In physician recruitment, the site visit is the most defining step in establishing organizational credibility with the candidate. It’s where the candidate assesses what they believe to be true and either puts the organization in the “in” or “out” option pile.

If you’re hosting a site visit, you know you’ve already established some credibility with your prospect. From the sourcing vehicle through the telephone interviews, your organization has articulated how the practice opportunity can meet the physician’s personal and professional needs. The site visit further solidifies that credibility by demonstrating interest in the candidate and a genuine desire to create a lasting relationship with that physician.

Take these steps to help your organization stay in the running

1. Arrange a site visit that will sell itself. With tunnel vision on matching the needs of the prospect with the organization’s offerings, we determine what they need to learn and organize the itinerary with those individuals who can communicate those details.

In this way, the practice opportunity sells itself. The key is to allow ample time to build an itinerary that will do this most effectively. Don’t just cookie cutter your site visit; rather, create a scenario that will solidify them on the opportunity.

2. Effectively prepare for the site visit. While time is always limited, do prep each participant in the itinerary on the personal and professional needs of the physician (Step 1) and confirm their role in the visit.

What should they convey and why would that be beneficial to the candidate? Isolate how the features of your opportunity will benefit the prospect. While you know you need another physician in your market, ensure that everyone is prepared to communicate:

• The ability to grow a successful practice;
• The eagerness of clinical colleagues to work with them; and
• The proof that other new physicians have been fulfilled in your community.

Distribute to your internal team, along with the CV, a description of the candidate’s requirements and provide them with a “script,” or set of bullet points, to help them frame their interview dialogue.

3. Implement a winning visit. This should flow naturally based on what you’ve done in the previous steps. One area of caution: Don’t appear to be trying too hard. The site visit team must answer their questions honestly and not pretend the opportunity is something it’s not. The key is to convey and not convince. That means building rapport to really hear their concerns, emphasize relevant offerings and highlight past successes.

When physicians waiver on a decision and perceive a situation is too good to be true, they’ll dismiss your offering not based on unmet professional and personal criteria, but on a sense that the organization lacks credibility. Your goal is not to convince the physician to accept your offering, but to solidify for the physician the wisdom in their decision.

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