How to Determine if Your Candidate is a Good Fit for the Long Term

How a physician meshes with the current culture of an organization influences the length of the physician’s stay. According to medical group leaders who responded to the 2006 Cejka Search and AMGA Physician Retention Survey, said “poor cultural fit with the practice” is the single most frequently mentioned reason for voluntary separation. *

Because recruitment and retention are directly related, you should focus on attracting candidates who will quickly acclimate to your group’s culture. Recruiters must first clearly understand the culture of the organization. By identifying your organization’s values, you can more accurately recognize traits in candidates that will blend with the current staff.

One of the most effective strategies for assessing whether or not a candidate will be a long-term cultural fit is through behavioral interviewing techniques. The following questions may be employed:
▪ Describe an experience that required talking with a patient or staff member under particularly difficult circumstances.
▪ Tell me how you have created an environment where staff or patients are comfortable approaching you—even with bad news.
▪ Describe a time when you provided recognition of a staff member.
▪ Describe a time when someone wasn’t performing up to your standards.
▪ Tell me about your relationships at work. Describe a favorite relationship, a difficult relationship.
▪ Give me an example of where you had to mediate conflict in your office, department or organization.
▪ Describe a patient case or encounter that generated a particular sense of compassion for you.

Such questions will assist in determining if a candidate is a long-term cultural fit for your organization. Additional strategies include peer interviews, spouse participation in interviews, job shadowing prior to the offer and offering a locum assignment for a probationary period.

*Source: The Cejka Search and AMGA 2006 Physician Retention Survey was completed by 92 members of the American Medical Group Association, and collectively employ more than 16,833 physicians.