Healthcare facilities around the world are hitting recruitment challenges of epic scale. These include a shortage of 90,000 physicians by 2025 and 500,000 retiring nurses by 2022. This employment void has caused many healthcare organizations to put more focus into their recruitment efforts. But will it work, and if not, will patient satisfaction suffer as a result?
Why Is There a Shortage of Healthcare Workers?
Retiring doctors and nurses are only part of the recruitment problem being faced by many hospitals. An aging population and increase in chronic diseases have further exacerbated the need for top medical talent. Then there is the emerging technology that boosts the demand for information technology professionals, radio techs, and experts with similar proficiency.
The problem is, there isn’t that much talent to go around. Healthcare workers aren’t as numerous as the demand requires.
For instance, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for 1.1 million new nurses to fill the nursing shortage in the next few years. This doesn’t include the need for more home health aides, nursing assistants, medical lab technologists, and nurse practitioners, as well as professionals in other medical fields.
Why is Staffing So Important in Hospitals?
Staffing is critical to hospitals because the staff directly influences patient ratings with regard to their hospital care experiences. The fewer staff available to care for patients, the more quality care suffers.
In addition to a lack of viable talent, many hospitals have trouble following through with their recruitment processes, even when good candidates come calling. Recruiting costs time and money and involves many steps.
Recruiting top medical talent includes the vetting and interviewing of the best candidates, as well as the training and assimilation of that individual into your company culture. This is assuming that you found the right candidate, as turnover rates for medical facilities can be high. That could mean that you put time and money into a healthcare worker, only for them to quit a few weeks later. Millennials are more likely than other generations to jump from job to job. And with more millennials entering the healthcare workforce, you as a recruiter must recognize these challenges.
How Can Hospitals Overcome Their Staffing Challenges?
Healthcare recruiters can begin filling the roles they have demand for quickly by putting the following steps into action.
Determine Your Recruiting Needs
Figure out what roles need filling immediately. You may have other positions that will need fulfillment down the line, such as if some of your employees plan to retire. Having a clear understanding of your recruitment goals puts you in a better position to identify top prospects.
Develop a Long-Term Recruitment Strategy
Filling a vacant position requires more of you than simply going through the motions. You can’t choose the first resume that looks good and hope for the best. Instead, develop a recruiting strategy that will work for you now and in the future.
Your strategy should focus on organizations where good employees are known to originate from, such as local nursing schools. Get involved with these institutions and do what you can to build a relationship with them, such as attending functions when they become available.
Offer Employee Incentives
Offering your employees incentives like tuition reimbursement and medical/retirement packages is an excellent step to getting employees excited about coming to work. You can then put your employees to work helping you secure top talent with offers of a referral bonus.
Make Your Employees Feel Valued
The key to successful recruitment is retainment. It’s good to fill the roles you have open, but it’s better to keep the positions filled for the long-term. You can do this by making your new recruits feel welcome and involved with your company’s culture. But don’t let the care stop the moment the employee’s probationary period is over. Keep all your current employees feeling valued by making yours a fun company to work for with management that is caring and supportive.
Do Hospitals Use Staffing Agencies?
Hospitals that partner with staffing agencies are in a better position to recruit and retain the best talent for any given field. A staffing agency takes the medical facility’s recruitment needs and pairs them with the best talent from around the country. Whether the need is for physicians, nurses, nurse’s aides, or dietitians, hiring managers can rest assured that their open roles will be filled in time and with the best candidates interviewing for the positions.
With so many medical staffing agencies to choose from, you want to be discerning about which agency to partner with. When you want a trustworthy staffing agency with a solid track record and motivation to help you fill your roles fast, you are encouraged to partner with Prolink.
Prolink Makes Healthcare Recruiting Easy
At Prolink, we get to know your healthcare facility and recruitment goals. We then become an extension of your business, acting as your recruitment wing. We can fill your roles with top talent located around the country, and we’ll be sure to match you with recruits that match your needs on paper, as well as wow you with their personality. Get started by calling to discuss your healthcare recruitment needs - (866)777-3704.
