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2 2 FINDING THE BEST PHYSICIAN TO FILL A POSITION IS CHALLENGING, BUT IT BE ATS THE ALTERNATIVE. FAILING TO MAP OUT A SOUND SE ARCH STR ATEGY CAN TR ANSL ATE TO A BRIEF, UNHAPPY STAY FOR THE PHYSICIAN AND A DEMOR ALIZING RE TURN TRIP TO THE DR AWING BOARD FOR THE RECRUITMENT TE AM. W R I T I N G O N T H E website for The Advisory Board Company, a Washington- ba sed consu lting f irm, A nita Joseph recommends four practices to help a hospital or physician practice find the right person for the job. + Get specifi c: Obviously the clinician needs the relevant training and track record, but a healthcare organization should know in advance the other char- acteristics it wants in a new physician as well. That includes traits such as strong relational skills and a solid work ethic. + Aim for critical mass: It's impossible to know exactly how many candidates will apply. However, a review of histori- cal pass-through rates can help gauge the number of candidates an organization's recruitment e… orts need to reach to fi ll a vacancy. + Ensure buy-in: A pa nel of admin- i s t r at or s , phy sici a n s t a keholder s and recruiters should meet to ma ke decisions about tendering o… ers and to establish consensus about contract decisions among everyone who will play a part in helping new hires navigate their positions. + Follow up: From sig ning t hrough at least the f irst few months a new physician is on the job, leaders with the hospital or physician group should proactively address any issues he or she is having. Otherwise, an unsatisfi ed hire may leave with little warning. ■ Whipping Your Recruitment Practices BY STEVE BARRETT into Shape Now, healthcare is about balancing employees, technology, reimbursements, regulations, reform… and patient care. We help you spend time on what matters most – your patients. Healthcare Services I San Antonio, Texas I 210.384.8000 I www.ssacpa.com