Want to find out the latest trends in healthcare recruitment? Check out our most recent blog here.
The healthcare sector has long struggled with burnout and turnover, and these issues have been brought to a head by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare staffing shortages have closed operating rooms and affected the level of care healthcare organizations can provide.
In 2022, many organizations are struggling to fill necessary roles. With industry turnover rates at 25.9%, talent acquisition teams have shifted their priorities to attract and retain top talent. By 2026, it’s estimated an additional 203,700 nurses will be needed each year to replace retiring nurses and fill emerging positions.
To proactively recruit for these healthcare roles, you need to engage healthcare candidates and keep them interested in your organization. The best way to do that is to take a marketing approach to recruiting that incorporates authentic employer branding, personalized communications, and tech-powered solutions.
If you’re hiring in 2022, expect to see these five healthcare recruiting trends.
1. Increased focus on employer branding
Today’s healthcare professionals have no shortage of job options. To stand out from the competition, recruiters are focusing on developing strong employer branding. Hiring teams are highlighting what makes their organization unique —benefits, values, culture and work-life balance —and sharing that important information on their career site. Building an informative, welcoming career site that features real pictures and employee stories is a key strategy to engage jobseekers and convince them to hit ‘apply’.
To have a strong employer brand in 2022 you need a strong DE&I strategy, too. Companies can work to build a diverse workforce by highlighting opportunities for diverse candidates, and showcasing a culture of acceptance across their career sites and employer branding channels.
2. Technology streamlines hiring
In 2022, the best hiring teams leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and recruitment technology to improve the hiring process. Recruiters are building deep talent pipelines by creating targeted posts on social media and Google ads that contain compelling calls to action (CTAs). These include:
- Visit our career site
- Subscribe to job alerts
- Join our talent network
- Connect with our alumni members
- Subscribe to our newsletter
A consistent online presence can drive both active and passive job seekers to the company career site, and engaging CTAs encourage more people to join the talent pool.
AI is another tool recruiters are leveraging to improve their hiring approach. AI algorithms can analyze job postings to help recruiters write stronger job descriptions, as well as anonymize qualified candidates to eliminate unconscious bias from hiring.
AI tools can also conduct advanced screening procedures, isolating relevant data to identify best-fit candidates based on factors that reach beyond resume qualifications. This same technology helps talent teams automate administrative tasks such as scheduling interviews and contacting candidates, which gives recruiters time to focus on critical tasks that require a more personal, human touch.
Clinch healthcare recruitment marketing software uses AI and technology to help hiring teams streamline their processes, improve the candidate experience, and reduce time-to-fill. To learn how Clinch helps healthcare organizations attract great candidates, read our latest case study.
3. Internal hiring aids retention
Internal mobility programs are proven to engage and retain existing employees. Employees that are given internal opportunities are 3.5x more likely to be engaged than external hires, and stay twice as long. In a competitive market, this is a critical advantage. But many organizations struggle to do internal mobility well.
Industry research has found that 43% of healthcare recruiting teams lack formal processes or technology to identify current employees who qualify for promotions or new roles. So what can be done to fix this?
Hiring teams can partner with learning and development teams to create a strong internal mobility program. This may include collecting a database of current employees’ KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities), career interests, and any training or resources required to address qualification gaps. For internal hiring, recruiters will also need to broaden their focus from narrow technical skills to transferable skills, such as leadership and problem-solving.
Hiring teams should also build a dedicated internal careers page on their careers site. This can include internal open listings, testimonials and career path stories shared by employees who have made successful internal moves. Having a central point for employees to view open internal roles, share experiences and ask questions is vital to promoting a successful internal mobility strategy.
4. Virtual recruiting streamlines hiring
Candidate experience is everything when it comes to attracting healthcare talent. The trouble is stepping away from daily tasks for a formal interview or phone screen is time-consuming and frustrating. The good news is there are better solutions. Mobile communication, such as texting, allows for an automated, streamlined hiring process that is still personalized and agile.
Virtual recruiting tools became a necessity for healthcare recruiters at the start of COVID-19 and have proven they’re here to stay. Talent acquisition teams have found it simple and easy to conduct interviews via Zoom or other video conferencing software as candidates progress through the hiring process. This is especially useful for nurses, who are often helping patients daily and don’t have time for an in-person interview. For positions that require multiple rounds of interviews, recruiters can hold early interviews through video and reserve in-person meetings for their final candidates.
Virtual recruiting not only reduces time and resources spent assessing candidates. It also opens the applicant pool to those outside the immediate geographic area. By expanding the search, talent acquisition teams may find the perfect candidate who’s willing to relocate or work remotely.
5. Candidates expect social responsibility
Job applicants tend to seek organizations whose values align with theirs, and healthcare recruiters are focusing on social responsibility to attract quality candidates. Hiring teams are using their career sites to amplify their company values and purpose, including charitable and educational initiatives, a commitment to DE&I, and more.
During the pandemic, many hiring teams highlighted their organizations’ vaccination status requirements, and outlined their efforts to vaccinate and educate staff and the wider community. Promoting your internal mobility strategy is another great way to show candidates you’re an employer that’s dedicated to nurturing and developing its people. The key is to be authentic: today’s candidates do their own research, and they’ll be able to spot generic or false values a mile away. Whatever your mission statement and values are, make sure they reflect your true culture and beliefs.
Hiring to fill healthcare positions in 2022 is challenging. Clinch is here to help. We partner with healthcare recruiters to identify and engage top applicants, automate screening processes and candidate communications, and increase brand awareness. Learn more about Clinch recruitment marketing software or request a free demo.
