Every hospital recruitment team aims to recruit for retention. However, when it comes to locum tenens physicians, recruiting to retain may look a little different. While some locums physicians may be looking for a permanent full-time position, others prefer locum tenens for several reasons—more autonomy over their schedule, the ability to work part-time, or because it’s better for their work-life balance. 

Building long-term partnerships with locums providers who can return to your facility repeatedly creates consistent coverage and continuity of care, without a permanent commitment—which may be more sustainable and convenient for both locums physicians and medical facilities.

Why should hospitals hire a locum instead of searching for a full-time physician?

It’s not an either-or proposition. Locums can help you try different physicians on for size while searching for permanent candidates. 

“It benefits facilities to meet the provider and see how well they integrate in the department and the local community before making a commitment,” said Cameron Lyle, Vice President of Sales. “The weight of the search and all of the logistics are on the locums agency. All the facility has to do is decide whether to bring them in and see if they are a good fit.”

In this way, locums can function as a kind of extended interview process. 

If the locums provider is a good fit, you can choose to continue working with them. This works both ways—providers also get the chance to experience your facility’s culture and community firsthand, ensuring it’s the right environment for their expertise. Locums is about building the right partnership from day one. 

What are the benefits of locums retention vs. permanent conversion?

Locums creates space for both sides to build confidence in the partnership—facilities can see how providers integrate with their teams, while providers can assess whether your facility offers the type of environment they’re looking for. 

“Having a locums provider in place for 3-6 months to see how everyone is working together and how the provider works with the local community is more cost-effective than bringing in someone new and signing a 3-year contract, all for it to not work out in the end,” said Lyle.

Hiring a full-time physician who doesn’t end up fitting the culture of a hospital facility can turn out to cost more than a facility originally expected. With locums, you have the opportunity to try different candidates to see what kinds of personalities and skill sets are the best fit for your facility.

Locums also allows you to maintain consistent patient care while waiting for vacancies to be filled. And in a long-term relationship with a locums physician, you gain reliable, high-quality coverage from providers who already know your processes. 

What strategies can hospitals use to build long-term relationships with locums providers?

Offering greater flexibility and a competitive income are two ways hospitals can attract locums physicians. However, making them feel like they are part of a team is what keeps locum tenens providers coming back long-term.

Most physicians are looking for locums assignments that provide professional growth, work-life balance, and a reliable income. A facility that prioritizes those aspects may appeal more to locum tenens providers. 

A survey conducted by the National Library of Medicine found that there are several strategies effective at retaining locums physicians:

  • Educational Opportunities: Locums providers aren’t just looking for short-term work—they’re looking for meaningful professional growth and development.
  • Clinical support and mentorship: Having a supportive system of medical teams to rely on helps attract and retain locums physicians—especially when they have a chance to get to know the practice before arriving.
  • Flexibility and work-life balance: Accommodating family needs and work-life balance are a big part of why providers are attracted to locum tenens, so a facility that is willing to be flexible to those needs may have an easier time recruiting and retaining locums physicians.

Another key strategy for locums retention? Good communication. Establishing clear expectations with locums agencies is the key to building long-term relationships.

“What makes [placements] successful is the open communication between the facility, the provider, and the locums agency,” Lyle said. “Everyone needs to be on the same page in order for the assignment to be successful.”

Retaining locums providers requires a holistic approach. When facilities invest in making locums physicians feel valued, they can transform short-term assignments into long-term partnerships. 

Hiring a locums physician doesn’t mean sacrificing consistency and continuity of care. By investing in locums physicians, facilities position themselves to build long-term relationships with dependable providers, all while continuing to provide quality care for their patients.