Healthcare recruitment has become more competitive and volatile than ever. Hiring and retaining employees has become increasingly difficult after the COVID-19 outburst.
Aside from the fact that it’s not cost-effective to replace employees, turnover can cause an issue with the care of patients. Having low turnover will enhance the quality of patient care and help the healthcare industry continue to be a competent, effective workforce that is continually successful.
Below, you will learn everything you need to know about current trends and challenges in healthcare recruitment, and how to tailor your healthcare recruitment strategy towards them.
Understanding the current trends and challenges in the healthcare recruitment industry
High Competition
The economy seems to be getting better every day. However, many are still without work.
Some companies can’t afford new employees and they are worried about hiring too many, in case there is another recession.
While there’s no labor shortage, many recruiters are reporting that they’re having trouble finding top talent in their industry. Healthcare is one of those sectors. The shortage of candidates is the biggest challenge in Healthcare IT.
In a survey done by the Health Information Management and Systems Society suggested that technology is moving more rapidly than people can keep up with, especially in the healthcare industry. Things like Electronic Health Records (EHR) are causing this problem.
Those who graduate with an IT degree aren’t usually qualified to work in healthcare because of the ever-changing technology. They’re not able to teach the latest advances because they are constantly changing.
Because of this challenge, there aren’t many potential candidates. This means the competition between recruiters is very high.
Baby Boomers are retiring
Baby boomers are aging and retirement is near for this generation. And, believe it or not, the healthcare industry is made up of 2.5 million baby boomers!
That means that as this generation starts to retire, there will be a devastating blow to this sector. The domination of Gen X is causing concern in terms of how volatile the sector will become when the baby boomers begin to retire in masses. The stability of healthcare lies within these workers.
We can’t expect them to hang around and work forever, but when the time comes – and it’s already starting to happen – the future of healthcare in terms of recruiting will be forever changed.
Shortages of nurses and physicians in this field will be the biggest impact. This generation makes up 28 percent of the population.
Estimates are that by 2030 there could be a shortage of up to 100,000 physicians or more due to retiring baby boomers.
As they retire, they’ll no longer work within healthcare but also need to rely on healthcare. This alone will cause a surge in the need for more services.
The goal at this point for many recruiters is to persuade current baby boomers to stay on the job as long as possible before retiring. As it stands, one in ten Gen X workers says they’ll never retire. Let’s hope for now that it’s true. The more that continues working, the better of the industry will be for now.
Retention
David L. Longworth, M.D., chair of the Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic, part of the nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center specializing in studies that approach improving patient-centered care.
“Healthcare reform is forcing hospitals to reconsider how to deliver value-based care. It also causes hospitals to consider new roles like care coordinators and clinical pharmacists who can focus on the management of medically complex patients.”
The Affordable Care Act that went into effect in 2014 left hospitals, providers, and healthcare systems with problems retaining current employees. More than 30 million Americans were newly insured. This left a need to increase retention.
Why?
Employees need a valid reason for staying on. Creating a place that not only removes barriers but also promotes long-term satisfaction is key.
Increased Need for Healthcare
As we mentioned above, baby boomers are beginning to retire. That means they’re also at an age when health problems come into play.
The need for healthcare is going to increase tenfold in the next 10 years.
That means these unique issues will not only affect the industry but also recruiters in this sector. There will be a need for not only replacing those that retire but also adding more employees to make up for the increased need for services.
Costs are skyrocketing
Another trend to look at is spending in the healthcare industry. By 2026, spending could reach upwards of $6 trillion.
This could be spent on medical equipment and medication as well as the healthcare workforce. Though there seems to be a shortage in healthcare workers, that doesn’t mean that the industry will not continue to grow.
In addition, there will be a continued need for workers in this industry.
Evaluating candidate experience
In general, recruiters across the board should be more aware of their candidate experience. However, in the healthcare industry, where things are very competitive due to a shortage of candidates, this trend should be a real consideration for improvement.
Taking time to evaluate and revamp your candidate experience can make a difference.
Building a base of passive candidates
Because of the shortage that is being faced now and in the future, taking time to better understand how to obtain passive candidates is a big trend for the following years.
Passive candidates might not be actively seeking employment but could be interested in switching healthcare facilities if the offer is one they can’t refuse.
Embracing AI
Healthcare recruiters will need to embrace artificial intelligence in healthcare recruitment.
Just like many other workforce industries, artificial intelligence is beginning to be a must-have when it comes to administrative tasks, the hiring process, and more.
Healthcare recruitment strategies for 2022
Based on the current industry trends and challenges, here are some of the best strategies you can utilize when recruiting for the healthcare industry:
- Offering competitive salaries
- Utilizing personality tests and interviews
- Working on employee engagement
- Keeping mental health in check
Healthcare recruitment strategy 1: Offering competitive salaries
Whether you’re hiring CNAs, registered nurses, LPNs, or other positions, make sure your salaries are competitive.
Without a wage that provides for your employees’ cost of living, it’s hard to combat high turnover. When compensation is at a competitive level, workers won’t have to worry about finding a new position in another healthcare system that pays more.
All hospital workers and other healthcare facility employees are important, not just nurses and doctors. Remember to consider housekeeping, medical assistance, dietary staff, and administration, as well. All of these workers go into making help your system successful with a high standard of patient care.
Healthcare recruitment strategy 2: Personality tests and interviews
As with all industries, hiring new talent should be done in a way that’s a great fit for your organization.
When your new hires are not able to fit in with your company culture, it can cause an issue both in the beginning and long term.
Consider conducting peer interviews.
This will help ensure candidates are able to meet their future coworkers as well as meet other healthcare workers that are high-performing, quality talent.
They will also be able to meet department directors and HR staff. Working with peer interviews can consist of two to four candidates who are top picks with recruiters. Once peers have met with these workers, they have the final say over the hire.
This will make certain that the company’s culture will be a great fit for the new employee.
Besides, you may want to try out personality tests for hiring too.
Healthcare recruitment strategy 3: Employee engagement
Employee engagement is essential.
Many times, we only focus on the satisfaction of our workers. However, some people are satisfied to have a job but not happy with the company in general.
Focusing more on employee engagement will help you retain employees. It will also help with your company’s culture.
Many times, this culture speaks for itself when finding new hires.
Healthcare recruitment strategy 4: Keep mental health in check
According to beckerhospitalreview.com,
“One of the unique concerns healthcare organizations have about their employees is the emotional toll of dealing with sick patients, many who may be facing death. Because of these demands, we have our own, in-house employee assistance program with several professional counselors who are available to our employees. The counselors are able to address home, work, financial and personal problems so that their effect on an employee’s life and work is reduced. While some attrition is natural due to retirement and relocation, these programs have helped Mercy Hospital keep our turnover rate below 10 percent for the last seven years. Top quartile performance for healthcare turnover is approximately 11.4 percent or lower.”
Ensuring your employees have access to counseling improves your employer brand, attracts more candidates, and retains more employees.
How technology helps healthcare recruitment
Healthcare recruitment is a complex and competitive process. With so many qualified candidates vying for limited positions, employers must find ways to stand out from the crowd. Technology can be a powerful tool in this process, giving employers an edge in attracting and hiring the best talent.
By using technology in healthcare recruitment, employers can:
- Reach a wider pool of candidates
- Screen candidates more efficiently
- Connect with candidates on a personal level
Recruiteze offers a solution that can help both for applicant tracking, and resume sourcing and reformating. Check our software ATS Recruiteze, and resume reformatting tool iReformat
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