Timing Is Everything: How to Attract Healthcare Workers Quickly

Healthcare recruitment can be a challenging task. According to LinkedIn, healthcare positions take an average of 40 days to fill. Other studies have found the most challenging healthcare roles can take up to 250 days to fill. Sudden increases in demand, unexpected staff shortages, or other unforeseen circumstances mean that healthcare providers often find themselves needing to fill critical positions at short notice. Other challenges experienced by healthcare providers include:

• Changing and evolving healthcare technology requires new technical and specialist skills.
• Competition from a large variety of healthcare employers.
• Lengthy training and development periods for candidates to acquire specialist skills.

These problems can be exacerbated by the fact that healthcare organizations often experience high employee turnover for a variety of reasons. One major factor is the demanding and stressful nature of healthcare work which can lead to burnout and fatigue among staff. Additionally, poor working conditions, a lack of opportunities for advancement, and a limited ability to balance work and personal responsibilities can also contribute to high turnover rates in healthcare organizations.

Failure to hire healthcare workers quickly can have serious consequences, such as:

• Increased patient wait times.
• Decreased quality of care.
• Rising overhead costs and falling revenue.
• Increased workloads.
• Falling morale and increased rates of stress and burnout amongst staff.
• A negative impact on organizational reputation.

Good workforce planning alongside other effective strategies for healthcare recruitment can help employers attract and hire healthcare workers quickly, ensuring that their organization can continue to provide high-quality care to patients.

6 Healthcare Recruitment Strategies to Try

At Pierpoint we understand the importance of effective and efficient healthcare recruitment for organizations. Here are six strategies that will help healthcare providers to speed up their hiring:

1. Workforce Planning

Workforce planning is a great way to switch your healthcare recruitment from being reactive, to being proactive. Rather than waiting for positions to become vacant, workforce planning helps you to anticipate potential gaps in your workforce or predict the skills you’ll need in both the short and long term. Meaning that you can begin the hiring process sooner or even identify members of your workforce who would benefit from further training or professional development.

2. Offer Competitive Compensation Packages

Healthcare workers are in high demand and are often sought after by multiple organizations. Competitive compensation packages can help employers stand out. Sign-on bonuses, flexible work arrangements, and childcare benefits are all popular benefits for healthcare workers that can sit alongside salary.

Flexible work arrangements, such as job sharing, can be particularly appealing to healthcare workers who value work-life balance. Childcare benefits can also be an attractive perk, especially for working parents.

To create an attractive compensation package, conduct research on industry standards and survey candidates to understand their needs and preferences. You should also ensure that their compensation packages are transparent and clearly communicated to potential employees.

3. Create a Positive Work Culture

Healthcare is an extremely stressful and demanding industry. 28% of US healthcare workers left the field in 2022 due to burnout, nearly 3% of the overall healthcare workforce. A positive work culture can make healthcare workers feel valued, supported, and motivated, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates and can make your organization more attractive to candidates.

Crafting a positive culture could mean focussing on wellbeing, such as providing wellness programs and resources to support physical and mental health, or committing to improving workplace safety by implementing safety protocols and providing training to prevent workplace injuries.

Build strong relationships with your staff, foster open communication and collaboration, and prioritize employee recognition and development.

4. Provide Opportunities for Career Advancement

Providing opportunities for career advancement not only helps healthcare workers meet their personal and professional goals but can also lead to improved patient care, better hiring outcomes, lower staff turnover and greater organizational success.

Offering access to continuing education and training, opportunities for leadership and management roles, and clear pathways for career progression can help you be more attractive to talented healthcare staff and plug crucial skills gaps.

Prioritize ongoing learning and development, provide opportunities for mentoring and coaching, and offer clear career pathways and promotional opportunities.

5. Experiment with New Recruitment Channels

Using new recruitment channels can make healthcare recruitment easier by increasing your organization’s visibility to a wider pool of qualified candidates and expand your candidate pool.

New channels can include social media, online job boards or even developing relationships with educational institutions. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, can be used to reach out to potential candidates. Online job boards can expand the reach of job postings to a broader audience and provide access to niche talent pools. And developing relationships with educational institutions can help build a pipeline of future talent and provide opportunities for internships, residencies, and other training programs.

An RPO provider like Pierpoint can help you understand which channels will be most effective for your needs. Pierpoint can also help organizations streamline their recruitment processes and leverage the latest technology and best practices to maximize recruitment outcomes.

6. Build a Strong Employer Brand

Building an employer brand that resonates with healthcare workers is essential for successful recruitment. This might involve showcasing the organization’s mission and values, highlighting employee testimonials and success stories, or promoting the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By building a strong employer brand, employers can attract healthcare workers who are drawn to the organization’s culture and values. A strong employer brand can help healthcare organizations stand out in a competitive job market, increase candidate engagement and retention, and ultimately, drive business success.

How an RPO Partner Can Help Attract and Retain Healthcare Talent

Access the expertise, recruiting tools and technology, and flexible solutions to make your healthcare recruitment strategy more efficient with an RPO partner like Pierpoint. We provide advice and support on diversity hiring, employer branding, and workforce planning so you can be sure every team member you hire meets your high standards of skills, attributes, and performance. Book a call today to find out more.