Challenges Of Medical Recruiting In Rural Areas
Difficulty Traveling
With limited access to big airports, traveling to rural areas is often more tedious and time-consuming. As a result, it can be harder for local hospitals to convince physicians to come to their premises for interviews, let alone move their families to this rural location. Rural hospitals can combat this by offering to pay for their prospective candidates' travel expenses during the interview process. We also recommend including relocation assistance in your offer; if your new physicians knows that they will have help covering the costs associated with moving their families to the new area, they may be more likely to seriously consider your opportunity.
Lack Of Cultural Awareness
Because rural locations are less densely populated, many residents find that the opportunity to be exposed to and interact with different cultures is severely limited in these areas. However, it's important to remember that rural life is a culture all its own - and a beautiful one at that. When recruiting physicians for your rural opportunity, be sure to emphasize the unique advantages of living in a quiet community.
Limited Recreational Activities
Residents in big cities or densely populated suburban areas often enjoy access to a wide range of recreational and leisure opportunities, including everything from amusement parks to botanical gardens to community centers. Those who live in rural areas sometimes complain about the lack of recreational opportunities that are available to them, and prospective candidates may be reluctant to move to rural areas for this reason. However, living in rural areas offers its own set of unique benefits, so you an offset this drawback by playing up these advantages when recruiting potential candidates.
Ways To Overcome These Medical Recruiting Challenges
Lots Of Land
One of the biggest advantages of living in a rural area is the opportunity to own a large plot of land. In addition to helping build family wealth, owning a lot of land gives you extra privacy and the opportunity to expand your home, shed, or barn in the future. You can even use your land for supplemental income by growing (and selling) produce or building a recreational attraction (such as a corn maze).
Beautiful Views
It doesn't matter where in the country you are; if you live in a rural area, you can almost guarantee that you will be surrounded by beautiful scenic views. Majestic forests, sweeping plains, rolling hills, soaring mountains, and endless oceans are only a few examples of the amazing vistas residents in rural areas get to enjoy every day. Being surrounding by nature has also been shown to reduce stress levels and boost overall moods.
Lower Cost Of Living
Living in rural areas is often much more affordable than living in big cities. Almost everything costs less in rural areas, including housing, groceries, fuel, and recreational opportunities. Relocating to a rural area can be a great financial advantage for anyone who his looking for ways to keep costs down.
Rural areas also typically have lower crime rates, less noise pollution, and an amazing sense of community that you can't find anywhere else. These are all excellent examples of the benefits you should emphasize when marketing an opportunity in a rural hospital.
Remember To Recruit The Whole Family!
Experienced recruiters can tell you that if you want to successfully recruit top candidates, you must recruit their families as well. Family members, especially spouses, often have a significant impact on the decision to take a new job - particularly if it requires relocating to a new area.
The Hire Connection Can Help You Recruit Your Rural Opportunities
If you are recruiting physicians for an opportunity at a rural hospital, contact the team at The Hire Connection, LLC. Our experienced medical recruiters can help you aggressively market your opportunity. We can also screen your potential candidates to ensure that you only interview those with the best potential. To learn more about how we can help you recruit and retain physicians, give us a call at (866) 661-4473 or visit our website.
Let's Connect!
