Building a solid foundation is vital for any project: for the construction of a new home or the business plan for a new venture. A foundation becomes the underpinnings of any successful effort and without it a new initiative can collapse or never get effectively off the ground. That foundation is equally important for a physician recruitment initiative.

In today's market, physician recruiting benefits from building a solid foundation before launching into a full-blown search. Understanding how your organization's practice opportunity fits into the market and meets potential candidates' expectations is essential for success. Consider your stance within the market. Would adjustments in your organization's position broaden the appeal to potential candidates?

If you are just beginning a physician search or if you have not found success after a 9 to 12-month effort, examine your market. Gather information to answer some key questions:

* Who else is recruiting in your area?

* Are they recruiting within the same specialty areas? If so, what types of practice opportunities are they offering?

* What kind of compensation package is attractive to a candidate?

* What other key practice offerings are critical to physicians in that specialty area?

* Is this a specialty in high demand and low supply? If so, how do you need to adjust your market position to make your opportunity stand apart from the others?

Investigate how your practice opportunity will measure up against the competition by conducting some simple market research about the region's practice environment and compensation arrangements. This will help you determine how to tailor your offer to be more meaningful.

Don't assume you know the answers to these questions. Use real information, not just intuition. Talk to physician leaders in your area to get solid information on that specialty demands and expectations. Contact newly recruited physicians in the region and ask about the key selling points that helped them choose their new position. Consider conducting mystery shopping at your competition to determine what they are offering candidates. Discover your weaknesses and see if you can compromise around them.

You may choose to use an outside firm to help you do this research. While many recruitment firms offer this type of service, ensure that the firm you have selected has enough experience in your region to be aware of the local nuances. You need the firm to not only screen and match candidates, but also do homework up front to know your market position and advise you on how to deepen your competitive stance. For many recruiters, it is just a numbers game. But for you with limited resources, those numbers count.

If you are like your peers, you may feel too overwhelmed to take one pre-step before launching your search. But, don't skip this important step. Get your foundation in place. In addition to using existing survey data from organizations such as the Medical Group Management Association to determine package offerings, contact a medical school and inquire about what their students are most anxious about, or talk to us and see how we can fit a market assessment plan into your recruitment program.

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