As every human resource person knows, sometimes it can be challenging to recruit the kind of staff their company needs to excel. The individuals who recruit and hire medical staff have the hardest job of all, because they aren’t just hiring employees to run a business, they are hiring employees to help and heal people who are ill in some way. Here are some tips on how to do it:
Advertise the position to the right people.
Don’t post a job opening on Craigslist or a website similar to it. Reach out to medical education facilities around you to find graduating students who may fit the bill. These facilities include nursing schools, medical schools, and other medical certification programs. Talk to the educators at these places and tell them what you are looking for, and ask if they have any people in mind. If so, tell the educators to give your information to the ones they believe are most qualified to work with you.
Consider doing some sort of trial period before you give them a full-time contract.
Not every person who looks good on paper will actually work out so well once they get started at your company. Since you are doing locum tenens staffing, the trial period should be very short since the hired person most likely won’t be there long term. The probationary period should be just long enough to let them have a chance to learn your policies and requirements, as well as get in sync with your staff. If for any reason your new hire seems to be a bad fit, you can let them go at the end of the trial.
Take advantage of social media.
Hiring a locum tenens physician can be much easier if you reach out on social media platforms. If you don’t have any social media presence, it is definitely time to start. Once you have established your internet presence, use your company’s Facebook and Twitter accounts to announce job openings. Your posts should have a link attached for prospective employees to contact you for more information or to apply.
Reach out via your current staff.
You may have a locum tenens staffing agency right at your fingertips and you don’t even know it! Ask your staff if they know anyone who would be a perfect temporary employee at your company. Your current staff may have gone to school with someone who is perfect for the position you have to fill. Ask your employees to reach out to them and encourage them to apply.
Reach out to your former staff.
Don’t reach out to the employees that you fired or who left on bad terms, but consider reaching out to those who left for another job and see if they may be able to fill a spot in your staffing schedule. Offer to work around their current employee schedule. Most doctors have large amounts of student debt to pay off, so many of them would love to have a part-time side job where they make some extra money to pay down those debts.
Spread the word beyond just your office.
With all the technology we have today, many people don’t realize that simply spreading the word about a locum tenens staffing opening can be done by word of mouth. If you run into an acquaintance at a party and they mention something about knowing or being a relative of someone who is in the medical field, pass on your information. Maybe the acquaintance will give your contact information to the medical friend/relative. Even if they don’t pursue the job lead themselves, they may pass it along to someone who will.
There is no one perfect way to find the best employees for any job, but by using some (or all) of these tips, you may find some employees who can fill the gaps in your schedule and make running your facility as easy as possible.