rising, which not only can have a negative impact on quality of care but are also leading to higher turnover rates. An Urban Institute study found that 30 percent of physicians between 35 and 49 plan to leave their practices within five years.

Strict sales quotas

To deal with issues like high turnover and an expanding and competitive job market, recruiting agencies have responded by adding more recruiters to achieve greater growth. The problem is that many of these new recruiters are inexperienced, which means they don’t have the knowledge necessary to source and analyze candidates.

Due to pressure from the company, recruiting teams may also be pressured to get as many placements as possible. This means they won’t have sufficient time to research candidates and determine if they’re suitable for the open position. They may not even have time for face-to-face interactions with physicians and the healthcare facility.

Recruiters concerned about quantity instead of quality may also not be able to provide the support that’s needed to ensure the doctor is happy with the new position, which is crucial. Positive work cultures lead to workplace success and productivity. Studies by the Gallup Organization and Queens School of Business show that disengaged workers have 49 percent more accidents and make 60 percent more errors.

How physician recruitment can be improved

The number-one priority of a recruitment team should be on placing qualified doctors in excellent positions. This way, healthcare facilities will have happy, productive physicians and be able to end the cycle of physician turnover.

So, how is this done? It starts with building a team of talented and experienced recruiters. It also involves employing the best technologies to source and analyze candidates. Then, a recruitment model should be built around getting physicians who not only meet the qualifications for a position but also will enjoy the work and fit in with the organization.

For example, the recruitment model should look at key factors like specialty, location, compensation and local community amenities. Each step in the model should involve personalized communication on all sides so that high-quality placements can be given to hospitals.

Quality recruiters help build great healthcare organizations

Clearly, the emphasis should be on quality, not quantity. In an industry where lives are literally on the line, you can’t afford a bad hire. It’s worth the time and resources to get a recruiter who will do what’s necessary to deliver the right physician.