Physician recruiters know better than anyone that a candidate’s job search isn’t just about the money. There’s community fit, practice settings, and how the job fits into the candidate’s vision of his or her future. But though it’s not the only factor, physician salaries understandably play a large role in any candidate’s career decisions.

But how are physician recruiters (not to mention physician job-seekers) supposed to know what comprises a fair compensation plan?

According to the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (ASPR) 2014 In-House Physician Recruitment Processes Report, the reports from MGMA, Sullivan-Cotter and AMGA are in-house recruiters’ most frequently used resources for physician compensation.

Here’s a closer look at the resources available.

This summer marked my four-year anniversary (!) managing PracticeLink's trade show strategy at physician specialty meetings, job fairs and other conferences. Over the past four years, we've made some changes to our display approach that have greatly impacted the return on our conference investments and increased our presence on the trade show floor. 

One of my favorite Saturday activities is window-shopping in Target. I’m pathologically responsible, so I don’t go on real shopping sprees very often, but at least a couple of times a month, I buy an iced latte at Starbucks and walk around Target—stopping to try on shoes I won’t purchase and smell candles I won’t buy. I leave the store knowing I spent only $4 but got all the benefits of some serious retail therapy.

You could call me a passive shopper because I look without any intent to buy. If you think this makes me a worthless shopper, however, you’d be missing my future potential. Because when I need to buy, I’ve already done an incredible amount of homework.

The same can be said of physician candidates...

There was a point in time when the process for hiring a physician for an open position would have cost in-house physician recruiters tremendous time, energy and financial resources.