In the healthcare sector, finding and attracting top executive talent is about to get even more difficult. By next year, the U.S. will face a shortage of 90,000 doctors. Physician retirement, coupled with an influx of older baby boomers, will stretch our systems of care to the max. Healthcare organizations will compete for executive talent, and their efforts to recruit will be heavily impacted by everything from their job descriptions to the hiring negotiations.
UHC Solutions tackles the front end of the hiring process. Here are five best practices to improve your chances of attracting top clinical and executive talent next year.
Step 1: Write the Ad for the Job You Have
Performing an analysis of the job you’re hiring for is a crucial step to creating the perfect job description. While physician roles may have the same title, each position may have subtle differences that will not be captured in a cookie-cutter advertisement. While you should always do some competitor research to determine how other employers present themselves and how other similar roles are positioned, a job analysis is the step that will really inform the writing of your ad or the job spec you give to your recruiters. Talk with the hiring team to determine the strategic impetus for the role, the true tasks the job requires, and the career path that has this role as a foundation in your organization.
Step 2: Determine What to Include
As you conduct your competitor research, look at the categories listed in the executive ad. There are always a few key sections in these ads that catch the eye of top provider talent. They include:
- A professional job title that aligns with the opportunity.
- A concise but accurate job profile with items such as on-call, schedule, patient loads which are all so important to the new physician.
- A solid list of responsibilities and reporting structures.
- The about us section that entices a candidate with why they want to work for your organization.
Step 3: Market the Job with a Short Overview
Include a one to four-sentence overview of the job’s major functions and how the role contributes to the organization overall. FQHC’s have the benefit of the greater good, and they should use it to entice candidates interested in impacting vulnerable populations. Use this section to grab the attention of the candidate and get them excited about the position. Try to use invitational language, such as, “Come join our team of industry professionals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of rural and low-income populations by providing the highest quality care keeping your patients out of the emergency room.”
Step 4: Go Beyond the Responsibilities List
While your job analysis (step one) will likely net a large bulleted list of job responsibilities, break these out into key job functions by categories with no more than five to seven bullets. Categories can include “Technical Requirements,” “Management Skills,” “Credentialing,” and so on. Try to use the responsibilities section to share how the executive will contribute to the mission and margin of the organization. How will they contribute to the strategic objectives, and what potential advancement could this lead to?
Step 5: Involve Leadership or Other Staff in the JD
Once the job description or ad is complete, we recommend asking for the input of the teams that will interact the most with this executive. Their input will fine-tune the ad, helping you share better information on the culture, daily workflows, and best practices of the job. Having an accurate, compelling advertisement will help you attract the best talent
Step 6: Partner with a Leading Executive Search Firm
While these are great tips to improve your job description, nothing takes the place of an executive talent firm with a proven network and track record to support your efforts to find top talent. In a historically low unemployment market, partnering with UHC Solutions is the best and most efficient way to find healthcare talent.
Talk to our healthcare executive recruiters today. We can help.