Why Millennial and Gen Z Locum Tenens Physicians Could be Great for Your Healthcare Facility 

Physicians who are Millennials and even older members of GenZ are starting to make an impact on the healthcare industry: almost 24 percent (23.9 percent) of all physicians in the U.S. (and the District of Columbia) were under the age of 40 in 2020, making millennials (and even some older members of GenZ) the generation(s) practicing medicine in the U.S.  

Both generations place great value on work/life balance and actively seek it out when looking for work

What’s more, 40 percent of physicians surveyed who chose to work as locums said “autonomy and flexibility” were their primary reasons for doing so. 

It makes sense, then, that hospitals and healthcare facilities may want to seek out Millennial and Gen Z physicians to work as locums: they could be exceptionally eager to do so. 

Ideas to help make your hospital/healthcare facility “irresistible” to younger locum tenens professionals of all specialties:

Streamline your onboarding process

(A well-established locum tenens recruiting company can help you with this because it will find, vet and place talented locums for you quickly.) Ask your staffing partner to create a digital welcome packet for locums it sends your way that describes your on-site policies, quirks, benefits, etc.

Embrace medical technology of all kinds

From the latest in digital surgery tools, Health Information Technology, Electronic Medical Records, and more, work to ensure your facility has the tech younger locums have used…and now expect. 

Provide mentorship

Consider pairing your experienced staff physicians to guide and support the younger locum professionals. 

Generations may “clash.” Here’s how to handle them. 

Chances are great that younger locum physicians will get along well with your permanent team members, no matter their age. 

Still, it’s a good idea to: 

  • Educate permanent staff on the benefits locum physicians – particularly how they can help reduce burnout – bring to your facility. 
  • Make it easy for all professionals working with you – no matter their experience or age – to engage in knowledge exchanges with each other via lunch-and-learn sessions. 
  •  Encourage inclusivity with team-building activities that mix permanent/long-term staff with your locums. 

Attracting top-level Millennial and Gen Z locum talent

  1. Talk to an experienced locum recruiting company for access to the best locum candidates. 
  1. Create attractive/compelling job descriptions that highlight the benefits of working at your facility. 
  1. Develop a locum-welcoming culture via staff education regarding the benefits of locums. 

Bringing on younger locums can help your facility fix its staffing challenges while also injecting fresh talent into the system. You also may find future long-term hires among the young locums.  

Talk to us here at SUMO Staffing about finding terrific locum tenens healthcare professionals of all ages and specialties. We look forward to hearing from you.