Summary: Are you using social media to recruit physicians? The results of the MDsearch.com social media survey show that physicians are increasingly utilizing social networking sites. The podcast provides an overview of the results.
DAVID: Welcome to the MDsearch.com Recruitment Podcast. I'm DAVID Pearson here with ROBYN Melhuish and today we're talking about online social networking.
ROBYN: It seems like everybody is talking about online social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter...who's using it, how they're using it, the benefits of using it...
DAVID: I know, the conversation is unavoidable.
ROBYN: Even people who aren't participating in online social networking usually have something to say on the subject.
DAVID: So what do we have to say about it?
ROBYN: I'm not sure that MDsearch.com has an official position but I think we're ready to join the conversation.
DAVID: And what better way than with the very first MDsearch recruiter podcast?
ROBYN: Exactly.
DAVID: Now, we already know that social media is sweeping the nation.
ROBYN: Actually it's sweeping the globe. Facebook has over 200 million active users worldwide and an average of 500 thousand new members are signing up every day. So we know it's a big deal, but are healthcare professionals engaging in the trend?
DAVID: To answer that question, we surveyed our contacts at the health facilities and agencies who post jobs on MDsearch.com. As it turns out, about half are on Facebook and LinkedIn, but only 25% use the sites for recruiting purposes.
ROBYN: That's interesting, because you can definitely find physicians on Facebook!
DAVID: So that's why I can't get an appointment...
ROBYN: Very funny, DAVID, but your right, for some reason I was surprised
by the results of our physician survey.
DAVID: Me too, it turns out that 67% of our survey respondents are regular
Facebook users. In fact, 72% are members of at least one social networking site,
though compared to the 67% on Facebook, Classmates.com and MySpace are pretty insignificant
with12% and 8% of physicians using the sites.
ROBYN: Additionally, almost half of our respondents are members of what
we call professional networking sites, or social networking sites with a professional
focus. Like Facebook, these sites are popular among physicians too. 61% of our respondents
are members of Sermo and 43% are on LinkedIn.
DAVID: But what's the point? I tend to agree with one of our respondents who pointed out, "these social networking/twittering sites are much ado about nothing."
ROBYN: Well, perhaps you and our indignant respondent is right, but...maybe not. Almost 20% of physicians using professional networking sites are using them to collaborate with physicians they don't know in the "real world," that is, the world outside of cyberspace. They are asking questions and giving feedback and sharing opinions with physicians they didn't have access to before.
DAVID: Now, the survey results suggest that for now at least, most physicians are primarily on Facebook for personal reasons. But clearly, physicians are comfortable with the concept of online social networking, and it's something they're willing to make time for.
ROBYN: Yes, and combine that assumption with the advent of sites like Sermo and Medscape (from WebMD), and suddenly physicians are no longer limited to looking up answers in books or making a phone call to a single mentor when faced with a challenge. Instead of seeking advice from one or two colleagues, a physician can have a "joint consult" with tens of thousands of other physicians.
DAVID: It's certainly an exciting concept, and we've barely scratched the surface on the potential of these sites to change the way healthcare is delivered. But the sites have other benefits as well.
ROBYN: That's right, online social networking is truly just that – an opportunity to "network" and the physicians we surveyed seem open to using the sites to network with hiring managers and recruiters…but they have to be willing to take the plunge into the world of online social media.
DAVID: Okay, so let's say that our audience is ready; is it really as simple as signing up for a Twitter account? There's more to it that that isn't there?
ROBYN: Well, it's not complicated, but you're right – it does requires a little more explanation, and while about half of our audience is already comfortable using Facebook to connect on a personal level, the survey results indicate that they're not exactly sure how to use the site – and others like it – professionally.
DAVID: But MDsearch.com is here to help.
ROBYN: That's right, we're here to assist you in all of your efforts to
connect with physicians, so next time, we'll begin your social media tutorial by
talking to renowned healthcare recruiter, DAVID Pritchard, about how he's using
social media.
DAVID: Thanks for listening to the MDsearch.com Physician Recruitment Podcast.
