Standards of Ethical Recruiting Practice

Overwhelmingly, the number one reason members cite for joining NAPR is its high ethical standards. NAPR's Ten Commandments and Code of Ethics govern the manner by which each of our member organizations fulfills its obligations to other NAPR members, clients, clinicians and the general public, positively distinguishing NAPR members and reflecting our commitment to fulfill the needs of those for whom we provide service with honesty, objectivity, integrity, quality and competency.

NAPR's Ten Commandments

NAPR's 10 Commandments embody the recruiting best practices that distinguishes its members from others in the industry.

1. NAPR members shall only refer a candidate to a client after receiving permission from both the candidate and client.
2. NAPR members shall accept placement fees only from clients with whom they have signed agreements.
3. NAPR members shall comply with all federal, state and local laws.
4. NAPR members shall preserve all confidences of the candidate and client.
5. NAPR members must compete in a fair and honorable manner.
6. NAPR members must honor all contractual agreements.
7. NAPR members shall maintain regular contact with candidate and client for the purposes of updating and consummating the placement (Procuring Cause).
8. NAPR members shall withdraw a referred candidate's name immediately upon learning that another recruiter has previously and properly referred the candidate.
9. NAPR members shall present only thoroughly screened candidates to clients.
10. NAPR members, when clearing a candidate's name with a client, must immediately (by end of next business day) submit the candidate's Curriculum Vitae to the client.

NAPR's Code of Ethics (as revised March 2020)

The NAPR Code of Ethics is the principles and standards NAPR members agree to as a condition of membership. It represents the manner by which each of our organizations fulfills its obligations to other NAPR members, clients, clinicians and the general public and serves to positively distinguish NAPR members, reflecting the pride of our commitment to fulfill the needs of those for whom we provide service.

NAPR recognizes as professionals all individuals who provide physician recruiting and other healthcare services whether they recruit for clients or for their own organizations. NAPR stresses honesty, objectivity, integrity, quality and competency. Members of NAPR are obligated to conduct business in a manner which reflects positively on the profession and the association. 

• Use the quick reference guide below to view canons by topic or view a full version of NAPR Code of Ethics (printable) 
• File an Ethics Complaint

I. PREAMBLE

The Code of Ethics is the principles and standards we, of the National Association of Physician Recruiters, have agreed to as a condition of Membership. Our commitments, actions and Professional Conduct are reflected in the following Code. The Code represents the manner by which each of our organizations fulfills its obligations to other Members, the general public, Clients, and Candidates. The establishment of these rules of conduct is to positively distinguish our Members and to reflect the pride of our commitment to fulfill the needs of those for whom we provide service.

The National Association of Physician Recruiters recognizes as professionals all individuals who provide physician recruiting and other healthcare staffing-related services whether they recruit for clients or for their own organizations. The NAPR stresses honesty, objectivity, integrity, quality and competency. Members of NAPR are obligated to conduct business in a manner, which reflects positively on the profession and their Association.

II. GENERAL

The National Association of Physician Recruiters was established in 1984 to create and enforce the industry standards, which govern the orderly and practical application of its standards within our industry. NAPR’s goal is to establish and maintain clear and effective parameters of behavior for all individuals affected by the industry.

The following Code of Ethics is divided into various sections intended for clarity and organization. Whether or not they are expressly stated and repeated in each section, the principles outlined in each section apply uniformly to all Members as well as those with whom our Members interact.

III. DEFINITIONS

1. Affiliate: Any organization whose governance, control or voting influence represents common ownership of at least five percent of the related company.
2. Appeal: That part of the investigative process which follows the Ethics Committee’s decision which allows the Respondent further review of the facts by the Board of Directors.
3. Artificial Intelligence Recruiting:  The use of Artificial Intelligence technology during the screening, recruiting, and hiring procedures to automate various aspects of the recruitment process, to better match Candidates and Clients.
4. Board of Directors: The Board of Directors of the National Association of Physician Recruiters.
5. Breach of Contract: The failure to observe the terms of a written or oral agreement.
6. Candidate: An individual who contacts an NAPR Member, or who is contacted by an NAPR Member, for the purpose of securing for him or her a practice or employment opportunity.
7. Chairperson, Ethics Committee: An individual from an NAPR member organization who chairs meetings of the Ethics Committee and who is appointed by the NAPR President.
8. Client: Any organization which contracts with an NAPR Member to recruit or which utilizes paid services provided by an NAPR Member.
9. Code: The National Association of Physician Recruiters Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
10. Complainant: A person or organization who files a Complaint alleging a violation of the Code.
11. Complaint: A charge by a Complainant alleging a violation(s) of the Code. Those disputes, which arise from the dissolution of some formal or informal relationship, will be excluded from consideration as an Ethics Complaint.
12. Curriculum Vitae: A summary of a candidate’s personal history and professional qualifications.
13. DBA: abbreviation for "doing business as," representing that a person or entity is conducting business in a name other than the registered name of their organization or corporation.
14. Ethics Committee: An independent committee, consisting of a minimum of five (5) active Members, in good standing, which adjudicates Complaints filed with the Committee.
15. Ethics Committee Investigator: That Member of the Ethics Committee assigned by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee to gather and evaluate all relevant information about a specific Complaint filed with the Committee.
16. Financial Relationship: A relationship with a Client in which any or all of the agreed upon fee or service contract is paid prior to the placement of a Candidate or in which the Client has contractually (oral or written) agreed to reimburse the Firm for any or all costs associated with the search.
17. In-house Recruiter: An individual who is employed by a healthcare entity or contract management firm wherein his or her professional activities are in full or part involved in the placement of physicians, administrators or healthcare providers for their own organization.
18. Member: An organization or Recruiting Firm which is a Member of NAPR. A Member in good standing is one which incorporates the foregoing as well as whose Membership dues and/or other financial obligations to the NAPR are paid on a timely basis; which is not currently under sanction for any Code violation of Probation, Suspension or Expulsion; and which is not in arrears for payments for any financial obligations due the Association.
19. NAPR: The National Association of Physician Recruiters.
20. NAPR Services: That Subsidiary of the NAPR which oversees and administers NAPR candidate sourcing programs or general programs as assigned by the NAPR Board of Directors offered to Members in good standing.
21. NAPR Subsidiary: Any company in which NAPR owns or controls all or a majority of the corporate shares.
22. Network: A group of interconnected Members or a system of interconnected or cooperating individuals or entities in the field of physician recruitment or its related businesses.
23. Password: A unique and confidential series of characters selected by the User that a User must enter to gain access to the NAPR website, the World Job Bank, or another NAPR protected site or service. The Password is linked to the person’s Username and may be utilized only by the authorized User.
24. Placement: The successful effort by a Member to find employment and/or a practice for a healthcare Candidate.
25. Placement Fee: A previously agreed upon amount of money owed by a Client following a written offer by the Client and written acceptance of that offer by a Candidate.
26. Potential Client: Any organization which contemplates contracting with an NAPR Member to recruit or which contemplates contracting for paid services provided by an NAPR Member.
27. President: Chief elected officer of NAPR.
28. Procuring or Substantial Cause: A continuous series of events which substantially contributes to a placement. The concept of Procuring Cause is strongly supported by the NAPR as a means of rewarding the Procuring Agent (see below) for his or her efforts relating to a placement. Procuring Cause constitutes the activities required as a standard of performance which comprehensively supports the best interests of both the hiring entity and the candidate.
29. Procuring Agent:  An individual who sets in motion a continuous series of events which substantially contribute to a placement.
30. Professional Conduct:  A desirable pattern of commonly accepted behavior within our industry utilized in the deportment of, actions by and communications with other individuals or organizations utilized in the course of conducting one’s business or personal relationships.
31. Recruiter: An individual whose professional activities are in full or part involved in the placement of physicians, administrators or healthcare providers for their own or other organizations.
32. Recruiting Firm (Firm): A for-profit company whose professional activities are in full or part involved In the placement of physicians, administrators or healthcare providers.
33. Referral: A Candidate requested by an organization or another firm or a Candidate presented in writing by an NAPR Member to an organization or another firm seeking to recruit.
34. Respondent: An organization, Firm, or individual Member, which has allegedly violated the Code of Ethics.
35. Right of Representation: A mutually signed document which ascribes the right of the recruiting organization to represent the Candidate on an exclusive basis provided the agreement does not abrogate any provisions of the Code of Ethics.
36. Ruse: A trick or scheme for achieving some purpose.
37. Split-fee Arrangement: The practice of dividing a placement fee between two or more Recruiting Firms.
38. Subsidiary: Another company controlled by a Member company or NAPR which owns all or a majority of its shares.
39. Unsolicited Referral: A Referral of a Candidate to a Client or other Recruiting Firm which has not been requested by that Client or other Recruiting Firm.
40. User: An entity which is an active Member, in good standing, with the NAPR which is authorized to use NAPR Programs and which performs physician recruitment or other healthcare staffing-related services on a regular or part-time basis.
41. User Agreement: Legally binding contract between the NAPR and a Member organization outlining the terms and conditions of use for the NAPR Program(s) in which the Member is participating.
42. Username: The confidential name that identifies a User to a computer network; used in conjunction with a Password to establish the User’s right to access the NAPR website or any NAPR secured site; also called Account Name or User ID.
43. Vendor: A Member of the NAPR, with limited Membership benefits, which sells or promotes products or services in part to the NAPR or its Members.
44. World Job Bank: A subscriber only, Password secured area of the NAPR website that provides Users with a venue to list practice opportunities for review by physicians, healthcare providers and administrators and which also allows those registrants to post their Curriculum Vitae for review by Users.

IV. ETHICAL RULES

 A. Relations with Clients and Potential Clients

 1. A Member shall reasonably fulfill all agreements made with anyone with whom they conduct business or wish to conduct business.

 2. A Member shall preserve all confidences of a Client or a Potential Client regarding information concerning business practices of the Client, unless expressly directed by the Client to reveal such confidences.

 3. A Member shall not make disparaging remarks about competitors or competing opportunities, or knowingly make a false statement of fact, to a Client or another Member or non-Member. A Member shall state to the Client, as accurately as possible, a Candidate’s employment history, qualifications and all pertinent data released by the Candidate (Curriculum Vitae).

 4. A Member shall not make an unsolicited referral. A Member shall not present or refer, either in person, or by Curriculum Vitae or by name, a Candidate to a Client, a Potential Client or another Firm except at the request of the Client or Firm and only if the Candidate’s Curriculum Vitae is identified in writing, and only with the Candidate’s knowledge and permission; however, a Member may refer a Candidate to multiple opportunities if the Candidate has given the Member expressed permission to do so, after discussing the opportunities with the Candidate. But in no case shall a Member present the Candidate’s credentials, through any medium, to locations beyond the specified Clients.

 5. A Member shall thoroughly examine a Candidate’s education, employment history and qualifications before referring such Candidate to a Client, a Potential Client or another Firm unless the Client, Potential Client, Candidate, or Firm has requested otherwise, and shall refer a Candidate to them only if the Candidate generally possesses the qualifications designated by the above mentioned and the Candidate expresses an interest in the opportunity.

 6. A Member shall negotiate all financial arrangements with a Client or a Potential Client or another Recruiting Firm prior to any formal agreement and shall memorialize such agreement, in writing, to include, but not limited to, all conditions under which a fee may be incurred, the amount of the fee due and the terms of payment. However, an oral agreement between entities may, in some cases, be valid if irrefutable proof of this relationship can be demonstrated. Such proof may be an ongoing history of activities which demonstrate the fulfillment of the terms of the oral agreement.

 7. A Member shall not initiate the performance of services for a Client if:

 a. the performance of services results in or could result in a violation of this Code or of any applicable law;

 b. the Member learns that the Client has used the Member’s services in the past to commit actions that violate this Code or of any applicable law;

 c. the condition prevents the Member from performing full and fair services for a Client.

 8. A Member shall comply with all federal, state and local laws.

 9. A Member shall conduct its business with any Client or Potential Client utilizing reasonable standards of Professional Conduct.

 10. A Member shall refrain from using tactics, lying or materially altering information which fundamentally modifies the information to bring about an outcome not reasonably possible had the data not been altered.

 11. A Member shall disclose any prior personal/business or financial relationships between a Recruiter and a Candidate to avoid any possible conflict of interest.

 12. A Member shall accept as assignments only situations where the Client has formally agreed to a defined level of service.

 13. A Member shall maintain regular contact with Candidate and Client for the purposes of updating and consummating the agreed upon service.

 14. A Member shall not claim as proprietary unscreened Candidates distributed for the purpose of securing a fee.

 15. A Member shall accurately represent a Candidate's education, skills and abilities when presenting such information to another person or entity.

 16. A Member shall not utilize a Right of Representation document to supersede another organization’s properly made prior Referral.

 17. A Member shall withdraw a referred Candidate's name immediately upon learning that another Recruiter has previously and properly referred the Candidate.

 18. A Member shall not, in the course of making a placement, attempt to coerce a Client or Candidate.

 19. A Member shall accept the information provided by a Client at face value, with clarifications as necessary to understand and accurately portray that information to prospective Candidates. The burden of information verification lies with prospective Candidates.

 B. Relations with Candidates

1.  A Member shall never accept Placement Fees or payments from Candidates.
2.  A Member shall not knowingly make a false statement or representation to a Candidate and shall state to a Candidate as accurately as possible the pertinent information concerning prospective opportunities.
3.  A Member shall not present a Candidate’s name or Curriculum Vitae to a Client, a Potential Client or any other person, Recruiter or entity except with the consent of the Candidate and after full disclosure of the Client, person, Recruiter or entity or other Firm’s name and location.
4.  Firms will not fax, e-mail or otherwise distribute the Curriculum Vitae of any Candidates (Candidate) without a prior contractual agreement with a Client, Potential Client or Firm. Regardless of the contractual relationship, no Curriculum Vitae shall be distributed without first “clearing” the Candidate’s name; that is, that the Client acknowledges that the Candidate is not previously known to the Client, Potential Client or Firm or is not active in the recruitment process at the time the Recruiting Firm introduces the Candidate. A name need not be “cleared” with a Client, Potential Client or Firm, if during initial discussions active Candidates have been identified or the organization has agreed in writing to accept all referred Candidates.
1.  A name may not be “cleared” for the purpose of subsequently blocking a proper referral by another firm.
2.  A firm clearing a name must, upon Client acceptance of that name by the Client, immediately (by end of next business day) submit the candidate’s credentials and/or Curriculum Vitae to the Client. Failure to submit this information within the proscribed time period will invalidate the referral.
5.  A Member which has a financial relationship with a Client shall not recruit or attempt to recruit a Candidate from them while this financial relationship exists and for a period of one (1) year following the last placement with the Client (excluding interns, residents, or fellows in training) unless the Candidate has previously notified the Client of his or her intent to seek another position. Notwithstanding an existing contract (contingency or retainer), if no candidate referrals have been made to the Client for a period of 12 consecutive months, then, for the purposes of this section, a Candidate recruited from said Client will not be a violation of the Code of Ethics.
6.  A Member shall not refer a Candidate to a Client, Potential Client or another Firm whose business practices are known to be violative of the Code or of any applicable law.
7.  A Member shall not Ruse Candidates, Clients or other persons and shall not impersonate Candidates or Clients.
1.  If a Member has a retainer relationship with a Client and said Client asks the Member to source for potential Candidates in the name of the Client, the firm may do so without incurring a Code of Ethics’ violation if the sourcing activity has clearly been approved by the Client.
8.  A Member shall preserve all confidences of the Candidate.
9.  A Member shall not make disparaging remarks about competing practices or knowingly make a false statement or misrepresentation to a Candidate.
10.  A Member shall conduct its business with any Candidate or potential Candidate utilizing standards of Professional Conduct.
11.  A Member shall maintain as confidential all information provided by the Candidate and may only use this information for the purpose of assisting the Candidate with finding a job or practice opportunity.
12.  A Member shall not make disparaging remarks about any Candidate.
13.  A Member shall not coerce, intimidate or alter or attempt to alter a Candidate’s decision in a manner which compromises acceptable professional behavior. (See also IV, A. 18.)
14.  A Member must receive permission to refer the Candidate’s information, verbally or in writing, prior to making a referral.
15. A Member using Artificial Intelligence shall take precautions to avoid biased or discriminatory evaluations and practices during the screening and recruiting process and shall safely maintain sensitive information to avoid misuse.

 C. Candidate’s Relations with Recruiters (Recommended):

1.  A Candidate should provide references and credentials that are complete and factual.
2.  A Candidate should provide data from the National Practitioner Data Bank upon request.
3.  A Candidate should acknowledge whether he or she has already been presented to a Client's opportunity.
4.  A Candidate should be prepared to cooperate with appropriate parties by acknowledging which Recruiter referred him or her to the position in question, including who set up the interview and assisted with interview arrangements.
5.  A Candidate should be prepared to give timely and complete feedback regarding interviews to both the Client and Recruiter.
6.  A Candidate should report to the NAPR any violation or infraction of the NAPR Code of Ethics.
7.  A Candidate should require that Recruiters present accurate and complete information regarding practice opportunities.
8.  A Candidate should be honest with the Recruiter in all communication and be responsive in a timely manner.
9. A candidate should be willing to participate in any NAPR investigation (conducted by the Ethics Committee) that they are involved in and be responsive to the investigators.
10. A Candidate should immediately notify the Recruiter if he or she has accepted a job not represented by the Recruiter. 

 D. Advertising, Marketing and Other Communications

 1. A Member shall not in the course of its advertising, marketing, or other communications make a false or misleading statement about its organization, Firm or services, or about another organization or its services.

 a. Including, but not limited to those listed below, a statement will be considered false if:

 i. It contains a material misrepresentation that violates the spirit of the Code of Ethics or omits a fact which would make the statement as a whole or in part misleading or inaccurate;

 ii. It is likely to create an unjustified expectation about the results the Member can achieve, or states or implies promised results, which, if achieved, will violate the Code or any applicable law;

 iii. It makes a comparison of the Member with another Member or with any entity that cannot be factually substantiated.

 2. No Member or its representatives shall knowingly or unknowingly misrepresent or malign the National Association of Physician Recruiters or its Members.

 3. A Member that lists potential employment opportunities in any online or print media or in direct mail contact with a Candidate shall ensure that such opportunities in fact exist at the time of making such listing. Furthermore, should a Member learn that said employment opportunity no longer exists then that opportunity must no longer be presented in any form to Candidates. Reasonable effort must be made to delete any practice descriptions or jobs, which are no longer active.

 4. An NAPR Member who owns, is affiliated with, or is related to a person or entity which markets or wishes to market services or products to the NAPR Membership other than physician recruitment including but not limited to a job board, web hosting, software, licensure services, financial services, insurance or malpractice services, travel services, surveys, newsletters or networks and/or alliances, must notify NAPR headquarters. The entity communicating with NAPR Members must also identify themselves by the name with which they joined NAPR.

a. Additionally, no Candidate registered with any NAPR Candidate Sourcing Programs or any future Member service, may be contacted by the Member for any purpose other than to present practice opportunities (jobs).

 5. The World Job Bank, NAPR Programs or any future Member service involving Candidates are offered to participants for the sole purpose of presenting each organization's practice opportunities to registered Candidates. These Member services must be utilized strictly for their stated purpose. Members will not submit to clients or prospective clients or share registered candidate information (in whole, part or individually) with another entity for the purposes of a split or any other reason without first contacting the Candidate(s) and receiving their consent.

 6. No Member or its representatives shall knowingly or unknowingly post jobs on the World Job Bank or any other NAPR Program, advertise, e-mail, or in any correspondence, or communication unlawfully discriminate or appear to unlawfully discriminate or violate government employment laws or regulations.

 7. Any Recruiter who holds an advanced degree (including but not limited to: MD, DO, DDS, DVM, PhD) entitling him or her to use the prefix “doctor” must clearly identify him or herself as a Recruiter in any contact, written or oral, with a Candidate, Client, Potential Client, or Member.

 8. A Member shall not plagiarize in any form or format (in whole or in part) another entity’s advertising, marketing or any other materials.

 9. A Member shall not copy or use information from another entity’s website without expressed written consent from the owner, including but not limited to: mirroring or framing or use of any material, source codes, trade secrets, right of publicity, trademark, copyright or other intellectual property.

 10. A Member shall not, in any form of communication, use language which is obscene, sexually explicit, libelous, defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, false, inaccurate, misleading, embarrassing to any other person or entity or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as privacy and publicity) of others.

 11. A Member which belongs to a “network” of organizations which recruits individuals shall not share source information derived from any NAPR contracted services unless the other network participants are also contracted by NAPR to receive this information, including but not limited to: physicians who have registered with the World Job Bank or who have responded to any other NAPR Program or have contacted the NAPR independently of these programs seeking placement services. Organizations may share Candidate information derived from these sources only after contacting the Candidate and receiving permission from the Candidate to share his or her information.

 E. Relations With Other Members, Other Recruiting Firms, Organizations Or Individuals

 1. All Members must compete in a fair and honorable manner.

 2. A Member shall attempt to amicably resolve any disputes with another Recruiter or Entity with a minimum amount of involvement from the Client and Candidate before seeking other remedies.

 3. A Member shall report to the NAPR any violation or infraction of the NAPR Code of Ethics.

 4. A Member shall honor all contractual obligations.

 5. A Member shall be responsible for all actions of any person(s) employed by or under its organization's authority.

 6. A Member shall never discredit the reputation of any person or organization.

 7. A Member shall honor agreements made among Members and refrain from edfaming, maligning or falsely accusing any person or other organization.