Tips for Recruiting Anesthesia Providers
During the current shortage of anesthesia providers in which we are living, recruitment has quickly become a top priority and important focus of anesthesia departments all over the world. This shortage is largely due to the exodus of anesthesiologists and CRNAs from the baby boomer generation into retirement, but the rising costs of education and the burgeoning population of older, sicker patients do nothing to help the provider shortage become less serious. Hospitals and surgery centers who never encountered staffing problems before have found themselves scrambling for coverage. Does this scenario sound familiar?
At CCI Anesthesia, we recognized the looming anesthesia provider shortage and prepared for it. We have learned how to not only survive during this crisis, but thrive. Our clients are able to rest easy at night knowing their operating rooms will be fully staffed the next day and our team of anesthesiologists and CRNAs tend to stay with us for the long-haul. Navigating this anesthesia provider shortage successfully takes knowledge, skill and an ability to attract the top anesthesia providers available. Here, we will discuss what we have learned during this time and how we approach medical recruitment today.
How CCI Anesthesia Recruits the Best Anesthesia Providers
Even though all anesthesiologists and CRNAs in the U.S. are held to the same high practice standards established by their respective licensing boards, not all providers are created equally. For example, not all anesthesia providers are experienced in practicing to their fullest scope. On the other hand, sometimes even the most highly skilled and experienced anesthesia providers are unable to get along with other teammates. The best anesthesia providers are those who have diverse experience, work hard and find value in being part of a winning team. CCI Anesthesia recruiters have an uncanny ability to size up an anesthesia provider and determine if they are the best of the best. We consider a provider’s education, clinical skills, work experience, interpersonal skills and references before we extend a job offer.
Overcoming Challenges to Hiring Anesthesia Providers
Common challenges when it comes to hiring anesthesia providers can be finding the right person who is an ideal “fit” for your facility and motivating them to choose your vacant position over others. There are several ways to mitigate these challenges:
Define the Job and Your Expectations Clearly
Writing a job description for an anesthesia provider opening should include more information than the basics. Define the scope of work and the job clearly and outline any education, training and skill requirements.
Interview Candidates Thoroughly and Discerningly
When interviewing an anesthesia provider, consider their interpersonal skills in addition to their professional qualifications. Ask thoughtful questions that will help you not only gauge whether the anesthesia provider is qualified, but also if they are the right person for the job in question.
Compare Compensation
Due to the anesthesia provider shortage, compensation packages must be competitive. Know where your compensation package falls in comparison to your competition. Even if you are limited in what you are able to offer, emphasize non-financial factors such as flexible scheduling. You may also consider offering a sign-on bonus.
Consider Complexities of the Job
Not all jobs require the same level of skill and experience from anesthesia providers. Consider the complexity of the cases required of the job and match that with the experience of the provider you hire, particularly if you are considering hiring new graduates.
Reputation is Key
When it comes to anesthesia provider recruitment, reputation is perhaps the most important consideration. The best anesthesia providers want to work exclusively with employers who are reputable, honest and fair. When anesthesia providers are able to weigh multiple job offers against each other, it is often the employer’s reputation that becomes the deciding factor. CCI Anesthesia happens to have an excellent reputation among anesthesia providers because we have remained a privately-owned group. This means we have no venture capital investors pressing for wider margins, allowing us to have the means to generously invest in our greatest resource—our providers. Our track record and low turnover rates prove we take excellent care of our anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists.
Contact us today for more information on medical recruitment and how to overcome challenges in recruiting anesthesia providers.