Planning for Successful Planning for Successful Recruitment & Recruitment & Recruiting for RetentionRecruiting for Retention

Jennifer NeSmith, MBASterling Health Solutions

Successful recruitment = hiring the right person for the job, not just a “warm body” that can do the job

Results of hiring the WRONG person for the job = poor morale, damaged reputation, high costs of turnover (advertising, staff recruiting time, interview travel & lodging, lost placement fees)

Identifying Need to Ensure Identifying Need to Ensure SuccessSuccess

Organizational Goals & Objectives

Do existing providers perceive a need?◦Formal or informal survey

Is there enough business for a new provider?◦Physician-to-population ratio◦Market Share

Primary & secondary service areas◦Changes in the Local Market

Age of providers Population changes Competitors Are employers growing or shrinking?

◦Patient Experience Wait times New patients

Marketing Your Marketing Your CommunityCommunityGather tangible information about

your community◦Climate◦City / County size◦Geography◦Recreation facilities◦Educational opportunities for children ◦Distance to airports, malls & other

amenitiesCollege or professional sports facilities

◦Colleges or other higher education◦Culture / Lifestyle◦Community accolades

Marketing Your Marketing Your Community Community Develop packets of information to

send to potential candidates, take to job fairs, etc◦Community information in a nice format◦Travel brochures from Kentucky

Tourism◦Local newspaper◦Draft contract (no figures)◦Information about the organization and

other practice locations of potential provider

◦Contact business card◦DVD?

Know Your OpportunityKnow Your OpportunityWhat is the job?

◦Job description (includes duties, call schedule, clinic, expected hours)

◦Evaluation (measures of success)◦Reporting structure

Who are you looking for?◦Education, experience, certifications,

availability, etc.

Know Your Opportunity, Know Your Opportunity, cont.cont.Where will they work?

◦Information on clinic, hospital (size, number of rooms, EMR, in-house services, equipment, etc.)

Availability of referral specialties & services

What is the payor mix?

Who is on the team? ◦Providers, support staff, management

Specialty, interests, age, experience

Know that Your Opportunity Know that Your Opportunity Isn’t for EveryoneIsn’t for EveryoneWhat are your “deal breaker” non-

negotiables?Discuss at the initial phone interview

◦Location / community size & amenities◦Expected income range◦Call schedule

Know the “negatives” of your opportunity and provide viable solutions if they exist◦Hospitalist service◦Telemedicine◦Preceptorship opportunities

Establish a Formal ProcessEstablish a Formal ProcessWho makes ultimate decision of whether or

not an offer is made?Who will have input on whether or not an offer

is made? How will that input be received?What is the budget and who is responsible?Who will negotiate with candidates?Will you require drug tests or background

checks?Who will be responsible for working with

candidates?◦ Sourcing◦ Tracking◦ Inviting for site visit◦ Preparing & conducting site visits◦ Maintaining regular contact◦ Continuous evaluation & improvement of process

Important Contract Important Contract Provisions for the CandidateProvisions for the Candidate

Length of agreementAuto-renewal provisionsRestrictive covenantsMalpractice insuranceDeath vs. termination Termination with cause vs.

without cause

More Contract ProvisionsMore Contract ProvisionsPartnership or buy-in

Compensation◦Salary◦Salary + incentives

Billed charges, revenue, quality, number of patients

◦100% productivity◦RVU

More Contract ProvisionsMore Contract ProvisionsBenefits

◦Signing bonus?◦Loan repayment?◦Sick◦Relocation◦Vacation◦CME $ and time ◦Retirement◦Insurances

Health, dental, vision, life, disability

Is Your Opportunity Is Your Opportunity Competitive?Competitive?

Recent compensation & benefit surveys◦Google search◦MGMA◦ASPR

Activities Before, During, & After the Site Visit

NOW YOU ARE READY TO WORK!

Prior to Site VisitPrior to Site VisitSourcing Candidates

◦Databases◦Mailing lists◦ Internet job postings◦Social networking◦Colleges / Programs◦Journals◦ In-house◦State medical associations◦Professional societies◦Firms

Screening Screening Google!

Review CV ◦Meet job requirements?◦Gaps in time frames?◦Know anyone where they used to

work?◦Website of current employer, town,

etc.◦Licensure board

Phone InterviewPhone InterviewFrom job requirements & “non-

negotiables”, establish a list of questions & topics to guide discussion◦Same for all candidates◦Ask what they are looking for in a

new position◦Tell why position is open◦Ask if they have any questions◦If things are going well, ask for

available dates for interview◦Remember what you CANNOT ask!

If invited for interview, If invited for interview, then…then…Send recruitment packet to candidate

Schedule travel & lodging

Prepare itinerary◦Tour locations of practice◦Meet staff informally◦Meet with negotiator◦Meet with credentialing / insurance person◦Meet with peer providers formally off-site◦Community tour

Train Your Providers to Train Your Providers to InterviewInterviewKnow what they cannot ask!

Arrive on time

Pre-read CV & other information provided

Smile & make eye contact

Don’t drink or smoke

Provider Interview Training, Provider Interview Training, cont.cont.What is their role?

◦To evaluate the candidate’s knowledge, skills, leadership, aptitude, judgment, problem solving, work ethic and intangibles like whether or not they would add value to the group

◦Look for an Event, Action, and Result from each open-ended question

◦Ask behavioral questions If a patient ____, how would you handle it?

◦Ask about past performances Have you ever had a patient ____? If so, what

did you do?

Provider Interview Training, Provider Interview Training, cont.cont.Close with

◦Asking the candidate if they have any questions

◦Thank them for visiting

Do NOT state or imply that they will see candidate again or position offered

Recommend hiring or not & why

During the Site VisitDuring the Site Visit

Provide a welcome letter or note with more information (community map, newspaper, itinerary) with flowers, candy or other gesture at hotel upon check-in

During the Site VisitDuring the Site VisitCoordinator should:

◦Offer to pick up at airport◦Offer to pick up at hotel for day’s

activities or provide clear meeting directions

◦Stay with during the day in order to: Listen and look for reactions Evaluate chemistry between candidate

and those he/she meets Ensure timeline is followed & handle

unexpected glitches

After the Site VisitAfter the Site VisitGet some kind of communication

out the candidate within a week◦Could be a letter of intent◦Could be a thank you, the next step is…◦Could be continuing to evaluate

candidates but will keep CV on fileIf offer to be made, provide a letter

of intent with a response deadlineRespond quickly to concerns or

questionsKeep up recruitment efforts until

formal agreement signed!!

Post-HirePost-HireCommunicate openly & regularlyBegin credentialing process ASAP!!

◦Licensure◦Payors◦Hospital◦Clinic◦Malpractice

Assist with visits for house hunting, banking, spousal job interviews, child school enrollment, etc.

Provide Practice Provide Practice OrientationOrientationShould include applicable hospital &

clinic tours & meetings◦Medical records◦Information systems◦Case management◦Quality◦Medical library◦Pharmacy◦Nurse administration◦Medical staff office◦Emergency department

Provide Community Provide Community OrientationOrientationHelp the family meet people of

similar interests, hobbies, etc.◦Sports◦Art◦Education◦Clubs

Retention from BeginningRetention from BeginningMarket the new provider

◦Community reception◦Medical society reception◦Newspaper or radio ads or features◦Volunteer or speaking opportunities

Clubs Health department Schools

Meet with the new provider monthly for 6 months, then quarterly for first 2 years

Celebrate Doctor’s day in a special way

BSW & LCSWBSW & LCSWSourcing

◦ Exhibit at meetings, lists from boards, professional societies, schools

Compensation

Benefits

Remember – Credentialing!◦ Payors◦ Clinic◦ Hospital

DentistsDentistsSourcing

◦ Exhibit at meetings, lists from boards, professional societies, schools

Compensation

Benefits

Remember – Credentialing!◦ Payors◦ Clinic◦ Hospital

PharmacistsPharmacistsSourcing

◦ Exhibit at meetings, lists from boards, professional societies, schools

Compensation

Benefits

Remember – Credentialing!◦ Payors◦ Clinic◦ Hospital

Locum TenensLocum Tenens

Sources◦Firms◦Residency programs

Credentialing

Daily or hourly rate + housing & transportation