Last week, our director Moana had the privilege of representing RCSA at the Business NZ Health Forum with Sir Ashley Bloomfield. It was a powerful and forward-thinking conversation about the future of healthcare in Aotearoa, one grounded in data, values, and a very human understanding of what makes our system tick.
Sir Ashley opened with a line that really stayed with us: “The problem we are facing is humankind’s greatest achievement, ageing.” What a way to frame it. Our longer lives are something to be celebrated, but they also create growing pressure on our health system, especially in primary care.
A lot of the conversation focused on big-picture solutions – workforce planning, funding, the role of primary care, and how we invest in the right areas. But for us at Good Together, one insight really stood out: while early retention of doctors is improving, there’s still a major drop-off between years 3 and 10.
And that got us thinking. If early support is helping doctors stay longer in their first few years, what could we do, as recruiters, to help keep them here for the long haul?
The 3–10 Year Retention Gap: A Hidden Opportunity
For both NZ-trained graduates and international doctors, the first year or two are often filled with support. But once doctors settle in and the novelty wears off, other questions start to emerge. Is this still the right role for me? Am I progressing? Is my work still aligned with how I want to live?
How recruitment partners can play a bigger role
Staying in touch
As recruiters, we’re often some of the first people a doctor connects with when they move here. Keeping that connection going, not just to fill a job, but to check in, help them reassess, and support their next move, can make a real difference.
Helping shape career pathways
Helping shape career pathways. Many international doctors leave not because they want to, but because they don’t see a clear way forward. We can help clinics think more creatively about flexible roles, training opportunities, or portfolio careers.
Supporting the life stuff
Doctors don’t just stay for a job; they stay for a life. Housing, community, schools, visas; it all matters. Continuing to walk alongside doctors well beyond their initial placement could be a gamechanger.
Sharing what we hear
We have the privilege of hearing what doctors really think, what’s working and what’s not. Feeding that back, in the right way, can help clinics and organisations adapt more quickly to the changing needs of the workforce.
Build something better, together
At Good Together, we’ve always believed that recruitment is about relationships, not transactions. This forum reminded us how important it is to keep that relationship going long after the contract is signed.
As Sir Ashley said, “Working in the system needs to be rewarded and rewarding.” We couldn’t agree more.
Because retention isn’t just a number, it’s a reflection of how supported someone feels to build a life and career they want to stay in.
If you’re a doctor who’s starting to ask what’s next, or a clinic wondering how to hold onto great people, we’d love to have that conversation.
Let’s build something better, together.
