It’s no secret that the American healthcare system is struggling at the moment. The COVID-19 pandemic drove many medical professionals away from the field; this, coupled with younger students’ hesitancy to take out the large student loans necessary to earn a medical degree, has left the country with a severe worker shortage, even for less skill-intensive roles like orderlies.
Those who have stayed are often highly selective with their employment opportunities, as they can afford to shop around for the best wages and benefits. For small businesses like private medical practices, which are an underappreciated yet essential component of the US economy, the pressure to compete with larger hospital systems can feel insurmountable.
Fortunately, it’s possible to find quality doctors, nurses, and technicians who are highly qualified and motivated through the use of recruitment firms. These companies work closely with both candidates and companies in order to identify good candidates and match them to the best roles for them – and it can be an essential strategy for finding great employees in a tight labor market.
You Will Gain Access to a Larger Candidate Pool
The first benefit is sheer numbers: medical recruitment firms have a vast pool of professionals from numerous disciplines, including academic research and patient-facing specialties. For example, The Medicus Firm, a medical recruitment firm, boasts a network of over 4 million physicians across the world, any of whom may be the right match for your team.
This includes doctors and nurses from abroad with the right qualifications who may be willing to immigrate with your assistance, an option you may not have considered possible without the right guidance. You will be able to access potential candidates that your competitors will not, assisting you in finding unique solutions to your staffing needs.
Recruitment is a Key Component of Reducing Turnover
High turnover is every manager’s nightmare: it costs, on average, 33% of an employee’s yearly salary to replace them. Given that small medical practices are already operating on a small budget, it’s essential that you keep your employees for the long term rather than churn and burn.
This means identifying quality candidates and, most importantly, ensuring that they have all the skills they need to thrive at your practice. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the candidate is the most highly experienced practitioner but that they have the empathy, aptitude, and motivation necessary to learn new skills and continually advance their processes.
It also means that they have a personality that suits your company culture – in other words, they have a good culture fit.
Culture Fit Improves Retention
Culture fit refers to how well an employee matches the values and expectations of their workplace, but it also refers to how well they are able to perceive and adjust their behavior to meet the needs of their surroundings. Both are important components of whether a person thrives and remains in a role, or whether they quickly burn out and leave.
It can be difficult to ascertain a good culture fit, which is why a third-party perspective is incredibly useful when seeking candidates. A recruitment firm will build a profile of your company then identify employees who will be the best fit for your company culture. Whether that is a “work hard, play hard” mentality or a strong focus on volunteerism, they can succinctly and skillfully communicate this to potential employees, ensuring every stakeholder is satisfied.
You Will Be Able to Focus Your Existing Workforce on Other Key Tasks
If you have a small medical practice, your current employees have a lot on their plate already: serving patients, onboarding new team members, and handling administrative tasks. You might not have the resources necessary to actively recruit physicians, which is why a recruitment firm can be such a key factor in the success of your business.
Recruitment firms ease the pressure on your staff, allowing them to focus their attention on practice-critical tasks. Your team will be matched with excellent candidates who are well-informed about your practice and eager to work, significantly smoothing the onboarding process and reducing pressure on your staff. It’s an invaluable resource that can make a large impact not just on the quality of your candidates but on the satisfaction of your current staff as well.
Medical Recruiting Firms Play a Vital Role in Staffing For Private Practices
Finding staff is challenging, particularly in the incredibly tight labor market at the moment, but it’s not impossible – and recruitment firms can provide the necessary keys to succeed. By improving employee retention, ensuring a good cultural fit, and easing the burden on your staff, your medical practice will flourish with the added value of high-quality recruitment.
