Large medical facilities like hospitals have a huge need for many doctors to perform all the services that they offer. Many times these facilities will hire someone to help them find the best doctors.
A human resources professional called a physician recruiter is often used to help facilities find the best possible doctors for the openings that they have. These human resources consultants are specialists in finding doctors.
Sometimes the consultant works for a human resources company. Other times they are paid by the job, receiving their fee only after they are able to place a satisfactory doctor
There are basically three different kinds of physician recruiters. Some in-house recruiters work for really large medical facilities and hospitals. They work directly for the facility, not for an outside human resources company. The advantage of using an in-house recruiter is that they can give the prospect more first-hand information about the opening.
Doctors are understandably looking for the best possible position. Talking to an in-house recruiter lets the doctor learn about the practice or the hospital from someone who is there every day. They can tell the doctor what it’s like to live in that community, and what the medical community is like.
Another type of physician recruiter is called a contingency recruiter. This is the type of recruiter who works for a fee. Usually, they work for a smaller human resources company.
A doctor who uses a contingency recruiter will need to make sure that the recruiter is a member of the NAPR. This is an organization that issues ethical guidelines for recruiters. Contingency recruiters send the doctor’s CV to as many organizations as they possibly can in order to increase the chances of placing the doctor and therefore earning their fees.
If the contingency recruiter is a member of the NAPR the doctor can feel more comfortable that his CV is not being sent to the wrong kind of places. You can ask the recruiter not to send your information to the places that you chose.
When a hospital or facility hires a particular human resources firm to find a doctor to fill an opening that is called a retained recruiter. Retained recruiters often work with the same hospital frequently so that they know more about the opening than a contingency recruiter.
Since they are hired specifically for this one hospital or facility they will have done their homework – visiting the facility, talking to other doctors, getting a feel for the place. They can help the doctor decide if it is a good fit for them or not. The doctor doesn’t have to worry that their CV may be sent to the wrong place.
Retained recruiters will also help a doctor with other parts of the hiring process like negotiating salaries and partnership terms.
As with any business transaction, the doctor will want to ask the recruiter for their information. Ask about their experience, what kind of recruiter they are, if they are members of the NAPR, and if they can provide references.
