Physiotherapist: What is the cost of hiring?

Why recruit a physiotherapist

Physiotherapists play an essential role in clinics, medical settings and hospitals, where they provide therapeutic treatment for patient injuries and muscularskeletal disorders.

Qualities of a great physiotherapist:

• Provide support for sports centres or in other environments where physical injuries are common.
• Give educational tools to patients to improve their fitness and wellbeing
• Diagnose and prescribe medical treatments.

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance physiotherapist

You may choose to recruit a physiotherapist on a locum or short-term contract basis. This might be a practical option for organisations hiring a physiotherapist to conduct health checks in the workplace or provide cover during busy periods. Locum physiotherapists can also help businesses cover employees who are on parental leave or long-term absences. It is important to have a clear handover process in place for your locum physiotherapist as well as a willingness by them to integrate with the team. For organisations looking for long-term cover, hiring a full-time physiotherapist may be a more suitable option.

What are the different types of physiotherapist?

Your health organisation may focus on specific physical health issues. If so, you may need to find a physiotherapist with the appropriate qualifications and experience. This could include child, geriatric, orthopaedic and neurology fields.

• Child physiotherapist: A child physiotherapist works with children who have conditions affecting gross motor development, gait and unexplained pain. They may also work in special education settings, recommending specialist equipment and accommodations such as walkers or standing frames.
• Geriatric physiotherapist: Geriatric physiotherapists provide tailored therapy for older patients. They work with conditions related to frailty, providing therapeutic tools to help older patients with mobility. Geriatric physiotherapists typically work within community care settings.
• Orthopaedic physiotherapist: These physiotherapists offer treatments for patients with physical trauma or preparing for planned surgery. Their duties may involve providing therapeutic treatments for life-threatening injuries or conditions generally affecting the musculoskeletal system.
• Neurological physiotherapy: Neurological physiotherapists provide treatment and care for patients whose motor function is impaired by neurological conditions. Their work can involve providing rehabilitation to patients with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease.

Where to find a physiotherapist

To find the right physiotherapist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Chartered physiotherapist directories: You might be able to find suitable physiotherapist candidates via The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy lists and directories. These listings can help organisations identify professionals with the appropriate accredited qualifications for the role.
• Specialist physiotherapy recruiters: Using a specialist physiotherapy recruiter can be particularly helpful when hiring for hard-to-fill or highly specialist roles. They can also help if you need to fill a position quickly.
• Attending medical conferences: Medical conferences can be a valuable way of networking with other healthcare professionals, including experienced physiotherapists. They also provide an opportunity to discuss work opportunities face-to-face with potential candidates.
• Advertising in medical journals: Advertising in medical journals can help an organisation’s recruiters to reach a wider audience and may attract candidates who keep up-to-date with the latest developments in medicine and physiotherapy.

Post your job online: Try posting your job for a physiotherapist on Indeed to find and attract quality physiotherapist candidates.

Skills to look for in a great physiotherapist

A great candidate for a physiotherapist role will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Ability to create tailored treatment plans for patients
• Confidence in educating patients and providing relevant resources
• Strong communication skills, with a respectful and empathetic approach to patient concerns
• Organisational skills for managing patient appointments and administrative tasks
• Attention to detail when assessing and diagnosing patients

Writing a physiotherapist job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified physiotherapist candidates. A physiotherapist job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your job description for a physiotherapist, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms resulting in clicks on jobs for psychiatrists, according to Indeed data:

• Physiotherapist
• Physiotherapy
• Band 5 physiotherapist
• MSK physiotherapist
• Sports therapist
• Physiotherapy assistant
• First contact physiotherapist
• Visa sponsorship NHS physiotherapist

Interviewing physiotherapy candidates

Strong candidates for physiotherapist positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Physiotherapy best practices
• Scientific research on patient treatment plans and therapeutic exercises
• Conflict resolution strategies regarding distressed patients
• Organisational strategies for handling high-pressure environments

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of physiotherapist interview questions for examples (with sample answers).