The Last 10 Years of Locum Tenens Recruiting: Why It’s Harder Than Ever

What Is Locum Tenens in Healthcare?

“Locum tenens” is a Latin phrase meaning “to hold the place of.” In healthcare, it refers to temporary physicians and providers who fill staffing gaps due to vacations, medical leaves, or chronic shortages. According to the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO), it’s a vital solution to maintain care continuity in today’s strained system.

From Growth to Complexity: The Evolution of Locum Tenens Since 2015

Over the past decade, the U.S. locum tenens market has grown rapidly—with over 50,000 physicians working locum assignments as of 2022, representing roughly 7% of all active U.S. physicians (Staffing Industry Analysts). But while the demand has grown, recruiting has become more difficult.

Why? Because scale has brought credentialing challenges, regulatory hurdles, and higher expectations—from both healthcare facilities and clinicians.

Key Recruiting Challenges in Locum Tenens (2015–2025)

1. More Demand, Less Supply: The Physician Shortage Crisis

The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. That shortage has made locum staffing essential, especially in underserved areas: over 70% of assignments occur in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) (CHG Healthcare).

2. Credentialing and Licensing Are Slowing Everything Down

Moving physicians across state lines requires juggling multiple licenses, privileging rules, background checks, and payer credentialing. Even top-tier agencies now invest in automated credentialing platforms like Axuall to meet healthcare organizations’ growing scrutiny.

3. Costs Are Rising—Fast

Locum staffing rates surged during the pandemic and have remained significantly elevated. In 2025, staffing costs are projected to increase another 7%—driven by inflation, retention bonuses, and talent scarcity (Amwins).

4. More Players, More Competition

The market has seen consolidation and crowding. Companies like CHG Healthcare acquired Locumsmart and Global Medical Staffing, while hundreds of smaller agencies entered the space. Standing out now requires speed, data, and precision, not just a Rolodex.

5. Hospitals Want More Than a Warm Body

Today’s facilities want locum providers who:

Are board-certified
Understand their EHR system
Have experience in similar care settings

This has raised the bar for recruiters to deliver highly qualified matches—not just fast fills.

6. Digital Tools Bring New Risks

Vendor Management Systems (VMS), AI-based recruiting tools, and online credentialing platforms improve workflow—but they also raise cybersecurity, data integrity, and compliance risks. Agencies must now manage tech stack security as carefully as they manage provider relationships.

Data-Powered Recruiting: How Alpha Sophia Helps Agencies Thrive

In an increasingly complex recruiting landscape, tools like Alpha Sophia are transforming how locum tenens agencies operate.

Instead of guessing who might be open to work, Alpha Sophia helps you:

✅ Target the Right Providers

Using real-world billing and CPT data, Alpha Sophia identifies which physicians actively perform relevant procedures—so you can prioritize highly active, locum-ready candidates.

✅ Identify Multi-State Licensure & Activity

See where a provider is billing across state lines, helping you infer license portability and openness to travel—without waiting for license lookup tools.

✅ Segment by Care Setting and Specialty

Need anesthesiologists in rural HPSAs or OB/GYNs with surgical privileges? Alpha Sophia lets you filter by site-of-care, procedure type, and patient mix, with claims-backed precision.

✅ Upload Lists for Instant Enrichment

Got a cold list of resumes or former candidates? Upload it, and Alpha Sophia will enrich it with updated affiliations, procedures, and specialties—saving hours of research time.

✅ Align Recruiters with Data

Alpha Sophia isn’t just for sourcers. Business development, credentialing teams, and even client success reps can use it to de-risk recruiting decisions and improve speed-to-fill.

The Bottom Line: It’s Tougher, But Smarter Agencies Will Win

The locum tenens market has matured—from a quick staffing fix to a strategic placement discipline requiring technology, compliance, and precise targeting.

Agencies that embrace modern tools like Alpha Sophia—and adapt to credentialing rigor, cost pressure, and clinical expectations—will be better equipped to scale, compete, and deliver on today’s higher standards.