As the physician shortage continues to plague hospitals around the country, many institutions find themselves wondering what the best method of recruitment is--outside resources such as staffing firms versus internal efforts such as posting positions on their websites.
The best solution may be a combination of both recruitment tactics.
It's a tried-and-true recruiting trick but one that still works. Hospitals are still using staffing agencies and recruitment firms to fill in physician slots. Staffing agencies help place physicians in locum tenens assignments, as well as permanent positions, reports American Medical News.
"The physician search market has been steady but is still not growing," AMN Healthcare Services CEO and President Susan Salka said in the article. "While hospitals are hiring more physicians, many of them have significantly increased their internal recruiting resources."
For instance, Cookeville (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center, a rural institution that is actively recruiting, looks within, as well as outside for help to hire on new doctors. In addition to using recruitment firms, Cookeville Regional posts opportunities on its own website and on a national job board, reports the Herald Citizen.
"It's becoming more and more challenging for rural locations to attract good, talented physicians who want to stay in the community," said Cookeville Regional CEO Dr. Menachem Langer. "We're taking the necessary measures to find the appropriate candidates that want to live here, fit in here and hopefully stay for a long time."
In addition, hospitals might want to consider networking online and in person, reports MD News.
"Whether through social media sites or at local medical association functions, networking is one of the age-old practices utilized by successful businesses," states the article.
For more information:
- read the AMA article
- read the Herald Citizen article
- check out the MD News article
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