Physician Recruiting Timeline

Your timeline isn’t always their timeline.

As healthcare provider recruiters, there’s one mistake we see our clients make time and time again - they fail to take into account the timeline that works for the physician or nurse practitioner they’re trying to hire and only think about their own sense of urgency (or lack thereof). And we can’t stress this enough - don’t lose a great candidate due to an inability to be flexible on that start date!

There are a number of factors that can determine how long it will take to have a provider start work with your practice, including relocation, credentialing, licensing, and personal considerations. You may want a physician to start in April, but the perfect candidate is out-of-state with children and wants to start after the school year ends. Instead of immediately writing off what could be a great long-term hire, consider finding someone local who might be looking for PRN, part-time, or locums work to cover the gap.

Another thing to consider is licensing and credentialing time. Many providers, especially physicians, have to give a 90- or 120-day notice to their current employer. Unfortunately, a significant number of hiring managers we work with see this as a major issue, even though it’s very standard for the industry. And, in reality, that notice period can be a perfect buffer, during which licensing and credentialing can be completed. Too many times we have seen hiring managers turn down a candidate with a 90-day notice period, only to see it take even longer to find and hire another qualified candidate, turning what could have been a 3-month process into a 9-month endeavour, while potential revenue is lost along the way.

Finally, it’s also important to realize that providers are constantly being recruited by competing practices and timeliness doesn’t only apply to start dates, but is also very important when communicating with candidates during the interview process. Too often we’ve seen a hiring manager let a great physician sit in limbo while they figure out how to proceed, with no update given to the candidate for weeks - during which time, plenty of other organizations are aggressively recruiting that same candidate. This often results in the provider accepting another offer from a practice that is being much more proactive and communicative, especially as it makes them feel more secure about the position and the practice’s long-term interest in them.

We hope these tips help you to secure the best long-term fit - which isn’t always the fastest hire - as you expand your provider staff!