Hospitals and healthcare organizations are currently struggling to fill many positions. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, over 100 million individuals throughout the United States live in areas with a health professional shortage. The demand for healthcare professionals is projected to outpace the supply. Implementing the best recruitment strategies is crucial to filling these openings. The following are seven tips for successful healthcare recruiting.
1. Polish Your Brand
Your brand is the first thing about your facility that potential recruits will see and connect with your organization. Employers need to put themselves in the shoes of prospective hires. There are several steps you can take to update your brand.
- Website: Study and possibly revamp your company website. Clearly articulate your mission and values throughout the website. Also include high-quality content relevant to the type of individuals you want to recruit.Â
- Social Media: Do you provide regular updates for your social media sites? Are you consistent with the tone and type of message you’re sending across all social media channels? These are a few questions to ask yourself when using social media.
- Patient Reviews: Go over all patient reviews. Prominently display positive reviews and contact those who leave negative reviews to solve any problems. If many of the complaints are similar, you’ll definitely want to address these issues.
- Google Searches: Regularly search your organization on Google. What are the first images and articles that come up when searching? Would what you’re finding appeal to the candidates you’re looking for?
2. Invest in the Best Software
The right software can make all the difference in the recruitment process. There are several specific ways software can improve recruitment.
- Increase Diversity: An inclusive culture starts with the recruitment process. Software with AI sourcing can help recruiters quickly review resumes and filter candidates based on keywords.
- Improve Referrals: The right software can create an efficient referral system. Software can help improve employee engagement, manage candidates, and produce scalable results.
- Analyze Data: Keeping and tracking data regarding the recruitment process is essential. Good software can help organizations analyze historical data, build customized reports, and measure hiring success.
3. Offer Attractive Benefits
Increasing salaries is one of the first things many healthcare organizations will do to attract the best talent. Not every facility, however, is able to do this. There are several benefits an organization can offer to attract new hires.
Those under forty, such as millennials, may be lured by benefits such as further career development and work flexibility that provides greater work-life balance. Many may also want assistance paying off student loans.
Older workers are often interested in healthcare benefits and flexible hours that could potentially include part-time work. Wellness programs for older workers might include onsite exercise programs, including healthy food options in the cafeteria, or even allowing pets at work.
4. Recruit on Niche Job Boards
Besides mainstream recruitment platforms, it’s necessary to post job openings on alternative platforms. A few to consider include the following.
- Healthcare Jobsite
- CareerVitals
- Health eCareers
- JAMA Career Center
- HealthJobsNationwide
- MomMD
- MedJobsCafe
5. Research Your Competitors
Look up websites and job posts for your biggest competitors. It’s important to analyze what they’re doing right and what’s not working. Make sure to include the following when conducting a competitor analysis.
- Collect Competitor Hiring Information: Study how they construct their postings and where they list their posts. Study employee reviews and testimonials.
- Analyze Strengths and Weaknesses: This includes everything from their job postings to the images they use on various sites.
- Experience the Application Process: It’s necessary to understand step-by-step what is involved in different application processes. Is it easy to navigate, and why?
- Examine Their Digital Footprint: To get the big picture, it’s necessary to look at all aspects of their online presence. This includes all their social media platforms.
6. Hire From Within
Many organizations already have the talent they’re looking for. It may be less expensive to train individuals who already know the organization and have a good track record than bringing in new people. Hiring within your facility can boost morale and build a strong company culture. Internal recruitment will also save time during the hiring process.Â
It’s important to establish a clear internal recruitment policy. It’s also necessary to keep separate statistics regarding hiring within the company. An organization will need to know things such as retention rates for employees hired within versus those hired outside of the facility.
7. Work With the Best Recruitment Professionals
It’s imperative to find the right team to make your recruitment process as effective as possible. Does the company have an extensive network of professionals that will enable you to search nationally and even globally for the best candidates? You’ll want a firm that not only understands the healthcare industry but will take the time to get to know your company and the specific needs of your organization.
Since 1965, MRINetwork has been a global force in effectively placing talent. MRINetwork offers various options for recruitment, including executive search, retained search, engaged search, and contingency search. With experience in a variety of healthcare fields such as pharmaceutical, veterinary, medical supply, and healthcare services, you can get the specialized recruitment services you need. Contact MRINetwork today for more information.