The key to success in physician recruiting is to be intentional.
When Should You Start Healthcare Succession Planning?
You should start succession planning as soon as you can. While it’s never too late to start, the sooner you begin, the more time you’ll have to execute your plan and the more options you’ll have.
You should start succession planning as soon as you can. While it’s never too late to start, the sooner yHealthcare succession planning is important because it ensures that your healthcare organization will continue to function even if key personnel leave. It also allows you to attract and retain top talent, which is essential to the long-term success of your organization.
What to Expect During the Recruitment Process
The physician recruitment process typically takes between three and six months if everything goes according to your plan. If you are trying to fill a more specialized position or adapt to a unique situation, the process may take longer.
It is important to have a diversity of backgrounds on a healthcare team in order to provide the best If you want to recruit someone out of fellowship or residency, the timeframe is about six months. After that, most candidates will already have jobs lined up, and you will have to wait another year or so to recruit individuals in this demographic.
In addition to recruiting and hiring candidates who are coming out of fellowships or residencies, you will often need to get them credentialed, which usually takes at least a month, extending the timeline for officially filling your need for a physician. If you are not adequately prepared for this process, you may find yourself in a financial black hole while your new recruit cannot actually see patients because they lack the credentials.
It is crucial to plan ahead and start your search before you are desperate to fill an open position. The sooner you start the process, the sooner you will be able to fill an open position. Being proactive will help you save time, energy, and money, especially when it comes to last-minute fixes or Locums hires.
When making a healthcare succession plan and beginning the recruitment process, it is important to understand the time commitment required to hire a qualified candidate.
From clearing a prospective candidate’s schedule and interviewing them to providing an impactful candidate visit, negotiating, and finalizing an agreement, the process requires care and patience. You should treat every interview and meeting with candidates as opportunities to impress them. To make the most of your time and resources, you need to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.
Recruiting new hires is also an essential process when creating strategic plans for new service lines and growth. Knowing how the recruitment process works and what to expect from it is not just about who is leaving your practice but what you plan to build for the future. If you want to implement a new program, for example you will likely need to hire (or train) specialists and support staff, creating opportunities for recruitment whether you hire new staff or promote qualified team members.
What to Look for When Considering a Succession Plan
There are a few things to look for among your staff that can trigger the need for a succession plan. In general, you need to look out for staff members who are at-risk for leaving, which can include staff who are approaching retirement, unhappy staff, and underperforming staff.
Retiring Staff
The longer your staff members stay in your practice and in their same roles, they may become more likely to retire. You need to have a plan in place for how to replace them when they do leave.
In order to accomplish this, you need to communicate with your staff members who are approaching retirement. Determine who among your staff is likely in the last five years of their careers. Of these individuals, it is important to ask about their plans. They may be interested in reducing their hours or responsibilities, and you can also find out if they want to start mentoring before they decide to leave.
Personal plans may change, of course, but it is wise to get a feel for who is considering retirement so you can plan ahead.
Unhappy Staff
It is also important to address staff members who are unhappy in their roles. Unhappy staff are more likely to leave, which can disrupt your succession plan.
Many healthcare professionals become unhappy when their needs are not met, including personal, professional, and financial needs. If they are unsatisfied with their responsibilities, their children are unsatisfied with the community in which they live, or they feel that their financial needs are not being met, they may become despondent and wish to pursue other options.
Whatever the reason, it is important to address the issue so that you can keep your staff happy and reduce turnover. If you don’t have the means or resources to make changes that will keep your staff from leaving, planning ahead for their departure can help reduce stress when the time comes to replace them.
Underperforming Staff
Staff members who are clinically insufficient, toxic, or otherwise underperforming can be detrimental to your practice. These staff members may not be at risk of leaving immediately, but they could be in the future if their performance doesn’t improve.
Underperforming staff can be a drain on your resources, and they may also cause morale problems among your other staff. Addressing the issue of underperforming staff members is important, and you should do so proactively when possible. However, if these efforts do not improve the staff member’s behavior and performance, having a succession plan in place can help you move forward in a productive fashion.
Tips for Effective Healthcare Succession Planning
There are a few key tips to keep in mind when succession planning for your healthcare organization.
Be Proactive
The best way to approach succession planning is to be proactive. Don’t wait until someone leaves to start thinking about how you’ll replace them.
Instead, anticipate who might leave and have a plan in place. This will give you more time to execute your plan and it will also allow you to be more selective in your recruiting.
When it comes to creative an effective, proactive healthcare succession plan, here’s what you need to do:
- Assess your current workforce
- Identify your future needs
- Develop a plan to attract and retain talent
- Implement your plan
- Evaluate and adjust your plan as needed
Make sure you are prepared for the recruitment process, from interviews to candidate visits, in advance.
Be Intentional
It is important to be intentional when succession planning. This means having a clear idea of what you want to achieve and being strategic in your approach.
To be intentional with your succession planning process, you need to:
- Clarify your goals
- Identify the skills and experience you need
- Develop criteria for selection
- Create a timeline
Be Patient
Good physicians can’t be found easily and quickly. It might take time before the right candidate appears. Locums can temporarily fill the void, but long-term solutions take time. Being patient and deliberate in your process can make sure you find the best candidates for your practice.
When you find a good candidate, win them over with an impactful candidate visit.
Learn MoreAre You Working on a Healthcare Succession Plan? Pinnacle Health Group Can Help.
Healthcare succession planning is an important process for any healthcare organization. If you are working on a succession plan, or if you need help with your recruitment initiatives, Pinnacle Health Group can assist you.
Pinnacle Health Group is a national healthcare recruiting and consulting firm that specializes in placing physicians and advanced practitioners in all specialties and subspecialties.
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