After months of searching for a physician associate in Tucson without success, Search Consultant Alexandra MacDougall quickly identified a recent PA graduate eager to return to Tucson and passionate about ENT.
People who live in the desert are accustomed to long dry spells. But after months searching for a physician associate in Tucson, the CEO of a large Arizona-based ENT practice was ready for relief. And who better to improve the forecast than Senior Business Development Manager Dylan Frost?
When Dylan initially reached out after seeing the posting on a job board, the CEO was optimistic that they would fill the role on their own. After all, Arizona is a hot market for PAs, and they were looking for someone early in their career. On top of that, they were willing to offer a competitive salary. How he saw it, pretty much everything was working in their favor.
While the Phoenix metropolitan area has some of the highest employment levels of PAs in the country, Tucson proved to be a tough sell for young professionals. The ENT practice did manage to find candidates who were amenable to Tucson. Unfortunately, however, none were a fit — either professionally or culturally.
Over the months, Dylan checked in on the status of the search. He reminded the CEO that if he decided to seek external help, Jackson Physician Search was more than ready to take on the task. In January, the CEO decided it was time for a new approach. When the partnership began, no one expected Jackson Physician Search to source the perfect candidate within days. But then again, they hadn’t yet met Search Consultant Alexandra MacDougall.
A Dynamic Duo
“Alexandra’s professionalism and the way she handled this from the beginning was just incredible,” Dylan recalls of Alexandra’s first meeting with members of the ENT practice, which was the mission-critical hand-off call.
The hand-off call is an integral part of the recruiting process. It’s where the JPS team meets with the client’s executive team to begin understanding the role, the practice, and what they are looking for. Typically, Alexandra would have time to prepare in advance. However, in this case, she was asked an hour prior to step in for a colleague who had a last-minute conflict. Yet the transition was seamless. Dylan quickly got her up to speed. Once the meeting began, Alexandra impressed the team with her thoughtful questions and strategic approach to getting the perfect PA into their practice.
“The most important thing I try to establish during these calls is that this is a partnership. I want the client to know that I’m on their team. I’m here to make sure that their organization succeeds,” Alexanda explains. “Dylan did a great job getting as much detail from them as he could possibly get, which was a huge aid in my preparation for that call.”
Diving In Head-First to Rejuvenate an Old Posting
With all her questions answered, Alexandra was ready to begin marketing the role. “As soon as I have had that hand-off call, I’m always excited to dive in head-first!”
She immediately tackled multiple job boards and paid for a boosted post on Indeed that put the ENT physician associate role at the top of the page. Then she went to spread the word on LinkedIn.
“I wanted this job to be as fresh as possible. I knew they had been looking for quite some time before they brought us in,” Alexandra explains. “Since we were the first firm they had used, I wanted to make sure we left a good impression and that they knew we did everything possible to place the role.”
After only a few days, Alexandra had conversations with several promising candidates. One that stuck out was a recent graduate who wanted to move back home to Tucson. The physician associate saw Alexandra’s ad on the Jackson Physician Search job board and excitedly reached out to express her interest. As soon as Alexandra saw her resume, she texted her to schedule an initial call.
While some recruiters spend 10 minutes screening a candidate, Alexandra goes deep, usually spending between 30 and 45 minutes with each one. During those calls, Alexandra uncovers everything she can about the prospect. Why are they interested in the area? What drives their interest in the specialty? Who they are as people.
“I spoke to several candidates who were very interested in the position, but I didn’t think they would be a good fit,” she shared. “For some, ENT wasn’t a passion. Or they weren’t really excited. Others were just looking for a job, or the personality didn’t quite seem like it would jive with the group and the providers.”
One Week to Place a Strong Candidate
Alexandra knew immediately that this physician associate was exactly what the client was looking for. They were interested in hiring a recent grad they could mentor and train, and ENT was a specialty she had focused on and enjoyed during her PA rotations. Plus, she had a bubbly, outgoing personality that Alexandra thought would match the practice’s culture.
Within 36 hours of receiving her resume, she came in for an interview. As expected, the client was impressed, and the feeling was mutual. The PA admired the practice and appreciated how responsive and accommodating they were. When she received an offer immediately following her last interview, she could hardly believe her luck. Within a week of moving back home after graduation, she landed her first job that came with rich mentorship opportunities in a practice area she was keen to pursue. Additionally, the ENT practice ended its long wait for the right candidate in just a matter of weeks.
If you have a tough-to-fill position, the team at Jackson Physician Search has the strategy, tools, and expertise to get results. Reach out today to learn more.
