Mission-Driven but Undersupported: A New Report Highlights the Needs of In-House Physician Recruiters
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, the ability to recruit and retain physicians is critical to ensuring patient access, organizational stability, and community well-being. Yet, the people most responsible for connecting physicians with the communities that need them—in-house physician recruiters—are often overlooked in strategic conversations about healthcare workforce challenges.
A new report, The Heart Behind the Hire: Exploring the Role of Purpose Among In-House Physician Recruiters, sheds light on the critical role recruiters play, the sense of calling that drives them, and the systemic challenges that hinder their success. The research, conducted in July 2025 by Jackson Physician Search and LocumTenens.com, in collaboration with the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment (AAPPR), surveyed nearly 200 recruiters working within healthcare organizations.
This report serves as a companion to a prior study—Is Medicine Still a Calling? Exploring Physician Attitudes About Purpose in Medicine—which focused on how physicians themselves perceive the role of purpose in their work. By shifting the lens to in-house recruiters, the new findings reveal how purpose-driven professionals are advancing healthcare access but urgently need stronger institutional support.
More Than Administrative Support: Recruiters as Champions of Access
“Healthcare starts with hiring, and this research proves what we’ve long believed — our in-house physician and provider recruiters are not just administrative support; they are champions of patient access, community well-being, and organizational culture,” said Carey Goryl, CEO of AAPPR.
According to the survey, 87% of recruiters say they feel “called” to the work—a striking parallel to the language of vocation often used by physicians themselves. Recruiters describe their role not just as filling vacancies, but as ensuring communities have the right clinicians in place to provide continuity of care. When hiring gaps remain unresolved, the repercussions extend beyond the organization to patients and families who may face long wait times or limited access to specialty services.
Yet despite their pivotal position, recruiters often struggle to secure the support, resources, and authority they need to function as true strategic partners within healthcare systems.
What Recruiters Say They Need
The research highlights three primary enablers that recruiters believe would enhance their ability to recruit and retain clinicians:
- Stronger support from leadership (64%)
- A deeper understanding of organizational culture and staffing needs (42%)
- More transparent communication with internal stakeholders (41%)
At a time when competition for physician talent is fiercer than ever, these enablers are not luxuries—they are necessities. Recruiters consistently emphasized that hiring is most effective when leaders bring them to the table early, rather than involving them only after critical decisions have already been made.
Partnerships with external recruiting organizations also emerged as a practical solution. By supplementing internal teams with outside expertise, healthcare organizations can expand capacity while still aligning with strategic goals.
“These findings aren’t just data points — they’re a call to action,” said Tara Osseck, regional vice president, Jackson Physician Search. “Recruiters play a vital role as problem solvers, ambassadors, and connectors. To maximize their impact, it’s important to include them early in strategic discussions, ensuring they have both visibility and voice in shaping hiring approaches, rather than being brought in only after decisions are made.”
Shifting the Perception: Strategic, Not Transactional
Too often, physician recruiting is framed as a transactional function—about filling roles as quickly as possible. But the survey suggests a deeper reality: recruiters are strategic actors whose insights can shape broader organizational outcomes.
Recruiters collect data on candidate decision-making, pipeline attrition, and compensation trends—information that, if shared transparently with executives, can inform workforce planning, culture initiatives, and even budget forecasting.
“Reporting activity is important, but sharing insights—such as why candidates decline offers, where we see drop-off in the process, and what pipeline data reveals—adds valuable context,” noted Osseck. “That kind of transparency helps connect recruiting efforts to broader business outcomes, building trust and credibility with the C-suite.”
Recruiters, in other words, are not merely “matchmakers.” They are frontline observers of shifting market dynamics who can help organizations adapt to physician expectations around compensation, culture, flexibility, and mission alignment.
Creative Solutions Require Collaborative Leadership
One of the report’s central themes is the need for collaborative leadership. When recruiters are empowered to think creatively and engage directly with leadership, they can anticipate needs and proactively build talent pipelines.
“We’re seeing recruiters who act not just as matchmakers, but as true strategic partners,” said Caroline Grounds, account director at LocumTenens.com. “The most effective ones are anticipating needs, building proactive pipelines, and offering creative solutions. That kind of impact is amplified when leaders actively engage recruiters in broader planning and give them the room to contribute beyond transactional tasks.”
This collaborative mindset requires a cultural shift. Rather than viewing recruiters as service providers tasked with solving isolated hiring challenges, healthcare leaders must treat them as long-term partners whose insights can help shape organizational resilience in the face of staffing shortages.
A Profession Fueled by Purpose
Despite the systemic challenges, the report paints a hopeful picture of a profession deeply motivated by mission:
- 87% of recruiters feel “called” to their work
- 96% would recommend the career to others
- 79% report high levels of passion for their role
These figures reveal a group of professionals who remain inspired by the human impact of their work. Every successful placement, recruiters note, means patients gain access to care, families experience greater continuity, and communities are strengthened.
“Every successful placement means better access for patients and continuity for communities,” Grounds added. “Closing care gaps and improving outcomes is truly a shared mission, from the recruiter’s desk to the boardroom. Alignment across all levels of leadership helps deliver on that mission.”
Why This Matters Now
The stakes could not be higher. The U.S. faces persistent physician shortages, driven by a combination of rising patient demand, an aging physician workforce, and burnout that has accelerated attrition. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Against this backdrop, recruiters are not simply filling jobs—they are mitigating a public health crisis.
By recognizing recruiters as strategic partners, healthcare organizations can position themselves to compete more effectively in this tight labor market. Supporting recruiters with leadership backing, communication, and resources may ultimately translate into better outcomes for patients and more sustainable healthcare delivery.
A Blueprint for the Future
The findings of The Heart Behind the Hire provide both a diagnosis and a roadmap. Recruiters are clear: they are passionate about their mission, but they need healthcare leaders to meet them halfway. By engaging recruiters in strategic conversations, encouraging transparency, and cultivating collaborative leadership, organizations can unlock the full potential of these professionals.
In-house recruiters may never be the most visible players in the healthcare system, but their impact is profound. Every physician they help place represents thousands of patient interactions, hundreds of community touchpoints, and immeasurable contributions to the culture of care.
As the report concludes, alignment across leadership levels and departments is not optional—it is essential. Only through partnership, purpose, and proactive planning can healthcare organizations hope to close the staffing gaps that threaten access and outcomes nationwide.
