“Even with increasing enrollments [in medical schools], we may fall short of the need for physicians,” warns David Andrick, director of physician recruitment and relations at Wilson Health.

The reality of Andrick’s warning is likely felt by physician recruiters nationwide who compete daily for the attention of a limited number of clinicians.

At the PracticeLink annual staff meeting at our headquarters in Hinton, West Virginia, Andrick shared physician recruitment’s challenges—and advice on how employers can succeed in spite of them.

Tip 1: Assess your community’s needs before launching a search

Andrick calls physician recruitment a “long-term investment.” Before you begin the journey, get a clear picture of your community’s needs. Understand:

• The competitiveness of the specialty you’ll recruit (This infographic might help.)
• Your current medical staff mix and characteristics
• The population the role will serve
• The community’s expectations for the role
• The support structures available
• Your hospital’s facilities, technology and financial status
• The total recruitment package you can offer

Tip 2: Once you’ve made contact with a candidate, get personal—fast

Physician recruitment is all about facilitating and building relationships. During each conversation, try to find out—or answer—the following:

• What are the physician’s motivators?
• What are the physician’s potential demotivators?
• What is important to the physician’s family?
• What does your current medical staff say about your hospital and administration?
• How does the candidate compare to the mix of experiences and styles of the current medical staff?
• What kind of leadership style does your organization have? How does it compare to the candidate’s current situation?

Tip 3: Involve all your stakeholders during the site visit

Andrick suggests helping physician candidates meet as many people as they can when on a site visit. At this stage, physician candidates want to know:

• Do you really need me and my specialty? (And can you show me the supporting data?)
• Can I see the practice’s clinical capabilities?
• Can I see the community, to evaluate if I’ll fit in?

Tip 4: Don’t lose contact after the physician is hired!

The relationship that physician recruiters and physician candidates build throughout the hiring process is hard to replace. Strengthen that relationship even after recruitment is finished by:

• Encouraging the physician to consider you a helpful resource throughout their career.
• Setting them up with a mentor who can help the physician settle into their new practice and community
• Maintaining a fluid conversation by regularly asking “How’s it going?”

Physician recruitment is a challenge—especially in an ever-changing environment with tough competition. But by following Andrick’s tips, you, too, can find success.