Tis the Season:Winter Marketing & Advertising for Physician Recruitment

When you think about holiday marketing and advertising initiatives, the first industry that comes to mind is generally not physician recruitment. The traditional wisdom is that the holiday season is not a time of rapid movement in physician recruitment. With many of the decision makers and in house recruiters off on vacation, many healthcare employers put their recruitment initiatives on hold during the holidays. But this is possibly the worst mistake a healthcare employer can make. 

Just like many decision makers are out spending time with family, many potential candidates are as well. This downtime is usually one of the few times of the year that physicians have to read through a stack of medical journals, go through their personal email, and actually look through what come in the mail. Also, as the end of the year rolls around, many potential candidates also begin thinking about a potential career move in the new year. That is why a savvy recruiter takes advantage of this downtime to make sure to get their opportunities in front of potential candidates.

Some great ways to get your opportunities in front of candidates include:

• Direct mail pieces (postcards, holiday cards, etc.)
• Journal advertisements in November-December issues
• Email blasts to personal email addresses

Getting the message out there about your opportunities is only half the battle. Just like physicians have time to actually look through and consider your fantastic holiday marketing and advertising pieces, they also have time to pick up the phone and call you for more information. To make sure they can, make sure to:

• Include a direct line, direct email address, and a number they can text to
• Indicate when you will be working during the holidays (ex: Christmas eve, the day after thanksgiving, etc.)
• Check you email and voicemail box regularly during the holidays

While the holidays are a great time to source new candidates, it is also a great time to work on those already deep in your candidate pipeline. Just like with key business contacts, it is a fantastic idea to reach out to candidates who are already in the interview or offer stage. Sending them a handwritten holiday card or giving them a call to express warm wishes over the holidays places a personal touch on the process, and can make the difference between a candidate joining your team, or joining the practice down the road.

Key take aways:

• The holidays are not a dry season for recruiting
  
• Take advantage of potential candidates free time during the holidays to get your opportunity in front of them
• Make it easy for them to reach out to you about your opportunities over the holidays
• Send existing candidates a little holiday cheer with a card or call