Remember the days when faxing and phone calls where the primary modes of communication with prospective candidates? Today, if I get a fax from a candidate, I think to myself, “This is a red flag! Why didn’t the candidate send this electronically?”
Traditionally, when I start a new search, I do print ads, website postings and email blasts. After great expense and effort, I often do not get the responses I am looking for. Is it time to consider a new strategy?
Communicating with prospective candidates in a cost effective way is certainly a challenge. We are always trying to position our candidate acquisition efforts to try and reach physicians in training sooner! The market place has transitioned to technology savy, young physicians and we need to find a better way to reach them! HOW? Many of us are turning toward social networking.
In 2008 the New England Journal of Medicine completed a study in which 71% of respondents indicated they use the Internet to look for the right practice opportunity.
Social networking activities like Facebook, Twitter and You Tube are not just social opportunities for our teenagers; they are also cost-effective vehicles to reach and inform prospective candidates about the opportunities we have available for them. I am not an internet expert and fortunately I don’t have to be! Cejka Search has a great Candidate Acquisition and Marketing Team (CAM) that is always ready to jump with assistance and training on the latest social networking tools.
With the support of our CAM Team, I’ve been able to help many of our clients launch Facebook pages as well as You Tube videos. The great thing about Facebook and You Tube is the practice description you can provide including videos and photos of the medical campus and community. As they say ”A picture is worth a thousand words!” You Tube videos can also have a recorded message from your Chief Medical Director or the Chief Executive Officer. Now a candidate can download your You Tube video see where he will practice, view the community he will live in and receive a message of welcome from one of your administrators!
Social networking campaigns are definitely a cost effective way to market your practice opportunities in their best light. I have found that candidate responding to social media activities are also a better fit for the practice opportunity.
My prediction, social networking activities will only get more popular. We will have to jump on the wagon sooner or later!
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