The Role of Community Marketing in Physician Recruitment

When recruiting a physician to join a practice, the community the opportunity is located in is almost as important as the opportunity itself. With so many high quality opportunities for physicians to choose from in this candidate driven market, what a community has to offer can often make or break a physician recruitment effort.

Because of this, it is up to organizations to have a thorough understanding of their communities. Local and regional populations, demographics, local organizations, and proximity to other desirable cities can all be selling points for candidates. In order to know which aspects to sell to candidates, it is important for recruiters to create a thorough candidate profile outlining what the ideal candidate will look like. Knowing what type of experience, training, or personality features you would like in an ideal candidate can help inform you on how to market your community to prospective candidates.

But while each opportunity has a unique set of needs that will inform what type of candidate they need to tailor their community marketing to, the following three tend to be the most important. In a recent survey, 42% of candidates indicated that quality of life and family preferences were the main motivating factor behind their choice in opportunity. Because of this, it is crucial for recruiters to address these three key aspects.

1. Opportunities for the Family

For many physicians, choosing a community in which to live means making sure it appeals to their family as well as to themselves. Especially when targeting physicians with some experience, you are likely to find that they are married and many have families. When marketing your community, make sure to address things such as public and private school options for any children they may have (especially if you are located in a high quality school district) and if there would be opportunities for their spouse to pursue.

2. Climate

The vast majority of candidates gravitate towards warmer locations and areas with a four-seasons climate. If your opportunity is located in such an area, make sure to highlight that aspect and the opportunities it provides to candidates for recreational activities.

3. Recreational Activities

Most candidates today will stress that they have a work-life balance in an opportunity. But work-life balance only means so much if there aren’t enough activities to pursue outside of their job. If your area offers outdoor and cultural activities, make sure to highlight what they are. Whether it’s proximity to the water that allows them to engage in boating and fishing, proximity to hiking and biking trails, or a thriving cultural scene, knowing that they and their family would have access to the activities that they enjoy can influence their final decision.

Key Take Aways:

• Make sure that you know what type of candidate you are targeting so you can tailor the way you market your community
• Make sure to inform candidates about excellent schools and opportunities for their family
• Make sure the candidates know that they will have access to their favorite activities, making your community seem like somewhere they could call home