How to Work with a Physician Recruiter [Step-By-Step]

Physician candidates often work with physician recruiters to find the best job opportunity. As a physician, you’ve probably already been contacted by various firms offering their services.

You may have heard other physicians relate both negative and positive experiences with physician recruiters. This could deter you from using one in your job search process.

This article will help put some of your uncertainties to rest.

We will:

Cover the best ways to begin a professional relationship with a physician recruiting firm
Break down the different types of physician recruitment firms
List the pros and cons of using a search firm
Describe what you can expect throughout the hiring process

Key Takeaways

Physician recruiters can be of indispensable help when searching for a physician job, but dealing with them also has its downsides.
You need to ensure that the recruiter is both legit and the right fit for your needs.
For all the help they may offer, it’s essential to remain in control of your own employment process.

Table of Contents

Where to Find a Physician Recruiter

You can find a physician recruiter through the NAPR or simply by googling or asking for a recommendation.

Not every recruiter is the same, though, and you should be aware of your specific needs to find the right match.

There are several places to look.

You can find an extensive list of physician recruiters on the National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR) website.

Alternatively, you can find many of the bigger recruitment firms with a quick Google search or ask your peers if they know of some they have used in the past.

Look at reviews online and check the recruiter’s credentials.

Things to Remember

Recruiters are paid by the employer to find you. If a physician recruiter asks for payment, you aren’t working with a reliable recruiter. Don’t ever pay out of pocket for recruitment fees.
Know what setting (the type of organization and geographical location) would be best for your personal and professional needs, but be open to new ideas.
Don’t contact a recruiter until you are serious about accepting an offer. Send over your CV and wait for them to contact you.
Don’t use too many recruitment firms as this may lead to double placement of your CV, making you look too eager.

What to Look for in a Physician Recruiter

A good physician recruiter acts proactively, making sure to get a good sense of what you’re looking for before pushing you into a role.

Recruiters don’t need any special license or degree to become a recruiter, and Google can only tell you so much about the firm.

Although, reading through their website and checking out online reviews is always a good idea to get a feeling if they are legitimate..

Try to find other physicians who have used your chosen search firm before.

If most physicians don’t have anything good to say about them or if you can’t find anyone who has used them, you may want to find a different recruiter.

A good recruiter is dedicated to finding the perfect match, not to push you into a job.

They should ask plenty of questions about what you are looking for, and what you would not be willing to consider.

Their goal should be to make a placement—for the benefit of both the employer and the physician.

If all the recruiter does is hand you a list of jobs and ask you which ones to send your CV to, you’re at the wrong recruiting firm.

They should be very proactive and act as a helping hand.

Are you planning to hire a CRNA or anesthesiologist? Here’s what to expect.

Types of Physician Recruiters

Recruiting physicians is mostly done through four types of recruiters: retained recruiters, contingent recruiters, in-house recruiters, or locum tenens recruiters.

Each type is specific in its own way and comes with its idiosyncrasies.

Not all physician recruiters are the same. It’s important to find a recruiting firm that matches your needs.

Below are four different types of physician recruiters that deal with employers and candidates in varying ways.

Retained Recruiter

A retained recruiter is hired by various healthcare providers and paid to recruit top talent for their employer.

Retained recruiters can give you more detail about what your role would involve, and how your daily life and surroundings would be.

They also help you decide whether this placement would be a good match for you based on your goals and desires.

Because they are so deeply connected to a specific healthcare organization, they specialize in placements for a smaller number of job opportunities.

If you want someone with deep insight into what you will be signing on for and have a good idea of what you’re looking for, work with a retained recruiter.

Contingent Recruiter

A contingent recruiter has no special connection to any job. They have yet to be paid an upfront fee from any employer and won’t get any payment until a physician is hired

Contingent recruiters usually have access to a wider variety of opportunities and will always have their feelers out for more.

They may have a large library of possible job placements.

However, because of the sheer number of sites they will try to hire for, they don’t usually visit the site or know the job as well as they could.

Many of your questions about the job environment and community will go unanswered by your recruiter.

If you feel confident about your own ability to research a job and its location, and you want to have a broader array of opportunities, you may be better off working with a contingent recruiter.

In-House Recruiter

In-house recruiters work directly for the organizations for which they are hiring.

First, this means that they will hire with retention in mind.

They want a permanent addition to the team and won’t hire you unless they believe that you are the right physician for the job.

Second, they will be personally invested in the organization they’re recruiting for.

If you work with an in-house recruiter, it’s all the more important to be well-prepared for the contract negotiation process

If you have a healthcare system in mind that you know and respect and are looking to find work in, reach out to their in-house recruiters.

Locum Tenens Recruiter

A locum tenens recruiter will deal directly with positions offered for locum tenens physicians. This means that they offer jobs that are usually more short-term.

These recruiters understand the needs and preferences of locum tenens physicians. They offer jobs that include flexibility and new experiences all over the country.

No matter what type of recruiter you work with, you need income protection. Check out our Disability Insurance page for more info.

Pros of Working with a Physician Recruiter

A physician recruiter greatly speeds up and smooths over the job search process for physicians and may open up some advanced practice opportunities that you may not be aware of.

Can speed up the job search and hiring process. They are experts at doing this and have an expedited process set up to handle their many job candidates.
It can make you aware of previously unknown practice opportunities. Physician recruiters network with many different organizations and hospital HR leaders.
A recruiter can help you find a match that meets your goals. They know the market and where your skills would be most in demand. They may be able to help with the negotiation for that position as long as they are not employed by the same institution.
Using a physician recruiter is great for Locum Tenens physicians, where the turnaround is quick and help is gladly appreciated.
Search firms often have insider information from potential employers before the positions are made known publicly. They can have the first “in” to the job position and recommend you as a candidate.
A physician recruiter won’t take a cut of your salary or charge you any fee for their services.

Cons of Working with a Physician Recruiter

A recruiter’s interests always lie with the employer.

Also, their services tend to be expensive, which means that a lot of potential jobs at organizations not employing a recruiter will be out of your reach if you decide to use a recruiter’s services.

A recruiter’s loyalty and fiduciary responsibility lie with the employer. This means that you won’t know for certain if they have your best interests in mind.
Their sizable fee may make some facilities unable to work with them. You might miss out on good jobs because of this. Employers pay about $20,000 per placement on average—which smaller organizations can’t afford.

How to Be Proactive During the Process

Proactivity is essential when dealing with a recruiter: ask as many questions as necessary, practice open communication, and never give up full control over your employment process.

An effective recruiter will be thorough in giving you detailed information about your potential employers and in asking for personal details about you.

But you shouldn’t sit back and let them have free reign over your job placement.

Here’s how to take some ownership of the process by being proactive:

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Don’t let recruiters do all the talking. If you are unsure about anything, ask. If they don’t know the answer, ask them to find out for you.

Practice open communication and prompt responsiveness

Many of the job recruiters will have plenty of candidates—you’re just one in the pool.

If you want to have a better chance at placement, make sure to have good, open communication and promptly respond to your recruiter’s phone calls.

If you make delays, be sure that they will immediately move on to the next candidate on their list.

Do not allow recruiters to send off your CV without your approval

A recruiter’s job is to find a placement that you approve of — not send off your CV to as many sites as possible, hoping to find a catch.

Sending off your CV to too many organizations can taint your reputation or make you look desperate. This could lower your advantages in the negotiation process.

In such a scenario, employers might think you would settle for less money or benefits due to your need for placement.

Final Thoughts

To be completely safe when dealing with recruiters, having your contract reviewed by contract specialists before approving it might be the best option.

Physicians Thrive offers contract review as well as help with the negotiation process.

Our financial advisors work with legal professionals to help you get the salary and benefits you need now and to grow and protect your financial future.

Our fiduciary responsibility and loyalty will always be to you, the physician.

For more information to help you in your job search, see our job search resources or contact Physicians Thrive.