By Andres Bueker, Sr. Director of Account Management at Jobvite
Patients undoubtedly seek the best healthcare possible and in turn hope that the health systems they rely on have the best healthcare talent working there. For years there has been a shortage in healthcare talent that’s only grown due to high stress among workers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Registered Nursing (RN) workforce is expected to grow to 3.3 million in 2029, an increase of 7% since 2019. And RN jobs are only one of the many roles that need to be filled. Between a tight workforce and an ongoing worldwide health crisis that is causing burnout, the need for skilled healthcare workers continues to grow. Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries nationwide; however, this lack of high-quality talent can lead to negative patient experiences and an overall decrease in quality of care.
Fortunately, there are several ways healthcare recruiters can address these challenges through things like creating strong employer branding, building a robust talent pool, and streamlining hiring processes.
Make employer branding a priority
In a competitive market, it is crucial for healthcare employers to show why a candidate should choose their organization over others. And recruiters and talent acquisition (TA) leaders need to collaborate with marketing teams early on to do so. When there’s a lack of involvement from marketing, recruiters and TA leaders are limited in candidate engagement, which further slows the hiring process.
Working with marketing means that messaging will be on par with corporate standards and style, consistent with the company brand, and more compelling for potential candidates. Showcasing a welcoming company culture through employer branding is also key, with 86% of candidates in Jobvite’s 2021 Job Seeker Nation Survey reporting culture being “somewhat” or “very” important in their decision to accept a job offer.
Many corporate marketing teams report that TA leaders often do not reach out to them soon enough. It’s important to give the marketing team enough time to plan and work alongside TA teams to leverage their marketing expertise to support hiring efforts. Not to mention, it’s an opportunity for both teams to further the company’s mission by attracting top talent to join them.
Always be building talent pools
There is strategic importance in building talent pipelines with passive healthcare candidates that should not be forgotten. One of the primary conversion goals for healthcare recruiters should be to get candidates to opt into talent networks. Candidates may not be ready to apply today, but they may be attracted to an organization and will be ready to apply in the future. Building that pipeline of patient-centric healthcare talent makes it easier to fill highly sought-after positions at any time.
Additionally, healthcare recruiters should ensure that it is easy to join the talent network directly from a career site with a clear call to action. Then, sophisticate sourcing by utilizing Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) software to segment and engage candidates with drip campaigns that deliver relevant content for each strategic audience. Remember—the most successful recruiters think strategically and recruit candidates, not just for the current open role, but for what other roles they may grow into over time.
Streamline application processes
Many online applications are too long. Why require a full application before the candidate is being actively considered? Instead, recruiters should ask for the bare minimum as a first step, as the more work and time required for the prospect, the greater the chance a recruiter will lose them to a more efficient competitor.
Once a recruiter determines that a candidate is qualified, they can have them fill out a more complete application. Companies such as AccentCare, a leader in post-acute home healthcare services, have been able to decrease their time-to-fill by five days and increase their talent pool by more than 7,000% by simplifying and streamlining their application and overall recruiting process.
It’s also important to consider where candidates will be applying to open roles. Applying via mobile device, for example, is so common that a mobile-optimized application process is now expected by potential applicants—and anything less will turn job seekers off. In fact, Glassdoor recently found that 59% of healthcare job seekers prefer to look for jobs on their phones. Also consider that healthcare workers are on their feet and are not often at a desk with ample time to complete complicated job applications. This is a key opportunity for recruiters to screen candidates via text.
Healthcare recruiters are the first line in finding and identifying the right individuals—from front room staff to care providers—who can best manage the patient experience. By following the strategies above, healthcare recruiters can help deliver a positive human experience for patients.
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About the author
Andres Bueker, Sr. Director of Account Management at Jobvite
Andres Bueker is the Sr. Director of Account Management at end-to-end talent acquisition provider Jobvite, where he leads the enterprise account management team. He has spent the majority of the last 17 years working with customers to drive talent acquisition solutions.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
