New Virtual Healthcare Recruitment Strategies to Keep You Safe During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a major shift in physician recruitment, pushing healthcare organizations to adapt to a virtual-first approach. Even as in-person interactions return, virtual recruitment remains a cornerstone strategy for connecting with top-tier physician talent nationwide. Here are key virtual recruitment strategies that help healthcare recruiters attract and evaluate candidates effectively, while saving time and enhancing the candidate experience.
Candidate-Recorded Screening Interviews
Video-based candidate screening offers flexibility and efficiency for both recruiters and physicians. By sending a list of standardized questions, recruiters can request that candidates submit video responses that can be reviewed asynchronously.
Benefits:
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Flexible Scheduling: Eliminate time zone conflicts and accommodate physician availability.
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Easy Comparisons: Rewatch videos to evaluate responses and benchmark candidates more accurately.
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Faster Decision-Making: Speed up early-stage screening and reduce time-to-interview.
Vacancy Highlight Videos
Physicians are visual learners - video content can be more compelling than text-heavy job posts. Creating short vacancy highlight videos allows recruiters to showcase key role responsibilities, organizational culture, and community features.
Tips for Effective Highlight Videos:
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Include a welcome message from hiring managers or department heads.
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Spotlight key incentives such as compensation, lifestyle perks, and clinical focus.
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Introduce the location’s appeal, including schools, cost of living, and recreational opportunities.
Automate Candidate Follow-Up
Timely follow-up is critical in a competitive job market. Automating responses to initial candidate inquiries helps keep your pipeline engaged and informed, even outside standard business hours.
What to Include in Automated Replies:
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Recruiter name and contact information.
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Position details and a brief description of next steps.
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Links to additional resources like the job description, screening forms, or community information.
Host Virtual Career Fairs and Open Houses
Virtual recruitment events are an excellent way to connect with candidates in real time—without the logistics of travel. These events enable recruiters to answer questions, introduce key team members, and share organizational highlights.
Best Practices for Virtual Events:
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Focus each event on specific specialties or locations to ensure relevance.
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Use platforms that support video, chat, and document sharing.
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Prepare live responses to common physician questions about call schedules, compensation, and relocation support.
Optimize Static Online Content
Many physicians search for jobs after clinical hours, so your online content should be robust, accessible, and informative. Ensure your job postings, career pages, and organizational overview are designed to support candidate self-service.
Ways to Enhance Your Online Presence:
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Add an FAQ section to each job posting.
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Include links to local resources such as school districts, housing, entertainment, and healthcare facilities.
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Clearly present your organization’s mission, values, and workplace culture.
Virtual tools are no longer just a workaround, they are a vital part of modern healthcare recruitment strategies. By embracing video content, automation, and digital engagement, physician recruiters can streamline their workflows, create a more efficient hiring experience, and ultimately fill physician vacancies with greater success.
To learn more about virtual recruitment tools and strategies tailored to healthcare, visit PracticeMatch.com.
Originally published 6/15/2020. Article updated 3/25/2025.
Laura Kleffner is the VP of Marketing Operations at PracticeMatch.
She has been with PracticeMatch since 2014. Laura is responsible for the PracticeMatch marketing strategy to reach physicians as well as healthcare organizations with a need for physician recruitment resources.
