Top 7 Ways Physician's Look for Jobs

Have you ever compared your physician recruiting methods against the ways physicians look for jobs? If not, physicians may be looking for jobs in areas other than where you are searching. Understanding how physicians look for jobs, and knowing what tools physicians utilize in their job search are key to successful physician recruiting. Below, we have listed the top seven ways in which physicians search for jobs. Make sure you check out each method to determine if your recruiting efforts could be expanded or diversified!

1. Networking - Physicians find referrals, personal and professional, the most effective way to learn about job opportunities and practice settings. Networking is effective and a favorite among physicians because a majority of them end up finding a position through these efforts. A few ways physicians network is by attending medical meetings or hospital gatherings, speaking with medical staff/community, and through professional associations. As an employer, make sure you are involved in the medical community whether through signing up to certain associations or exhibiting at physician conventions. Also, look for creative ways to network with medical staff and residency programs to assure your place for referrals and leads.

2. Online Job Boards - Over the past several years, the internet has provided physicians with distinctive advantages in job searching including physician job boards. With physician specific job boards, such as Physician Depot physicians can cover more ground in less time making it one of the most efficient recruiting tools for them. Within just a couple minutes of visiting a physician job board, physicians can find lists of active positions which meet their search criteria. Plus, physicians can search for jobs at any time of day so it does not interfere with their demanding schedules. The most important factor to know as an employer is that physicians will respond a lot more to quality job postings than to those lacking details and information. To make a quality job posting, make sure you include position qualifications, compensation/benefits, clear job description, hours/schedule, work load, work environment, facility description and specific location information.

3. Recruiters - Physicians searching for jobs can have a hard time sifting through industry information and job details. Fortunately, professional physician recruiters can assist physicians with the necessary recruiting information and help physicians in securing the best opportunity for their personal and career goals. Plus, many recruiters have large databases of physicians jobs available nationwide; some of which are unadvertised. These benefits are attractive to physicians which is why they tend to utilize recruiters to assist them in finding jobs. Obviously, employers can also take advantage of physician recruiters to help them with their hiring needs. Recruiters can typically save employers precious time and have numerous physician resources which make them an ideal resource for employers as well as physicians.

4. Ads/Journals - There are many employers who advertise in various print media such as medical journals and advertisements. While some physicians find the general medical journals effective, most respond better to specialty specific journals and advertisement. Therefore, if you are an employer looking to advertise your physician jobs through print media, make sure you investigate and locate the top specialty magazines/journals for your needs before spending your money.

5. Mailings/Broadcast E-mail - Direct Mailings and E-mail Blasts put job resources directly in front of physicians without them searching for it. A lot of the time, physicians ignore these campaigns since they are not looking for a position. However, they do attract the attention of some physicians who are in the job search so they can be very effective. Employers can easily buy physician address and/or email information online from a list-provider. Once a list is purchased, you can send your customized information to all the physicians within your list. For employers considering mailings or email blasts, make sure you craft a "call-to-action" message about your physician job or company. For example, have the physicians entering their information into an online database or call your listed contact information by a certain date.

6. Telemarketing - Physicians often receive telemarketing calls from recruiters or employers. While a lot of physicians do not respond to telemarketing calls, some physicians have taken advantage of them and found them to be very helpful. Overall, residents seem to respond best to telemarketing calls. For employers, a strong and active telemarketing department or call center can help target specific needs and give further exposure for your medical organization and job postings.

7. Association Sites - Most medical associations offer career planning advice to members and some even list job opportunities. Even a lot of specialty societies have programs to connect new physicians and residents with established physicians who are willing to give job searching advice and tips. These benefits make association sites attractive for physicians in the job search. For employers, make sure you are a member of a broader medical organization, healthcare trade media site, and/or recruiter association. You may not be able to become a member of a specialty society, but you can certainly join other organizations to stay up-to-date on networking and industry information.

After reviewing the seven top ways physicians find job, have you determined if your recruiting efforts are diversified enough? As the shortages of physicians continue to rise and the competition for well qualifies physicians increases, employers must find newer and better ways to attract top-rated physicians. In doing so, employers must know where physicians are and where they are looking for jobs. Networking and job boards are the two most popular methods currently, but remember to utilize as many physician recruiting tools as possible. Hopefully, this article has provided you with new insights on physician recruiting which you can employ or develop today!