5 Trends in Physician Recruiting in 2023
What’s been happening in the physician recruiting field? Quite a lot.
As the pool of working physicians continues to shrink, competition for top talent remains fierce. The high demand had led to intensely competitive practices, as recruiters and organizations work hard and creatively to find and place candidates.
PhysEmp has identified the following 5 trends in recruiting are shaping the field at this time.
1. A continuing focus on telehealth opportunities and practices
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine and virtual interviewing, allowing recruiters and hirers to more easily reach a larger pool of candidates. This trend continues.
Telehealth is ideal for connecting with younger physicians who tend to be more comfortable with technology, and who may want to work remotely. Telehealth can improve job satisfaction and reduce burnout, since schedules and patient volumes are often more manageable.
Organizations embracing telehealth can experience a competitive advantage in attracting physicians.
However…
2. It is taking longer to fill open positions
In 2022, the average time to fill a physician job was a lengthy 6-9 months, for two reasons: fewer doctors are working now and many hospitals are reducing their recruiting staff (as a cost-cutting measure).
In the healthcare field as a whole, the average time to fill a job is 49 days.
Overall employment of physicians, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, is expected to grow at 3-6% in 2021-2031, slower than in other occupations.
3. There is an increasing emphasis on cultural fit
In addition to requiring technical skills, hospitals and healthcare organizations are placing greater emphasis on candidates who can align with their culture and values. After all, a better-fit employee has a higher potential for a long-term relationship, which can greatly benefit organizations.
The downside of seeking cultural fit in candidates can be discrimination against those who do not “fit” in. However, many institutions view finding employees with the right attitude as a high positive.
4. More focus on retention
The medical field, like many industries, has felt the sting of the Great Resignation, the thinning out in numbers due to workers leaving the field or retiring, much of this due to the pandemic.
It then follows that hospitals and practices potentially stand to benefit by retaining employees who know and understand their organizations.
From the physician’s perspective, many are seeking not only right fit but better work-life balance that comes with employers offering flexible schedules, more professional development opportunities, and manageable workloads.
5. Uptick in use of data-driven recruiting
Due to the intense competition for talent, recruiters are increasingly using data analytics. Analytics can be used to identify qualified candidates, thus saving time and resources, as hospitals and others look for speed and strategic advantage in their recruiting and hiring processes.
Use of data can streamline the recruiting process. To give an example, an applicant tracking system (ATS) used by employers and recruiters ranks and sorts CVs automatically for review.
Get Assistance in Your Candidate Search
As a recruiter or hirer, it’s important that you employ all available tools to assist you. PhysEmp offers fast, powerful technology and human support for finding qualified candidates. Services include:
- Many ad package choices, including the auto-posting of ads to top aggregate sites
- Access to a database of 1000’s of medical professionals seeking jobs
- Information rich reports on ad performance
- Industry-leading support that comes with 30 years in the industry
- Emailing feature that sends top candidates to your inbox
Let PhysEmp make your search for the perfect candidate easier and more productive!
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