With the ongoing national physician shortage, physician and provider recruitment professionals are well aware of how it will continue to impact the workforce. The American Association of Medical Colleges projects a national shortfall of anywhere between 37,000 to more than 100,000 physicians over the next decade, meaning effective recruitment strategies are extremely vital to healthcare systems’ ability to provide quality care to future patients. As the search for talent becomes increasingly competitive and challenging, first impressions are critical, and this often comes in the form of a job posting.

What do physicians want?

At AAPPR’s annual conference, Advancing Connections, Jacob Simon of The Medicus Firm shared valuable insights on physician preferences and the type of information that affects their career decisions.

According to the firm, the top three motivating factors for both physicians and APPs to make a career change are work/life balance, compensation and location. Another common factor that motivates physicians – especially those early in their career – is the opportunity to grow within an organization. Recruitment professionals should consider these motivating factors within recruitment and retention strategies.

Five things to include in a job posting

It’s important to prioritize physicians’ motivating factors when considering the details to include in a job posting. To catch candidates’ eye and gain their interest in an opportunity, job postings should be transparent and include the following:

• Compensation and benefits: This is often the first thing jobseekers look for when job searching. This should include the salary, or salary range, benefits packages and opportunities for additional compensation.
• Company culture: For some physicians, the work environment of their past jobs has contributed to immense burnout, so it’s important for the culture to align with the balance they seek. This section can incorporate management styles, the company’s mission and values, relevant community initiatives, telehealth opportunities and commitment to DE&I.
• Leadership and career opportunities: Opportunities to gain experience and become a leader play a big part in keeping physicians and APPs at your organization. Make sure to call out research and academic opportunities as well as management and reporting structures in the job posting, too.
• Work schedule: This is where you should lay out expectations for the role – what the day-to-day hours are as well as procedures for weekends, holidays and paid time off.
• Community information: Outside of the job itself, it’s beneficial to call out other amenities nearby like family activities and entertainment events.

There is an immense amount of competition for talent in the healthcare community. Recruitment professionals need to put their best foot forward in job postings in order to grab candidates’ attention and support them in taking the next step in their career.

By aligning job posting details with physicians’ interests, recruitment professionals can not only attract high-quality candidates, but ensure that candidates are well-informed in their decision to apply to organizations that align with their own unique needs and values.