Millennials make up the majority of today’s workforce, and they have high expectations for their employers. Workplace norms have shifted with the combined influence of the Millennial and Gen Z generations. As older physicians and advanced practitioners begin to retire, the newer generations of physicians and advanced practitioners are attracted to different job qualities and standards. The more recent generations include anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 26 to 41), this group is considered Millennials or Generation Y, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of Generation Z or Gen Z (ages 10 to 25).

Is your hospital, private practice, independent group, or medical facility looking to enhance your Millennial and Gen Z recruitment strategy?

Here are a Few Ways to Attract the Newer Generations of Physicians and Advanced Practitioners:

Work-Life Balance & Flexibility 

The newer generations hitting the workforce are changing the standard of what the traditional work-life balance looks like. Millennials and Gen Zs seek flexibility – they want to practice at a hospital, physician group, or medical facility that encourages taking time off for family leave or simply personal wellness.

You can accommodate the newer generations’ personal lives by offering increased scheduling flexibility, leveraging technology, having workplace childcare services onsite, and more. In addition, creating a culture that encourages taking time off helps keep physicians’ and advanced practitioners’ happiness a priority and, in return – their loyalty.

Wellness & Mental Health Support

The older, more traditional ways of working haven’t always been the healthiest for some healthcare professionals. In a survey by Medscape, 47% of physicians reported they were experiencing burnout, up from 42% from 2021. In addition, 48% of physicians surveyed said they exercise to cope with burnout. Therefore, it is essential to offer ways your staff can reduce stress and stay motivated!

A great perk you could offer to employees is free gym memberships. Or even schedule group workouts where staff can burn off some steam and, as a bonus, strengthen workplace culture. Leveraging locum tenens is a fast and easy way to reduce workload and stress for permanent staff. Locum tenens help eliminate patient bottlenecks creating a calmer, less stressful work environment. Juggling too many tasks can be overwhelming for newer and more senior employees; adding additional support helps reduce workload and stress and increase job satisfaction.

Workplace Culture, Development & Pay

Truly being part of a team and having a community of colleagues you respect and enjoy working with is valuable to newer generations entering the healthcare workforce. Your workplace culture directly impacts how medical staff, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals work together to achieve a common goal. It is critical to make sure your employees feel valued, included and believe their ideas are appreciated. Feeling a sense of purpose and finding meaning in your work is essential for new graduates.

In addition to culture, many younger physicians and advanced practitioners seek generous compensation packages and development opportunities. A leadership development or mentorship program can help engage employees further and foster innovative ideas. Offering additional PTO, paid childcare services, sign-on bonuses, relocation benefits, and loan repayment assistance can be a great way to secure new talent.

Adopt Advanced Healthcare Technology

The younger generations are digitally savvy and choose to leverage technology to make their lives easier. New physicians and advanced practitioners appreciate utilizing digital tools to streamline administrative tasks, reduce medical errors, and improve patient communication. Telehealth assignments are also highly sought after; the ease of working from home and having a manageable workload decreases the risk of burnout and improves job satisfaction.

Integrating on-call provider support programs to relieve physicians and advanced practitioners from taking calls during the nights, weekends, and holidays is also a great way to secure and retain talent. This helps to normalize work schedules and limit the stress that comes from working irregular hours.

Relationships are crucial to the success of hiring and retaining new talent. Authentically connecting with recent graduates can help your medical facility shine during the interview process. If your team is looking to reduce staff burnout, increase PTO options, and more by leveraging a supplemental staffing partner, Medicus is happy to help. Our team ensures all locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners are a cultural and clinical fit for your facility. We are dedicated to your facility and committed to helping solve your unique challenges together.