Healthcare Recruiting Best Practices

Filling open positions in the healthcare industry has been increasingly difficult over the past few years as the demand for this group has dramatically increased. We’ve asked JobTarget expert Rich Morley to provide some helpful approaches you can use for sourcing clinical and non-clinical healthcare workers. Rich leads JobTarget’s client success team, which is dedicated to providing strategic recruiting counsel to the company’s diverse client base.

Current Statistics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in the healthcare field is projected to grow 16% over the next decade. Healthcare will add about 2.6 million new jobs to the economy, the most of any other field. This growth, the BLS notes, is mainly due to an aging population that will have a greater need for healthcare services.

Determine Your Approach

Understanding how you want to hire is vital to a recruiter’s success. Depending on the type of healthcare-related position you’re trying to fill, you should know if the role requires specialization, or it doesn’t. There’s no “one-size fits all” approach for recruiting in healthcare since there’s a wide variety of positions – both clinical and non-clinical. Depending on where your specialty lies, JobTarget has provided insight into both spaces.

Clinical Roles

For clinical positions such as doctors, surgeons, and nurses, you must narrow your approach since these roles are more specialized. Your strategy should focus on posting job ads to niche or specific health-related websites. Typically, the individuals who hold these positions regularly visit sites that have the latest news related to their field --which in turn feature job boards where you can post your ads. You may also want to get help from a media services team who can put together and initiate your recruiting strategy.

Highly sought-after clinical positions according to JobTarget include:

• Nurse Practitioners

• Registered Nurses

• Certified Nursing Assistants

• Home Healthcare Workers

When searching for these specific positions, it is crucial to have job descriptions with certification requirements mentioned up front and center. Depending on your Applicant Tracking System (ATS), you may also be able to add certification screener questions. Presenting this information lets applicants know exactly what you’re looking for as early as possible – saving you time from reviewing unqualified resumes.

Non-Clinical Roles

As the demand for healthcare specialists is extremely high, so is the demand for support staff. These roles might be considered behind the scenes, but they are no less vital and can prevent burnout related to staff shortages within the industry on all levels.

When it comes to these non-clinical positions such as scheduling coordinators, medical coders, data specialists, and other support roles, you can have success recruiting by clearly defining job titles, job roles, promoting your organization’s culture, implementing personal messaging in emails and texts, hire faster with programmatic job advertising, and post roles on websites such as LinkedIn or ZipRecruiter.

However, if some of these traditional ways aren’t providing you with the results you’re looking for, you may want to think “outside the box” and try adding videos and testimonials into your job descriptions as well as focus on building relationships in the healthcare community.

Generally, you should always focus on going back to your ATS or Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) for sourcing quality talent you may have liked but did not hire previously.

Know Your Competition

There is a whole bunch of competition for healthcare roles and knowing what other organizations offer potential candidates can provide you with an advantage. Having a keen idea about their benefits, pay, location, and shift flexibility are all areas you should understand when recruiting a candidate. Ultimately any good candidate likes to know who they are working for, and a well-informed one will know the market.

In some cases, candidates for clinical roles may not be interested in higher salaries or better benefits. They may value the organization's prestige, which can give them an advantage later in their career. Knowing your organization's reputation versus your competitors does influence what you can or cannot offer to a candidate.

College Recruiting

Nearby colleges and universities are another fantastic way to locate and recruit healthcare workers. When you find individuals pursuing medical-related careers, you have the chance to speak with them before they graduate. You’re able to discuss a clear development and career path which can entice the candidate to join your organization. When younger candidates hear about development plans, there is a good chance they may stay within the organization for years to come.

Stand Out from the Crowd 

Whether you’re seeking to hire for clinical or non-clinical roles, incorporating a strong recruitment approach is key to your success. Add strong medical-related keywords into job titles and descriptions for better rankings in search engines and have a clear understanding of the requirements you’re searching for. With these methods along with your overall approach, you’ll not only put your own performance in high gear, but you’ll also expand your recruitment strategy.