Here are five tips for orthopedic practices to make sure their partner recruitment process is a success.
1. Do more than just hire a recruiter. Considering all the recruitment strategies practices could use, the most successful approach is using more than just one, says Senior Vice President of Practice Development at Orthopedic Marketing Group Tony Edwards. One of the biggest recruitment mistakes practices make is only hiring a recruiter. Although recruiters are certainly helpful, they shouldn't be the practice's only strategy to locate the right talent. Instead, practices should have a multi-facetted approach considering the following:
• The easiest physician to recruit is within a 100-mile radius of the practice.
• Looking for a fellowship-trained physician involves competing for talent at a national level.
• Physicians should capitalize on existing relationships by reaching out to colleagues where they completed their training.
Additional avenues include industry specific publications, state and national association Web sites and annual association meetings. However, running ads, handing out collateral materials and/or simply being at a trade show or meeting can be a successful tactic if done right; but it can also be expensive. If the practice chooses to take one or all of these approaches, it is imperative that all materials used have a consistent look and conveys a compelling message that not only resonates well for the physician from a financial standpoint, but also the physician's life outside of clinic as their spouse and family will have a say in the decision too.
2. Recruit strategically to meet office needs. As the practice grows, more physicians are necessary to fulfill the needs of each community. Depending on the situation, it may be more beneficial to recruit a non-surgical orthopedic specialist to become a practice partner instead of a surgeon. "If the backlog of our physicians is in office visits with our patients, we will look first to hiring more non-surgical physicians, pain management physicians and non-surgical sports medicine physicians for that location," says Mike West, CEO of Rothman Institute. "However, if we are backed up on the surgical side, we try to bring in more surgeons."
3. Make sure the physician is compatible with the existing environment. It's difficult to determine whether a physician would be a good fit for the practice through a short interview, so physician partners should consider asking questions that will reveal the physician's attitude and values during the interview. Also, the article recommends considering meeting with the candidate outside of the office setting, which can put them more at ease talking about themselves.
4. Don't allow any exceptions to practice rules. Make sure to discuss the mission of the practice upfront and don't make any exceptions, even for the most promising young physician or veteran with an impeccable reputation, says David Ott, MD, president of the nine-physician group Arizona Orthopaedic Associates in Phoenix. For example, the partners at Dr. Ott's practice are general surgeons and they must see all types of patients. Bringing on a physician partner who underwent a specialized fellowship or who preferred to subspecialize would be disastrous because they'd be working against the rest of the group to only perform specific procedures.
"Wherever your practice is, you have to make sure you are honest with yourself about whether this candidate would fit," says Dr. Ott. "Don't compromise because that will only lead to more friction. The things that seem like minimal problems when you start become major problems if you don't address them."
5. Ensure the physician's family will be happy with the move. Young orthopedic surgeons often have a new family to balance with their professional responsibilities. When the candidate is being interviewed, meet the spouse and other family members to make them part of the decision as well. If the physician is from another community or state, gauge the family's enthusiasm for moving to a new city.
Related Articles on Orthopedic Surgeon:
5 Things to Do Before Beginning Orthopedic Surgeon Recruitment
5 Tips to Improve Recruitment of Spine Physicians and Staff
5 Tips for Finding the Perfect Orthopedic Physician Partner
1. Do more than just hire a recruiter. Considering all the recruitment strategies practices could use, the most successful approach is using more than just one, says Senior Vice President of Practice Development at Orthopedic Marketing Group Tony Edwards. One of the biggest recruitment mistakes practices make is only hiring a recruiter. Although recruiters are certainly helpful, they shouldn't be the practice's only strategy to locate the right talent. Instead, practices should have a multi-facetted approach considering the following:
• The easiest physician to recruit is within a 100-mile radius of the practice.
• Looking for a fellowship-trained physician involves competing for talent at a national level.
• Physicians should capitalize on existing relationships by reaching out to colleagues where they completed their training.
Additional avenues include industry specific publications, state and national association Web sites and annual association meetings. However, running ads, handing out collateral materials and/or simply being at a trade show or meeting can be a successful tactic if done right; but it can also be expensive. If the practice chooses to take one or all of these approaches, it is imperative that all materials used have a consistent look and conveys a compelling message that not only resonates well for the physician from a financial standpoint, but also the physician's life outside of clinic as their spouse and family will have a say in the decision too.
2. Recruit strategically to meet office needs. As the practice grows, more physicians are necessary to fulfill the needs of each community. Depending on the situation, it may be more beneficial to recruit a non-surgical orthopedic specialist to become a practice partner instead of a surgeon. "If the backlog of our physicians is in office visits with our patients, we will look first to hiring more non-surgical physicians, pain management physicians and non-surgical sports medicine physicians for that location," says Mike West, CEO of Rothman Institute. "However, if we are backed up on the surgical side, we try to bring in more surgeons."
3. Make sure the physician is compatible with the existing environment. It's difficult to determine whether a physician would be a good fit for the practice through a short interview, so physician partners should consider asking questions that will reveal the physician's attitude and values during the interview. Also, the article recommends considering meeting with the candidate outside of the office setting, which can put them more at ease talking about themselves.
4. Don't allow any exceptions to practice rules. Make sure to discuss the mission of the practice upfront and don't make any exceptions, even for the most promising young physician or veteran with an impeccable reputation, says David Ott, MD, president of the nine-physician group Arizona Orthopaedic Associates in Phoenix. For example, the partners at Dr. Ott's practice are general surgeons and they must see all types of patients. Bringing on a physician partner who underwent a specialized fellowship or who preferred to subspecialize would be disastrous because they'd be working against the rest of the group to only perform specific procedures.
"Wherever your practice is, you have to make sure you are honest with yourself about whether this candidate would fit," says Dr. Ott. "Don't compromise because that will only lead to more friction. The things that seem like minimal problems when you start become major problems if you don't address them."
5. Ensure the physician's family will be happy with the move. Young orthopedic surgeons often have a new family to balance with their professional responsibilities. When the candidate is being interviewed, meet the spouse and other family members to make them part of the decision as well. If the physician is from another community or state, gauge the family's enthusiasm for moving to a new city.
Related Articles on Orthopedic Surgeon:
5 Things to Do Before Beginning Orthopedic Surgeon Recruitment
5 Tips to Improve Recruitment of Spine Physicians and Staff
5 Tips for Finding the Perfect Orthopedic Physician Partner