Search Consultant Reece Asbury took a proactive approach to sourcing candidates for a New York Geriatric Primary Care Group. After quickly placing an NP, Reece reevaluated their approach and made recommendations that would make the physician position significantly more attractive. As a result, they extended an offer just a few weeks later.
When Search Consultant Reece Asbury first met with his client in upstate New York, he could sense their frustration. They had been searching on their own for both a Nurse Practitioner and a Geriatric Primary Care physician for nearly six months with very little to show for it. Reece acknowledged the difficulty involved with these specific searches but assured them he would use every tool in the Jackson Physician Search arsenal to find candidates for the jobs.
Reece knew filling these positions would be challenging for two reasons: 1) the small city is relatively remote and gets very cold in the winter, and 2) the compensation offer wasn’t extremely competitive. However, Reece would focus on the positive aspects of working for the organization. With lower patient volume and more time to spend with individual patients, the position equates to a significantly better work-life balance than most jobs in healthcare. He noted all of this in his job ads, but of course, he wasn’t going to sit back and wait for applicants to come to him. He had a plan to go out and find the most qualified candidates.
Proactive Candidate Sourcing
Reece focused first on identifying nurse practitioner candidates already living in the area. He searched various job board databases until he surfaced several potential candidates. One who particularly stood out was working as an ICU nurse practitioner but looking for something less stressful to allow a better work-life balance. She wanted a change, yet her job kept her too busy to focus on her job search. While she uploaded her resume to a job board, she had not made time to look at jobs and apply. Fortunately, Reece took a proactive approach to connecting with candidates. Upon finding her resume, he contacted her directly, and she was thrilled to learn about the job. Because she was local, the client interviewed her right away, and she signed a contract a few weeks later.
Reece’s quick success with the NP search alleviated the client’s initial frustration. They knew finding a physician would take some time, but they trusted Reece’s strategy. He took a similar approach to finding physicians, though he expanded his search radius considerably. In the months that followed, he found several potential candidates. One, Dr. L, was working as a locum in Illinois. She was used to cold midwestern winters, and the weather in upstate New York didn’t concern her. Her on-site interview went well, but Dr. L declined when the client extended an offer, explaining she had accepted another position with more leadership potential.
An Impactful Recommendation
This got Reece thinking. His main point of contact with the client was the Medical Director, Dr. H, who was nearing retirement age. Dr H had mentioned in passing that he planned to work another 4-5 years before retiring. In their next call, Reece asked him if the organization had a succession plan in place. That is, did they have someone in mind to run the organization when Dr. H retired? The answer was no.
Reece explained that planning ahead can significantly mitigate lost revenue from the eventual vacancy and the risk of overloading remaining staff to the point of burnout. He suggested some changes to the open position that would inherently create a succession plan and strengthen the offer: increasing the compensation, adding some leadership responsibilities, and making the job title “Co-Medical Director.” The new hire would have the opportunity to learn from Dr. H and potentially take over the job upon his retirement. Dr. H and the other leaders liked the idea, and soon, Reece was updating his job postings to advertise the modified position.
Reece felt certain the title change and increased compensation would attract a new candidate pool, and yet, he also wondered if it might rekindle the interest of past candidates. He was thinking of Dr. L specifically and reached out to tell her about the changes made to the role. Dr. L was interested. She had not yet started in her new position and was willing to reconsider. She wanted to hear from Dr. H exactly what he had in mind. Their conversation went well, and Dr. L accepted the offer a few weeks later.
Physician Recruitment Success
The client was so thrilled with Reece’s quick success that they opened a second nurse practitioner search with him, which Reece also quickly filled. His proactive approach to finding candidates certainly paid off with this client. Instead of wasting time waiting for candidates to see his job posting, he expertly navigated several databases to surface those candidates who would meet the client’s needs. When they still struggled to hire a physician, Reece put on his consulting hat and recommended changing the role in ways that made it significantly more attractive.
Reece also attributes the success of these searches to the client’s ability to communicate clearly and move quickly. Reece never waited for them to set up an interview or provide feedback on a candidate. They were motivated to hire the right candidate and didn’t want to do anything to prolong the process.
Reece and Jackson Physician Search proved to be a strong recruitment partner for this New York client, making three solid placements in less than six months.
If your organization has a tough-to-fill position, the team at Jackson Physician Search would love to help. As a dedicated resource, our recruiters can proactively find candidates that meet your needs. Reach out today to learn more.
