My fellow PracticeLinker Cameron and I just got back from catching Pokémon in downtown Louisville on our lunch break. Though Pokémon GO has been around for just two weeks, you’ve probably already heard of this popular iPhone and Android game. (I would tell you how many times the app has been downloaded, but the number’s increasing by 1,500 people every 30 seconds.) If you haven’t yet created an account yourself, I’d bet you’ve at least seen a few people walking around your town, phones in hand, hunting Pokémon.

Part of Pokémon GO’s vast appeal is its use of augmented-reality technology. As you walk through the real world and look at your screen, your phone’s GPS and camera features work together to make it look as though digital Pokémon inhabit your streets and towns and stomping grounds. (Maybe we don’t need another reason to look at our phones, but we can certainly all use another reason to get outside and walk.) The basic goal of the game is to “catch ’em all” — all the Pokémon, that is. Some are easy to find, and others are quite rare and require lots of time and dedication. In this regard and others, Pokémon GO actually has a lot in common with your job of physician recruitment. So here are your Power Tips, as explained by Pokémon GO: 

Build your toolbox.

You can’t catch Pokémon without Poké Balls, and you can’t recruit physicians without basic tools like online job slots and a searchable candidate database. If you’re out of Poké Balls, find a PokéStop in your city. If you don’t have access to a job bank or candidate database, confer with your fellow recruiters at industry get-togethers like the ASPR Conference or a regional physician recruitment association meet-ups. Learn which services other recruiters use, and start building the toolbox you need.

Join the right team.

Pokémon GOers have the option of joining the Mystic team, the Valor team or the Instinct team. Whichever team you join will help you throughout the game. Physician recruiters, too, need a team in the form of a referral network. Set up a referral system within your organization to incentivize physicians and other employees to recommend candidates for your open positions. By making use of the connections of others, you’re more likely to find the right fit.

Meet catches where they are.

Unfortunately, Pokémon don’t usually come to you — you have to go to them. When you want to catch some Pokémon, it’s time to get outside. Looking for a water Pokémon? Go to the nearest lake. Looking for a grass Pokémon? Get to a garden. Similarly, if you want to recruit physicians, you need to put yourself in their paths. Exhibit at a physician job fair— particularly one in a city near your need or one near a residency program in the specialty you’re seeking. Commit to looking far and wide for the right fit.

Pick your battles.

It’s not worth your time to catch every duplicate Pokémon you pass. (I learned this the hard way after catching four Rattatas.) Similarly, you don’t need to interview every physician who expresses interest in a position. Do a pre-screen over the phone to make sure that you’ll be investing your time, energy, and money wisely if you bring a physician on-site. If you’re a PracticeLink user, try using our inDepth Candidate Interviews to learn what a physician is seeking in an opportunity before you even reach out. 

Provide incentives.

You know why you want physicians for your team, but do physicians know why they want you as an employer? In Pokémon GO, Lures and Incense will help you attract the creatures you seek. In physician recruitment, you need a strong employer brand that shows your organization is a great place to practice medicine. You also need to be able to articulate why physicians should work for you — whether that’s your welcoming community and team, your loan repayment assistance, your visa sponsorship opportunities or any other incentive that sets you apart.

Play the long game.

Sometimes, rather than finding a Pokémon, you will find only an egg, which you must incubate by walking. (I’ve got to walk another mile and a half before my next egg will hatch.) Similarly, some hires come more slowly than others. If a candidate looks promising, don’t give up just because he or she is moving more slowly through the recruitment funnel. One way to combat long recruitment processes is to anticipate your eventual hiring needs. Use past recruitment data to forecast your future recruitment needs and get started early on these searches so that, when the time comes, you’ll be able to fill these positions promptly, even when candidates take a long time to turn into hires.

Use your resources wisely.

Pokémon GO will drain your battery quickly, and though physician recruitment requires a different type of energy, it can be draining nonetheless. That said, be strategic about how you invest — whether you’re investing your time, your budget, or your energy. If you’re looking to save on a search, try purchasing candidate leads instead of flying to a specialty conference yourself. For other searches, expect to invest a little more, such as when you have a particularly hard-to-fill position and want to feature or highlight your job posting.

Increase your expertise.

As you catch more Pokémon, you increase your Experience Points and Trainer level. Similarly, you can increase your recruitment know-how in a number of ways — such as by attending our free inTraining Physician Recruitment webinars, going through Physician Recruitment Intensive Training and attending events worth ASPR CEU credits. 

Invest in your past catches.

It’s not enough just to catch a Pokémon and leave it as-is. Wise Trainers strengthen and evolve their catches (with Candy!) to build the strongest teams. Similarly, if you recruit a physician and then pass him or her off to onboarding and never follow up again, you’re not doing everything you can to build your team. Continue to foster your relationships with past hires by following up on a regular basis — at first every month, then every quarter, then twice a year or so. If you help your past hires feel valued and heard, you’re less likely to have to fill the same physician spots again and again.