Physician Recruitment: More Complicated than just Using Job Boards
In today’s competitive healthcare hiring environment, physician recruitment demands more than just posting on job boards. While job boards remain a valuable part of any recruitment toolkit, relying solely on them limits your ability to fill critical roles efficiently - and your competitors know it.
The Limitations of Job Boards
Recent data shows that using only job boards in your recruitment strategy leads to an average hire rate of just 55%. For a team trying to fill 20 open positions, that means only 11 or 12 roles get filled, leaving nearly half of your openings unstaffed. That shortfall directly impacts patient care and organizational performance.
In an environment defined by physician shortages and increasing demand, no recruitment team can afford to leave that many positions open.
Moving from Passive to Proactive Recruitment
To raise your hire rate above 55%, it’s time to adopt a proactive physician recruitment strategy that leverages your candidate database more effectively. This includes outreach methods such as:
-
Email campaigns (with valid email addresses)
-
SMS messaging (using verified cell phone numbers)
-
Outbound phone calls
-
Direct mail campaigns using home and work addresses
A robust physician database platform is the foundation for this approach. To compete effectively, you need access to comprehensive, accurate candidate data that goes beyond resumes and job board profiles.
Building a Weekly Outreach Workflow
Once you have the right data in place, your recruitment team can begin implementing a weekly outreach strategy. Here's one proven workflow:
-
Monday–Tuesday: Launch initial email and text campaigns to introduce open opportunities.
-
Midweek: Monitor engagement and prepare personalized responses.
-
Thursday–Friday: Follow up with interested candidates and schedule calls or interviews.
This structured approach builds momentum and keeps your recruitment pipeline active throughout the week.
Beyond Digital: Direct Mail and Geotargeting
To further increase awareness and engagement, consider integrating direct mail and digital marketing strategies such as geofencing and geotargeting. These tactics allow you to reach candidates based on physical location and online behavior - reinforcing your job opportunities through multiple touchpoints.
Direct mail postcards sent to verified home addresses can help keep your brand top of mind, while digital ads can redirect candidates to your job postings and career pages. These campaigns are particularly useful when marketing support is limited in-house and can be effectively managed with outsourced expertise.
Rethink Your Workflow, Increase Your Results
Yes, implementing these strategies will require adjustments to your current recruitment workflow. But the payoff is clear: higher engagement, improved hire rates, and fewer unfilled positions.
If you're ready to exceed the 55% hiring standard, it's time to embrace a multi-channel approach to sourcing candidates in healthcare. Job boards alone are not enough.
Curious to hear more? Contact us and let's connect!
Originally published 5/30/2023. Article updated 4/21/2025.
With a career focused on healthcare Business Development and Service Line performance, Paul had recently been at the forefront redefining the traditional In-house Provider Recruiting role. In his position as Medical Staff Development Officer at University Hospitals, Lake Health Region in Cleveland, Ohio, Paul integrated collegial interaction, analytics, and provider experience expertise to drive a differentiated recruitment strategy.
Paul has brought that knowledge and experience to Client Sourcing at PracticeMatch. Joining PracticeMatch in 2021, Paul supports Client Sourcing’s pro-active recruiting model that generates a robust prospect pool, creates an effective and efficient recruiting experience, and identifies key metrics to ensure optimal performance for the client. Paul has a commitment to learning, development and passion for building a team of recruiting professionals to leverage their national footprint which benefits its client organizations and their candidates.
