The healthcare industry is in the midst of a major shift. With the introduction of new legislation, hospitals and medical centers have had to change their hiring practices to comply with Affordable Care Act regulations.
One such change has been that doctors are not allowed to be employed by a healthcare institution unless they also practice medicine there full-time.
This means that once you land a physician, they must stay on-site for at least one year before moving on.
How can hospitals keep these talented professionals around? By offering lucrative signing bonuses for doctors.
This article will highlight a few benefits of offering these bonuses and how to ensure they effectively fulfill their role.
Table of Contents
1. Attract the Best Physicians
Doctor signing bonuses can help you attract the best physicians. Regarding healthcare providers, doctors are one of the most important categories of employees.
They have a huge impact on your patient’s health and well-being, so it’s crucial to ensure that you’re hiring only qualified professionals who will provide quality care in their clinical practices.
Doctor signing bonuses can also help you retain your best employees. If you want to keep up with the competition in today’s market, retaining top talent is essential.
If there’s anything better than having an excellent team working for you already, it’s finding new ways that enable them all to stay with your organization!
These incentives allow employers like yourself more freedom when negotiating salaries with potential hires while simultaneously providing incentives for current employees who may be considering leaving dueling offers from other companies within reach.
In addition, doctor signing bonuses encourage loyalty among those already employed by an organization because these individuals know exactly how much effort goes into attracting good candidates and keeping them happy once hired.
2. Immediate Return on Investment
Doctor signing bonuses are a great way to provide an immediate return on investment.
Hiring can be expensive and time-consuming when you’re looking for new doctors.
Doctor signing bonuses can help lower these costs by reducing the time it takes for your organization to fill open positions and increasing productivity among existing staff members.
They also improve patient satisfaction by ensuring patients have access to their preferred physicians at all times, which will lead them to stay with your practice longer than they would otherwise.
Additionally, doctor signing bonuses provide an excellent ROI because they allow healthcare institutions like hospitals or medical practices to try hard to keep up with their competitors and maybe even get ahead of them.
3. Encourage Positive Hospital Culture and Increase Staff Morale
This bonus is an excellent way to motivate staff and increase their morale. The money can be used for anything, including continuing education, professional development, or even a vacation.
In addition to motivating your current employees, it also provides an incentive for new employees who may be considering positions at other hospitals or healthcare facilities.
This can help improve culture by attracting positive people who want to work in environments where they are appreciated and rewarded for their hard work.
How to Make Your Signing Bonus Matter
When considering whether to offer a doctor signing bonus, it’s important to be sure that the incentive will actually be meaningful for both parties.
Asking yourself these questions can help ensure that your doctor signing bonuses are going to matter:
- What does the physician get out of this?
- Does cash attract them alone, or would other incentives work better?
- How much must we pay for this physician’s services to be worth our investment?
- Is there another way we could invest our money more efficiently or effectively than through offering a cash payment up front (which may not even be tax deductible)?
- How much do we expect from this physician over time?
- What kind of return on investment would justify paying such an amount now versus later down the road?
Conclusion
For healthcare institutions, doctor signing bonuses can be a great way to incentivize providers to choose your facility over others in the area.
These bonuses are often offered as part of an employment agreement or contract between doctor and hospital that outlines what each party is expected to do for them both to benefit from their partnership.
According to Physicians Thrive, a financial planning helper to doctors, it’s important that physicians hire a professional to review their employment contract to ensure that compensation, including bonuses, is competitive.
The amount varies depending on factors like specialty and location. Still, it’s typically enough money for doctors not only to cover their relocation expenses but also to start their new position with a little cushion.
