Through the initial round of sourcing activities, one of the most important parts of the process for me is interaction with target prospects.

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Physician Recruitment - It's All About the Leads

Article by: Allison McCarthy
Published in the Summer 2009 issue of the Journal of the ASPR.

The key to our success in recruitment is keeping the funnel full. Without prospects in the pipeline, we are miles away from filling that position. I believe "sourcing" is mostly a "thinking" process – who am I going after based on what I have to offer. The old adage of working smarter, not harder is relevant in our current state of shrinking resources and increasing demands. Greater attention to strategically feeding the pipeline and filling the funnel will pay off with a smoother and more successful recruitment process.

Building a Pipeline

Each search has its nuances, but all of them benefit from a strategic approach to managing the search.

Step One: Target the right leads – within the specialty and beyond geographic affinity, which physician will most likely have the professional and lifestyle interests that would be met by our opportunity. While you want to generate as many candidates as possible, don't be tempted to use a shotgun approach. Strategic targeting is more cost effective and results oriented.

Step Two: Understand their triggers – based on what they do and who they treat, which elements of the offering are most appealing?

Step Three: Create the messages – what unique phrases can you use that taps into those elements defined in steps one and two?

Step Four: Select sourcing resources – which tools would most effectively reach your selected target population?

Vacation Planning

Those who have heard me speak recently know that I compare the development of a sourcing strategy to planning a vacation.

I start by looking at it from a big picture perspective. What kind of experience do I want to have – relaxing, learning, solitude, excitement, etc. With that defined, I can begin to select the where, when, how long, and so forth.

Similarly, when planning a search, I think strategically and develop the research strategy to determine:

• What type of physician would benefit both professionally and personally from this opportunity,

• What makes this opportunity unique from others,

• What about my offering is positive and what could potentially be viewed as weak – from the target physician perspective.

Also during the research phase, I ask a lot of questions of various stakeholders including practice colleagues, call coverage partners, referral sources, etc. to uncover the nuances that will frame my strategic approach and agenda.

With that part done, let me return back to my vacation analogy again to review the next step. Deciding on which suitcase will be best for my vacation is dependent upon how long I will be away. This correlates to the size of the defined prospect pool I have to work with based on my strategic parameters above. We have all done searches where there were only a few hundred physicians in the entire specialty versus others that could generate many thousands. If we have the opportunity to increase the size of our prospect pool by loosening some search criteria, it might make sense to do that – segmenting them into A, B, C priorities and focusing some different sourcing approaches with each group.

With my suitcase selected, I then begin packing with the "basics" (i.e. toothbrush and shampoo) always being included. They are the "no brainers" no matter what type of vacation I have selected. This is similar to those tactical sourcing choices that are just so obvious we should automatically use them. Resources such as posting the offering on your organizational website, a free statewide or regional website, or unused slots in your PracticeLink account, for example.

As I continue to pack, I consider the "situational attire" needed based on my specific vacation type. Similarly, I now focus on the defined target population and what will most effectively reach them. If residents/fellows are targeted, social media tools might be in order. If a clinical director is needed, a direct mail letter from a key administrative or physician leader may be the priority. In this case, a letter surpasses other tools for it offers more room to describe the specific professional opportunities available within the position for this harder to move population.

Depending upon how much room I have left in my suitcase, or in my sourcing budget, I add in my "Accessories". These are the "would be nice to include" items that only get added if space (i.e. resources) are available. This might be placing a journal ad, because it satisfies practice physicians, or exhibiting at a specialty association conference for extra visibility.

Getting Plan Feedback

Through the initial round of sourcing activities, one of the most important parts of the process for me is interaction with target prospects. It is only through that dialogue that I can determine if my offering is attractive enough to be of interest. To get this input, I need to select sourcing vehicles that will generate that direct communication opportunity. If my initial efforts just push messages out into the market and I wait for a response, I won't really know what is resonating with my target pool – positive or negative.

Sourcing has to be as much relational as transactional – you have to talk to prospects and track their feedback. Most of us don't enjoy cold calling, but it is one of the most effective ways to get the information we need. It can also be done through specialty meetings, career fairs or other similar venues that offer the ability to ask questions of those we are trying to attract.

Profiling Interested Prospects

I also find it beneficial to profile those who responded. Are there trends or common characteristics of those in whom I am attracting? Traits such as their current practice location, type of practice setting or experience level. In helping a private primary care group recruit, we found that those currently in hospital employment settings were interested in exploring the "other side." For another client, we found we were attracting prospects from a state in which we didn't even target, because the lifestyle nuances were similar and my client's physician practice environment was more economically attractive. These profiles can often open up additional target populations or identify some other messages that can be appealing to a specific target group.

Layering for Comfort

Of course, in sourcing there are no "absolutes". It's like a doctor treating a patient – they do an assessment and develop a treatment plan – integrating information with experience. If the treatment doesn't work, they adapt the plan and incorporate new techniques until a positive result is achieved.

Several sourcing vehicles used in tandem are typically best. While some tools might generate broad awareness of the open position, others will work proactively to generate responses.

The key is to allocate time to strategize your sourcing plan. Create a description of that "ideal" prospect – whether you do it alone or together as a team – based on the benefits available in your practice offering. Outline the key message points you believe will trigger their specific needs and interests. Then with a list of all the possible sourcing tools you could use in front of you, prioritize which ones would most likely reach that desired physician target group. Finally, frame the tracking tools that will be used to assess the results. Be assured that this planning and preparation will go a long way to not only give you greater confidence in your sourcing plan but also likely in your recruitment results as well.

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