A website portal is an excellent way to brand your organization and offer members something more specific then the general information on your website. We recently updated one of our client’s physician recruitment portals by asking these three simple, strategic questions:Read full post...

It’s smarter and less expensive to invest in your own employment brand identity, rather than depend on outsiders to fill your pipeline.

The best physicians deliver better care. But what’s the best way to find those physicians?

Investing in locum tenens to fill vacancies can certainly deliver the physicians your patients need, and there will always be a need for them. But at what cost? The physicians’ longevity and loyalty are uncertain, and they’re only a short-term solution.Read full post...

Nobody has to tell you times are tough. Budgets are tight. And senior execs at your hospital or health system likely believe your efforts to attract physicians and advance practitioners are getting more expensive. And to an extent, they’re right — because they only look at recruitment as an expense.Read full post...

What is a stronger employment brand really worth?

If you want to recruit and retain top talent, visit our recruitment marketing page. 

An interesting collection of statistics showing the current state of physician recruitment

If you want to recruit and retain top talent, visit our recruitment marketing page. 

23 percent plan to leave medicine or are at least considering doing so.

In August, I’m headed to sunny Tucson, AZ, for the annual Association of Physician Recruiters (ASPR) Conference. Along with my friend and colleague Emerson Moses of One Medical Group, I’ll present on how technology is changing recruitment. Thanks to our partnership with MDLinx.com, we’ll have great data from our 2013 market research survey on physicians and how they seek employment.

We’ll take an in-depth look at our research study details during our August 13 presentation, but here are some other fascinating statistics to hold you over until then (cardiologist turnover rates are really high!).

Read full post...

This is a generation that didn’t learn to use computers in college or in late high school, they learned from their parents as soon as they could pick up a mouse.

Shari Short, president of Short Answer Consulting, and I were privileged to present at the recent 2013 National Association of Physician Recruiters Annual Conference. We spoke about communicating with different generations and what it means to physician and advanced practitioner recruiters.

Our observations on the differences between communicating with the silent generation (66+), Baby Boomers (49–66), Gen Xers (28–48) and Millennials (7–27) elicited a unanimous response: “We’re all doomed!” But not so! Do Millennials have a different perspective on the value of work/life balance than their older counterparts? Absolutely. Do they frustrate us with their dogged addiction to mobile and digital technology? Sure. Do they strive to do something great in their lives? Absolutely. Maybe they don’t value 12- to 14-hour workdays like their older counterparts. But they do understand that the technology they embrace may help them to accomplish more, faster. What’s wrong with that?Read full post...

Think about your physician leaders as your hospital’s quarterback.

Like most American men, I’m a huge football fan. Specifically, my allegiance is to the Philadelphia Eagles (you can now officially feel sorry for me). This year has been rough, as we’ve seen draft picks underperform, free agents take large contracts and contribute very little and, after all was said and done, our coach get fired and shown the door. This got me thinking: Hospitals and health systems are not that different than a professional football team. Let me explain how.Read full post...

Does your message stand out?

To win over top physician candidates, you have to stay ahead of the pack. Sounds simple enough. But before you begin your recruitment push, make sure you’ve got the goods to attract them — and not just great pay and benefits.

Is your organization a model of medical efficiency and quality patient care? If so, is it due to decision-making from above?

Or are physicians taking the lead?Read full post...

Physicians can easily find a ton of options.

Let’s face it: Physicians looking for a new position can easily find a ton of options. They make a couple of calls, check a couple of websites, and bam — a shiny new career opportunity. The challenge is, how do you get them to select your shiny new career opportunity?

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the benefits of a strong employment brand:Read full post...

92% of physicians surveyed said they prefer to be alerted to job openings through email.

AB&C recently teamed with MDLinx to conduct a survey of 500 general practitioners, medical specialists and surgical specialists at different stages of their careers. Our research revealed similarities and surprises regarding their professional priorities and the best ways to reach them.

First, “show me the money”—financial rewards—still ranked as their number-one priority, followed by autonomy/independence, respect, reputation, camaraderie and, unexpectedly last, recognition.Read full post...

The physician shortage continues, and 2012 will be even more competitive.

2011 saw increased demand for a limited supply of physicians in hospitals and primary care practices. 2012 will be even more competitive. Here are the top four issues we predict will have the greatest impact on recruiting success:

4. We’ll recruit through mobile devices.

Doctors are on the go and using smart phones more than ever. Emails and direct mail campaigns can’t keep pace. Extend your reach with instantly accessible messages — make sure they’re easy to look at and easy to read!Read full post...

Social Media and Recruitment

Social networking recruitment has become the “must do” sourcing activity across all of HR. Whether it’s using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – the pressure to use these channels is greater now than ever. And without knowing it, recruiters and talent evaluators are falling into some significant legal traps.Read full post...

Buying into Apple's branding.

I have to admit — from the moment I saw the original commercial my inner geek shouted with joy. Not only was the original iPhone the answer to what I had been dreaming about for five years — since walking around with a Palm Pilot and a rather large, uncomfortable cell phone tucked into my pants pocket — but it was also produced by a company that creates intuitive, sexy computers that I’ve been using since college — Apple! This was a dream come true.

Since picking up my iPhone I’ve come to realize something that no marketing professional ever wants to admit — I bought the brand.Read full post...

Traditional marketing tactics may be like your old mix tapes.

It seems like only yesterday. I wanted to catch the attention of that special person and I knew the perfect way to go about doing it — the mix tape! A combination of all those songs that would tell her exactly how I felt and why she should want my company as much as I wanted hers.

Times have certainly changed. Now you wouldn’t make a mix tape, or even a mix CD. Now it’s all about the playlist.

Are business relationships really any different?Read full post...