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Recruiting enough people, and the right people, is an ongoing challenge in healthcare. To keep your organization effectively staffed in both the short and long term, you'll need to do some creative recruiting, improve your systems and processes and maybe even make some changes to your organization's culture.
Recruit Proactively and Continuously
Don't wait until openings occur to start looking for talent. Instead, work to continually attract good candidates to your organization by developing relationships with potential employees, finding out what their skills and job desires are and keeping communication flowing so that when you have an urgent need, you can fill it quickly.
Of course, you can't have the right candidate waiting at all times. Whether for an immediate opening or as part of your ongoing candidate development efforts, consider these sources:
- Older Workers: These days, many experienced professionals are staying in the workforce longer. Build connections within your own retiree base (if they're not interested, maybe they have friends who are) and other associations where people 55-plus might be found. You'll probably find they have an exceptional work ethic, tremendous flexibility, no need for medical benefits, a willingness to work part-time and a deep desire for meaningful work.
- Schools, Colleges and Training Programs: Can you provide internships, co-ops or job shadowing? Teach a class on employment skills? Set up a job fair? Because healthcare is growing while many other industries downsize, your efforts may attract students who might not have previously considered a healthcare career.
- International Talent: As an employer, you can sponsor immigrants for work at your facility. Individual states have specific licensure requirements, and the federal government has its own restrictions and procedures. "The process is fairly straightforward for nurses," says Elizabeth Ziemba, a Boston-based immigration attorney. "There are also some good options for temporary visas for physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other roles requiring at least a bachelor's degree." Because requirements and processes are complex and often industry-specific, it's best to work with an experienced immigration attorney who specializes in healthcare.
- Professional Associations: You can provide meeting speakers, offer a session on interviewing skills, bring in your healthcare professionals to talk about emerging industry trends and in other ways position yourself as a resource and partner rather than just a "talent poacher."
- Referrals: Most people find jobs through personal contacts. Encourage referrals by creating a system-wide referral program that includes rewards that are meaningful to your employees.
- Reputation: Drive people to your organization by building its reputation as an employer of choice. Study companies that make business magazines' annual "best employer" lists. What do they do that you could adapt to your workplace?
Make It Easy on Candidates
Be careful to keep the "human" in human resources. Many job seekers complain that they never hear back after submitting an application, that the interview process is uncomfortable or arbitrary or that they are left hanging for weeks or even months after an interview. Give all applicants, even those who don't become employees, a high-quality interview with full attention to follow-up and follow-through. They'll become good ambassadors for your organization rather than spreading their dissatisfaction.
Hire Right
When hiring, be careful not to slip into crisis mode, which can force you to settle for less-than-ideal candidates. Hiring the wrong person is costly, time-consuming and counterproductive. Hone your interviewing skills so that you are carefully evaluating personal attributes and motivators, not just job skills.
Behavior-based interviewing and psychometric testing are both excellent tools to help you evaluate critical but often-overlooked factors related to job fit. You can make a business case for implementing new tools and processes by tracking the cost of turnover. In addition to the cost of recruiting and training new employees, consider the additional demands on managers and coworkers when someone leaves, as well as missed opportunities or poor service due to unqualified or inadequate staff.
There is no magic bullet for recruitment, but a combination of immediate strategies and long-term initiatives will help you build and maintain the staff you need for superior patient care and organizational effectiveness.
