Healthcare recruiting can be a complicated business. We do it day in and day out, so we know! Hospitals and medical practices often ask us how we find well-qualified candidates for physician jobs, nurse practitioner jobs and physician assistant jobs.

Well, for starters, we’re well connected in the communities where we operate – currently in cities and towns across Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Pennsylvania. Our medical staffing recruiters know the hospitals and healthcare facilities in these regions, and we spend loads of time networking with top-notch medical providers who occasionally want to make a move. Our networking gives us access to a large pool of potential candidates – to fill both temporary and permanent medical jobs.

Our exclusive focus on primary care is another reason we’re successful. Rather than trying to spread ourselves thin and be all things to all people, we recruit primary care providers only. We place practitioners in family and general practice settings, hospitals and emergency rooms, pediatrics and urgent care. (See more details on our clinical focus areas.)

And finally, over the years we’ve developed best practices that enable us to source qualified candidates and screen them to find great matches. Here, we share four key recruiting tips to help improve your hiring success:

Improve your candidate pool

You can only hire the best if you attract them to your candidate pool to begin with. Invest time in networking with medical associations, at industry conferences, and with professional recruiters where you’re likely to meet candidates. Advertise through professional recruiting sites, watch job boards for providers looking to make a move, and encourage your current employees and contacts share your job posting.

Even when you are not currently hiring, staying proactive can often be your best ally when it comes to hiring.  Continually develop relationships because you can more easily reconnect down the road with a provider who you know would already be a great fit. Even if he or she may not be ready to make a move, they might be able to point you in the direction of another provider who is considering a change.

Get clear on the type of candidate, skill set and mindset your organization needs

Think beyond the job title. Every medical practice is different, each with its own process and expectations for a particular job function. Write job descriptions that outline not only the obvious job duties, but also the nuances of working at your facility. Describe your company culture and the qualities of an individual who will excel in your specific work environment.

Devoting the time to identify your ideal candidate and express who you are as a practice will sharpen your focus and streamline the interview process for both you and prospective candidates. The more information you provide is the more a provider may know how your practice will align with his or her goals.

Tout your brand

What makes your hospital or medical practice different? What are you known for, what benefits to do you offer, and how do you help your providers grow in their careers? Essentially, you need to pinpoint what makes the practice special or what prospective employees may find appealing.

You are competing with other employers to attract the best candidates, and competition is stiff. Don’t be afraid to let your practice shine.

Be thorough in your screening and interviewing process

The process of reviewing cover letters and resumes can be cumbersome, but careful evaluation at this stage of the process is critical to separating top performers from the average worker. Review each application to make sure the candidate meets the minimum qualifications listed in your original job description, and then look for skills or characteristics that set the candidates apart.

Cover those same bases in phone and in-person interviews, and check references to confirm the impressions you have about a candidate. Before making a final hiring decision, verify the accreditation of the medical providers you hire. As a healthcare practice, it is your obligation to do so.

Need help?

These tips are the foundation for successful medical staff recruiting. If you find you need help building your team of qualified providers, contact the Tinkbird office nearest you. We have a database of interested candidates, and we utilize an assortment of recruitment tools to attract both active and passive physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.