Why clinical expertise is the basis for successfully filling key positions
Expert interview with Dr. Sven Lorenz
Traditional recruitment consultancies often fail due to a lack of industry knowledge. According to Dr. Lorenz, a hospital is a complex ecosystem. Only those who understand the dynamics between medicine, nursing, and economics (e.g., DRG flat rates) will gain credibility with top candidates. In a depleted market, passively waiting for applications is not enough. Dr. Lorenz’s success lies in his professional direct approach, which combines technical expertise with an authentic communication of the hospital’s framework conditions.
How to secure the best talent in the healthcare sector
The healthcare sector will face enormous personnel challenges in 2026. Competition is extremely fierce, particularly at management level and in specialized medical services. Successfully recruiting top executives requires a combination of technical expertise and a professional direct approach.
Why do traditional recruitment agencies fail when it comes to filling key positions in hospitals?
Dr. Sven Lorenz: The main problem is a lack of in-depth understanding. Many headhunters treat the search for a chief physician or commercial director like the search for a manager in the consumer goods industry. But a hospital is a highly complex ecosystem with its own unique dynamics between economics, medicine, and nursing. If a recruitment consultant does not understand what a DRG flat rate means for a clinic’s strategy or how the hierarchies in the operating room work, they immediately lose credibility with the candidates.
How do your clients benefit from the fact that you yourself have worked as a hospital administrator?
Dr. Sven Lorenz: That is my decisive leverage. I am not sitting “on the other side” of the table; for years, I sat in the same chair in a hospital as my clients. I know the pressure when a department becomes unprofitable because of an unfilled chief physician position or when strategic realignment fails because of the wrong leadership personality. When I talk to a managing director, we don’t have to discuss the basics of hospital planning—we talk about the solution right away. I understand the constraints of the operators and the expectations of the medical directors firsthand.
What tasks do you personally take on in the recruitment process?
Dr. Sven Lorenz: That is a key difference in my approach: I am the personal point of contact throughout the entire process. I don’t delegate candidate outreach to my back office. From the initial profile assessment and direct contact with candidates to the final contract negotiations, I conduct every crucial conversation myself. A chief physician or medical director immediately notices whether they are talking to a recruiter or a professional sparring partner on equal footing.
I will be happy to advise you
How do you ensure a fast response time while also providing the necessary transparency for your clients?
Dr. Sven Lorenz: “Time-to-hire” is an economic necessity in hospitals. We have optimized our processes to guarantee extremely high speed without sacrificing quality. Since I immediately understand the requirements profile, there is no long learning curve. To keep our clients informed, we proactively update them on the search progress on a weekly basis. Every Friday, my client knows exactly who has been identified, how many interviews have been conducted, and what the pipeline looks like. There is no “black box” with us.
How do you reach this highly specialized target group from Hamburg, who are often not actively looking for a job?
Dr. Sven Lorenz: Through dialogue between insiders on equal footing. Today, a chief physician or highly qualified specialist can no longer be recruited with a generic LinkedIn message. These experts want to talk to someone who appreciates their professional expertise and understands the medical context of the vacancy. As a former hospital manager, I can authentically convey the development opportunities, technical equipment, and interdisciplinary collaboration offered by a hospital. For candidates, I am a professionally experienced sparring partner, not just a “resume broker.”
What sets DELTACON Hamburg apart from its competitors?
Dr. Sven Lorenz: Precision in selection. I look at things through two pairs of glasses at the same time: those of a personnel consultant and those of a former hospital manager. With every candidate, I ask myself: “Would I have hired this person for my own clinic?” We don’t deliver masses of profiles, but rather personalities who are a perfect fit, both professionally and personally, for the specific culture of the respective institution.
What is your advice when a key position has been vacant for months?
Stop waiting for the “perfect application.” The best minds need to be found and actively persuaded. The market is empty, but not hopeless. It requires a professional direct approach by someone who enjoys the trust of the candidates. Those who cut corners or rely on standard solutions will ultimately pay a much higher price in lost revenue and turnover.
Advantages of personnel consulting with hospital expertise
Disadvantages of personnel consulting without hospital expertise
Executive Search Consultant for healthcare, social services, and the public sector
Sven Lorenz has more than 20 years of management experience in healthcare and social services. Among other things, he was the long-standing managing director of a regional branch of the German Red Cross in Schleswig-Holstein and, in recent years, served as managing director of the student services organization in Hamburg. As a former hospital director, he is familiar with the framework conditions and challenges in medium-sized structures in the healthcare industry.