A short coaching video by Will Humphreys for physical therapy practice owners about improving hiring outcomes by changing messaging and positioning. The video argues that larger PT groups win hires because they have professionalized recruiting, and proposes the S.U.E. method—Scarcity, Urgency, Exclusivity—to make small practices appear more desirable. Practical examples include phrasing to emphasize limited openings, being transparent that multiple candidates are interviewed, and offering an authentic “inside track” to qualified, value-aligned candidates.
Chapters
Are you a physical therapy practice owner who's having a hard time closing your physical therapists when you're hiring? Are you a small practice owner who looks at these large groups and feels like you're losing potential hires to them and you don't really understand why? Well, today I'm going to talk a little bit about why those larger groups are more successful at hiring your pts away from you and the good thing that you can do to totally change that so that you're taking the pts and and you stand out as the premier choice for anyone looking to work as a physical therapist. So the larger groups, they have a much more dialed in process in recruiting. None of us as physical therapy owners were taught how to hire pts, but the people in those larger companies, they hire experts and train people on how to grab attention, how to sell their company and convert them into hires. That is why they're so much better at it, despite the fact that they have multiple locations. So when it comes down to it, you as a smaller private practice owner have so much more to offer, but it's getting lost in the messaging to your physical therapists. And there's lots of things we can talk about, but in today's discussion, I want to highlight the main thing that you can implement immediately that will reverse that experience, that you're hiring pts right away. We're going to talk about a concept called using sue. Sue is an acronym that stands for scarcity, urgency, exclusivity. What do I mean by that? Well, most physical therapy practice owners, myself included, when we start recruiting, we're very desperate and unfortunately that totally comes across. So when we're in discussions with physical therapists, we give them all the power and as a result, they feel like they can do whatever it is that they want, which isn't a bad thing. But if we're not messaging things appropriately, we're undermining the value and the power of what we bring to the table. So most PT owners, when they talk to physical therapists, it's like, yes, I need two more physical therapists. I think you'd be great. Here's what I can do for you. When in actuality we want to reverse that experience to where the physical therapist we're interviewing thinks the truth, which is that we are an amazing opportunity and that they would be lucky to be able to work for you. Now, how do we do that? Well, the first thing is to not be so desperate and to realize that we are an amazing company owner. So we want to create scarcity. Using that example, I Just mentioned, if you have two openings in your practice, instead of saying, yep, we need to hire two more therapists, we can say, we only have two more openings available. That creates some scarcity. And it is the truth. You only have two openings. Especially if you've had a history of retaining physical therapists, this is something that can stand out and draw their attention. The urgency is a matter of being really transparent. So if you're interviewing multiple people, be transparent and say, I am interviewing multiple people or five people at the moment. And I will tell you, the first two that align with our values who qualify for the position are likely going to be the two that I hire first. That's how you can create that urgency, is by letting them know that you're ready to hire now, that you only have two openings, and that you're talking to multiple candidates now, here's a bonus tip I'll share with you in that same interview. After I create that urgency, I make it seem like I'm giving them a special offer. And I only do this when it's authentic. But I would lean in and say, now, look, I'm really hoping you'll qualify. I know we can provide an experience for you that is going to be exactly what you're looking for. And I am confident we are going to love having you be a part of our family team. So please do whatever you can to qualify. It's almost like I'm giving them an inside track into being a part of my team. And it goes from being exclusive and cold to being exclusive. And yeah, I think you're going to love it. Let's hurry up and have you do this. So remember, using sue is a way to create a change in the paradigm so that they feel like there's something even more special about your clinic, which is true. Those larger physical therapy companies, they have tons of openings all the time. You only have two openings in that example, and you're looking to grow very specifically for the right value aligned person. Listen to the language I'm using, creating that urgency, exclusivity. And so as we talk to our physical therapist, we can still be kind and talk about the things we can do for them. We just want to be clear that what we have is special and that they would be lucky to be a part of our team. What else do you do when you're hiring physical therapists to get them to close and be a part of your team? I'd love for you to add that into the comments below. Thank you. Until next time.
