It’s All About Who You Know

In addition to traditional recruiting strategies, CHS physician recruiters are looking for candidates who may not even be looking for a new position right now. They’re leaning on you and your colleagues to help find them – and it’s working.

With demand for physicians and advanced practitioners greater than any time in recent memory, the CHS Medical Staff Development team is taking an unconventional approach to physician staffing. In addition to traditional recruiting strategies, they’re focusing on physicians not necessarily looking to make a change – and they’re leaning on existing medical staff to do that.

While candidates who are actively searching for new positions on job boards are being pursued by hundreds of recruiters across the industry, CHS recruiters make an intentional effort to target passive candidates with past or current ties to each hospital’s community, such as family in the area or recruiting to a hospital in the state where the provider trained. One of the most successful recruiting tactics is leveraging networks of medical staff members to find other great providers.

This strategy has been particularly effective in the face of challenges brought on by COVID. In 2021, for example, physician placements increased 14% over 2019 pre-pandemic levels – thanks in part to suggestions and referrals from existing members of the medical staff.

South Baldwin Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Margaret Roley credits an engaged medical staff and physician-friendly culture for the successful physician referrals/hires at her hospital. “Our medical staff takes ownership for ensuring South Baldwin is a great place to work, so they’re always on the lookout for other great physicians with whom they’d like to work,” she says. “Sometimes the placements happen quickly, and other times, our physicians and recruiters will court a prospect for months. Either way, our medical staff is among our greatest recruitment tools.”

With an average of 500 active searches at any given time, recruiters are working to fill both replacement and new positions that support service line development and greater access to health services.

If you know a qualified candidate who may be interested in working in a CHS market, please contact Meagan Strawhacker at meagan_strawhacker@chs.net.