Does your recruitment strategy include understanding a physician’s goals?
Posted by Alexandra Cappetta
One of the biggest differences between a good physician recruiter and a great one is the ability to go beyond supporting the needs of your hires and nurture their growth as a health care worker.
Elevating your candidates’ goals should be a central part of your recruitment strategy to strengthen your connections and bring more satisfaction to your hires. But first, what are a physician’s goals?
Advancement as a health care professional
Physicians want opportunities to evolve and be the best providers they can be - for the sake of their patients, employers and their personal fulfillment. As you get to know prospects, there are a few things you can learn about them to appeal to their growth mindset.
For example, how does the individual want to grow - specifically? What knowledge or skillsets do they want to improve or sharpen? What experiences would they like to gain?
Find out what your candidates want their professional advancement to look like and continue referencing these specific goals throughout the recruitment process. Continuously going back to the career goals candidates have shared with you will make them feel heard, and it shows that you’ll be intuitive to opportunities that can help them advance.
Arrival at a healthy work/life balance
With busy schedules and consuming work, many physicians set goals to maintain their work/life balance. Some individuals will do their best to avoid exceeding the hours set for them during the week, others will want to take a certain number of vacations each year to recharge.
As you’re getting to know prospects, work/life balance should always be something on your radar. You can exhibit this to candidates by asking questions like: "What goals do you have for maintaining work/life balance in the coming year?" Be direct about the importance of this balance and let your candidate know you’re dedicated to helping them maintain it with their specific goals or limits in mind.
Repaying student loan debt
For many new physicians, working out the specifics of their student loan repayment can feel like the last hurdle before they can "officially" begin their careers. Every individual will have different goals for the process and a timeline for paying off their loans.
While it’s not a good idea to ask or make assumptions about one’s financial endeavors, you can be proactive. Share information about student loan repayment programs that can help if your prospects are interested; you can say, "I know it looks different for everyone, so I wanted to provide some resources about student loan repayment options and programs many candidates find helpful."
You can also remind your prospect that you’re there to help and offer contacts who can assist them with maintaining and reaching the financial goals they’ve set.
Reaching individual objectives
Personal and professional objectives will be different for every candidate you encounter, including the timeframe they have in mind to reach it - whether it be one week, one month or even within the next five years. It says a lot to candidates when you ask about their short- or long-term goals, but it says even more when you inquire about what they need to make those goals a reality.
Do they have any goals outside of work you can reasonably support or encourage? What resources can you provide? Are there any mentors or leaders to whom you might be able to direct them to help map out a game plan?
Show candidates your investment in them is enduring; be intentional about learning and nurturing their goals to encourage growth as an individual and health care provider who serves your organization.
We’re here to help! Contact ProTeam@PracticeLink.com if you have any questions or would like to learn more about refining your recruitment strategy.