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Physician and executive recruitment coordinators help ensure that potential staff members experience the best of Mayo Clinic during the recruitment and interview process. Learn why they frequently replace their shoes, what they would look for in a new colleague, and what they'd call themselves if they were a band.

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Mayo Clinic is a team of teams — many teams. So many that it's impossible to know what each of them does. This column asks teams throughout Mayo how they contribute to patient care and support colleagues throughout the organization.          

The Physician Recruitment and Licensure Team at Mayo Clinic in Florida was launched under the site's Joy Initiative in 2019.

"The team was developed to offload work from physicians and their assistants, increase joy and provide concierge services to all physician, scientist and C-level executive candidates," says Carey Deacon, director, Medical Operations Support and Physician Recruitment and Licensure Team in Florida.

In the years since, the team has managed over 1,200 recruitments.

"Bringing in candidates to support our Bold. Forward. strategy to innovate and transform healthcare is vital," says Joe Ventenilla, a physician and executive recruitment coordinator.

It's also fun.

"I adore working with my supervisor and teammates and enjoy meeting new people — both current staff and candidates — along the way," he says.

In the future, he may find himself on the other side of the recruitment experience.

"I'm in the process of applying to medical school," Ventenilla says.

Below, Ventenilla shares how he and his colleagues create a Ritz-Carlton recruitment experience for potential Mayo staff members.

Tell us about your team. What is it your team does?

Our team partners with leadership from each division/department to provide internal and external physician, scientist and executive candidates with a Category-of-One recruitment experience. Additionally, we assist physicians with their medical licenses by maintaining expert knowledge of licensing requirements, and providing virtual and at-the-elbow support for renewals.

How do you spend most of your day?

Coordinating complex itineraries for virtual and in-person interviews requires quite a bit of email, Teams messages, calls and the occasional miracle. During an in-person interview day, we are typically the first and last person candidates interact with. We provide tours, assist with presentations, and are extremely methodical in adhering to the schedule. We think and prep several steps ahead, so while changes to the schedule are common (and frequently last-minute), we have become experts in pivoting, so it appears as if not one beat was skipped.

What might surprise people about the work your team does?

Escorting a candidate during their in-person-interview days can be physically taxing. Our team of six has accounted for approximately 1,000 miles worth of steps during the workweeks from Q1–Q3. In Florida heat. That translates to several pairs of shoes and trips to the dry cleaners. 

Everyone at Mayo contributes to caring for patients. How does your team do that?

By providing an unparalleled recruitment experience to attract top talent, we accelerate Mayo Clinic’s primary value in treating and curing complex diseases.

You're going to hire a new team member. Describe your ideal candidate.

Someone with high-level attention to detail and the ability to balance and prioritize multiple tasks. They must also be a foodie or at least open to expanding their palate.

What is a recent team success that you're proud of?

In 2023, we have coordinated 223 interviews to date and have assisted in the hiring of five Florida division/department chairs and one enterprise department chair. In 2022, we helped implement a Physician Recruitment Office team at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Christina Zorn (Mayo's chief administrative officer) recognized our team’s efforts during the Florida All-Staff Meeting this past March, stating that it is truly a flagship program.

If your team was a band, what would it be called?

PRL Jam or Earth, Wind and Hire, depending on the mood and setting.

If you had to describe your team’s work in six words, what would your six-word story be?

The Ritz-Carlton experience … of recruitment.