Health care recruitment strategies are generally used by health care professionals and organisations to find the best candidates for their available positions. These strategies are often used in a variety of ways, including posting job listings, attending career fairs and developing a company culture that encourages employees to refer open positions to their family and friends. Their main function is to help an organisation understand what type of candidate they want for their position whilst also giving them the means to acquire this talent. In this article, we look at examples of health care recruitment strategies and how they work.
Health care recruitment strategies
Health care recruitment strategies are plans for finding, hiring and retaining the right employees for a hospital or clinic. It’s based on an organisation’s mission, values and goals and includes the best practices for attracting new talent.
A good health care recruitment strategy helps management staff to attract the best candidates for their positions. It may also help them hire faster, reduce turnover rates and reduce costs associated with hiring and training new staff members and losing them whilst also improving employee satisfaction rates. This is because they get more control over who can be specifically hired for particular positions. There are various types of these strategies used by organisations today. They can differ according to who’s using them, but they generally include:
Leveraging job boards
The leveraging of job boards is a good health care recruitment strategy because it allows management staff to reach a range of candidates. They can use job boards to advertise their open positions and monitor how many people apply for those positions. Health care professionals can also see how many people click on their advertisements, which is useful as it gives them an idea about what kind of brand awareness they have in the marketplace. If they have any questions about applicants or potential employees, job boards allow staff to contact them directly through email or other means.
Offering internships to students
Internships introduce students to what it’s like working on the job. It also gives them the opportunity to see if they like the work environment and how health care organisations operate. Internships can also help recruitment officers to identify individuals talented in areas that may not be immediately apparent when interviewing them for full-time roles.
For example, if they’re looking for someone with specific medical knowledge or skills, but don’t have the budget to hire someone with those qualifications right away, they can offer students an internship where they receive training on those topics while they work on other projects that do not require that expertise. This way, if they do well during their internship, they can offer students a full-time position.
Related: Medical degrees: types, requirements and length of study
Creating a recruitment brand that appeals to candidates
The creation of a recruitment brand is a good health care recruitment strategy because it allows organisations to attract top talent and ensure they stay. This is because a strong brand means candidates are going to be more likely to apply for their positions, which means they can find the right people for their jobs. When they have more open positions filled by the right people, this increases employee satisfaction and retention rates. Having a strong recruitment brand helps hospitals and clinics to stand out. This means candidates looking for employment opportunities are more likely to consider their organisation.
Related: Employee retention: definition, strategies and benefits
Developing a referral programme for employees
The development of a referral programme is a good health care recruitment strategy because it helps organisations to keep their employees happy, whilst also helping them to attract new hires. This is because if employees feel like they’re treated well, they’re going to be more likely to refer others to the organisation. This means instead of spending money on advertising, they can use this money to provide bonuses and other rewards to employees. This approach also helps them attract new hires because it helps them to settle into their work faster as they have an ally in their new workplace.
Related: Referral programme examples and how to make yours effective
Creating a career page on the organisation’s website
Creating a career page on an organisation’s website is a good health care recruitment strategy because it helps you to attract and retain top talent by providing employees with the information necessary for applicants to make informed decisions about their careers. It also gives them an opportunity to see what it’s like to work at the company, which can help you attract more applicants. This is because they can look at photos of the premises so they can gauge an understanding of practices. Blog posts and newsletters posted regularly can also provide additional insight.
Focusing on diversity and inclusion in hiring practices
Diversity and inclusion are important for any business, especially in health care. This is because it’s necessary for health care professionals to work with people from all walks of life, from different backgrounds and cultures and from all different ages. While diversity and inclusion are often associated with race or ethnicity, it also includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Health care professionals are specifically trained to treat every patient with respect and compassion regardless of their background or circumstances. Focusing on diversity during hiring practices helps organisations to attract the best talent capable of providing such care.
Related: 6 different types of diversity that exist in the workplace
Conducting interviews using technology
There are several reasons why virtual interviewing tools are a good health care recruitment strategy. This is because it allows candidates to experience the new position before accepting any offer, which can help reduce turnover. Also, it saves both time and money for the hiring company as less travel is subsequently required. Video conferencing allows interviewers to select a time that works best for them, rather than working around travel schedules at different locations. This technology also allows hiring companies to see how applicants present themselves, which helps them to determine if a candidate can fit into the corporate culture.
Related: How to conduct remote interviews effectively and fairly
Building relationships with health care professionals from other countries
Building relationships with health care professionals from other countries is a good health care recruitment strategy because it helps an organisation to find new talent. It makes sense for recruitment officers looking for more qualified doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to go where the best ones are. Another reason is it can help the reputation of a hospital or clinic internationally, leading to a better applicant pool. As these employees settle in, they’re able to make suggestions on how to improve a medical practice as they can recommend lesser-known practices from different cultures and traditions.
Related: 8 essential steps for building relationships at work
Starting a blog about hiring and interviewing tips for health care professionals
Starting a blog about hiring and interviewing tips for health care professionals is a good health care recruitment strategy because it allows recruitment officers to connect with potential candidates in a way that’s more personal than other methods. Blogs are a great way for professionals to share their expertise with others and to explain the reasons behind their hiring process. When looking at an organisation’s job listing it can be difficult to gauge the specifics of the role and what it’s like to work there. By reading a blog instead, applicants can get a better sense of what working there specifically involves.
Highlighting the organisation’s culture
Highlighting an organisation’s culture is a good health care recruitment strategy because it allows candidates to gain insight into the company’s values and priorities. Candidates can see whether or not they’re going to be able to align with the company’s mission, which massively helps them decide whether or not they want to apply for a position. Candidates are much more likely to apply for positions if they feel they’re going to be able to fit in with the organisation’s culture, so it’s important for companies to make sure their employment brand accurately reflects how they operate internally.
Related: Organisational culture importance: benefits and examples
Attending career fairs
Attending a career fair is a useful health care recruitment strategy because it allows employers to connect with potential employees in person and have a more personal interaction than they would’ve had by phone or email. This can be especially important for people who are nervous about job interviews and want to feel more comfortable before meeting people from their potential employer’s company. Career fairs give employers the opportunity to showcase their company culture and values through their booths, which helps potential candidates decide if they want to work there.
Related: How to write a healthcare recruiter CV (with example)
Features of a good health care recruitment strategy
A good health care recruitment strategy attracts and retains the right talent, which means it’s based on a clear understanding of an organisation’s needs and what its strengths are, combined with an understanding of the market. Features of a health care recruitment strategy mean it does the following:
tailors to an organisation’s unique needs, such as workplace culture
understands the current state of the health care system
adapts to the different positions they’re advertising for
takes into account local labour markets
uses data-driven techniques