Written by the Summit Professional Education Team, experts in continuing education for healthcare and allied professionals
Staffing has become the defining challenge for outpatient physical and occupational therapy clinics. Amid growing patient demand, workforce shortages, and increasing competition, clinic owners must rethink how they attract, engage, and retain top clinical talent. The old playbook—offering competitive pay and assuming loyalty—no longer suffices. Today’s therapists are looking for more: alignment with values, opportunities for growth, and environments that support their well-being.
This shift in expectations requires a shift in strategy. Attracting top talent is not about outbidding competitors—it’s about becoming a clinic where great therapists want to work. It starts with a clear, compelling Employer Value Proposition (EVP): a concise answer to the question, “Why should a great therapist choose you?”
Too many clinics lead with vague promises of “supportive culture” or “great team.” While those are important, they are table stakes. A strong EVP is specific, evidence-based, and aligned with what clinicians actually value. These often include autonomy in practice, access to advanced training, clear career pathways, and a manageable patient load that allows for quality care.
Autonomy is particularly critical. Therapists want to feel trusted. They want clinical guidelines, not corporate scripts. They want room to think, adapt, and engage. Clinics that support autonomy—within a framework of shared accountability—tend to attract therapists who are both more innovative and more committed.
Equally important is development. Therapists are looking for careers, not just jobs. A structured plan for onboarding, ongoing CE, mentorship, and advancement signals that a clinic is invested in its people. It says: We don’t just want you here—we want you to grow here.
This is where many clinics falter. CE is offered sporadically, mentoring is informal at best, and career progression is either unclear or nonexistent. Correcting this doesn’t require a massive budget—it requires clarity, consistency, and follow-through. Even a simple professional development framework—one that outlines skill-building milestones, training options, and leadership pathways—can set a clinic apart.
Retention, meanwhile, hinges on culture. Not culture as a buzzword, but culture as lived experience. Do therapists feel safe to speak up? Do they have time to do good work? Do they feel seen and supported by leadership? These are the questions that matter.
Burnout is not just an individual issue—it’s a systems issue. When therapists are rushed, isolated, or denied agency, they disengage. The best clinics are those that remove friction, reduce noise, and reinforce purpose. They structure schedules to allow for documentation time. They invest in team-based care. They celebrate wins and normalize struggle. They create space for feedback—and act on it.
Retention is also about fit. Not every great therapist is right for every clinic. A sports-focused practice will appeal to different candidates than a pediatric neuro clinic. That’s not a problem—it’s a strategy. The more clearly a clinic articulates its niche, its values, and its expectations, the more likely it is to attract the right people.
Recruitment, too, should reflect this clarity. Job postings should describe more than duties—they should paint a picture of what it’s like to work there. What does a typical week look like? What support is offered? How are successes measured? What kind of therapist thrives here? This level of specificity attracts interest and filters out misalignment.
Partnerships also matter. Clinics can develop relationships with universities, residency programs, and CE providers to create a pipeline of new talent. Hosting students, precepting residents, or offering specialty training creates visibility and builds goodwill.
Technology can assist, but not replace, this process. Applicant tracking systems can streamline hiring, but only if the underlying job is attractive. Digital CE platforms can facilitate learning, but only if learning is prioritized. Surveys can measure engagement, but only if action follows. The tools matter—but mindset matters more.
Leadership, in this context, is everything. Owners and directors set the tone. When they are visible, accountable, and values-driven, teams respond. When they invest in their people—not just with dollars, but with time and attention—they earn trust. And trust, in the end, is what keeps therapists around.
The broader opportunity here is differentiation. Most clinics look alike from the outside. Same services, same credentials, same marketing claims. But inside, the best clinics feel different. They feel alive. Therapists talk to each other. Patients feel cared for. There’s laughter, purpose, and pride. That difference is culture—and it’s the most powerful recruitment and retention tool there is.
We must also acknowledge that staffing is a strategic lever, not just an operational one. The right team drives outcomes. It powers growth. It reduces rework, improves morale, and enables innovation. Underinvesting in people is a false economy.
Instead, smart clinics are asking deeper questions. Who are we building this team for? What do we want our therapists to say about us at the end of a hard week? What would make this the best job they’ve ever had? These questions lead to better answers—and better teams.
In conclusion, staffing success is not about hiring faster or paying more. It’s about leading with clarity, investing with purpose, and building an environment where clinicians can thrive. When you get that right, everything else follows—referrals, reputation, results.
The future belongs to clinics that understand this. That view therapists not as line items, but as leaders. That design systems not for control, but for empowerment. That treat staffing not as a problem to solve, but as the solution to everything else.
About Summit Professional Education
Summit equips Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and SLPs with better continuing education courses that provide CEUs while impacting patient outcomes. Find high-quality on-demand CE along with the largest offering of live options — including live webinars, live streams, and in-person courses. Want to deep dive on a topic? Summit offers hundreds of 6-hour courses for the most in-depth learning!