AAPPR’s annual conference, Advancing Connections, took place March 24-27 in Virginia Beach and brought together more than 1,000 recruitment professionals, sponsors and exhibitors to discuss important topics in physician and provider recruitment. The conference included educational keynote presentations, breakout sessions and roundtable discussions from healthcare leaders and featured discussions on various trending topics including diversity, equity and inclusion, artificial intelligence and the changing demands of physicians. Here are three key takeaways from this year’s conference:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workforce
DE&I needs to be embedded into recruitment strategies and every action your organization takes. The people hired into physician roles are crucial to the overall health of our communities. If a physician has an implicit bias toward patients, this implicit bias becomes the foundation of the organization and ultimately affects the care that is being delivered. We must build organizations where inequality is neither allowed nor tolerated, and that starts with the recruiters. Every patient – no matter their race or gender – needs to be taken seriously and provided with equal care.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence
The rise of AI is inevitable and should not be feared, but it is important to be aware of how it’s affecting the future of recruitment. There are ways to use AI to make recruitment strategies more efficient; however, the human elements of the profession, such as effective communication, empathy and intuition, cannot and should not be replaced. Although AI can be used to help streamline the hiring process through candidate matching, chatbots and automated scheduling, recruitment professionals need to be conscious of its potential negative impact on DE&I. AI is only as good as the data it receives, and it will require careful monitoring to make sure there is fairness in its outcomes. Because of this, we must be responsible in how we pursue and implement AI.
Demands of Physicians are Changing
Despite the many generational differences in physician and provider priorities, there are a few common denominators: work-life balance, paid time off, location and compensation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the desires, wants and needs of physicians have shifted significantly. The five-day work week is no longer the norm – many are seeking hybrid work arrangements and ways to integrate their personal life with their work life. As the national physician shortage continues, it’s important to address these demands through the recruitment process. The recruiter’s role is to better understand each individual, their desires and what incentives they gravitate toward. Meeting these demands is where the competitive advantage lies and how you add to your culture and attract talent best suited to your organization.
Save the date for next year’s conference in Phoenix, Arizona! Pre-conference workshops will take place March 22-23, 2025, followed by the full conference on March 23-25, 2025.