In the first part of our two-part series about hiring for healthcare, we discussed the importance of being mobile in your recruiting efforts, investing in SEO strategy, and saving time and money by having a good applicant tracking system. To develop a well-rounded recruiting strategy, healthcare recruiters needs to be on the forefront of adopting social policies and investing in skills and assessment techniques to better qualify their workforce.
The healthcare industry is growing in record numbers, and recruiters need to keep up with it if they want to find top talent for their organizations. Social media is here to stay, and for the long term. When companies decide against adopting social media policies and procedures, they’re being left behind in the mass frenzy of social recruiting. According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder, 37% of job seekers in healthcare are using their mobile devices to look for job opportunities. The same survey also found that 70 percent of healthcare staffing clients have data-enabled smartphones.
Recruiters say they are using social media as a way to stay on top of trends in the industry, as well as to source and connect with potential candidates. According to Lydia Ostermeier, president of the National Association for Health Care Recruitment, a social media presence is essential to connecting with Generation Y in particular. “A lot of the organizations are using mobile apps, where people can apply online using their mobile device,” she noted. With the FDA regulating the information that is thrown out on the interwebs, healthcare recruiting companies might tend to shy away from the space altogether. But if they do, they’re missing out on a large audience that’s looking for jobs on the social web. Engagement in this space is no longer optional; it’s required.
The entire industry has never had a greater need to engage in the social space, and especially recruiters. Another area that recruiters are starting to look toward is skills and assessment testing. One of the most important aspects of recruiting is pre-qualification. No longer can we rely on what’s written on a resume or posted on LinkedIn. Most job seekers adopt the attitude of “fake it till you make it,” and while that is not a new concept, some industries can’t afford to have someone “fake it.” They need qualified individuals when they start, on their first day. In the healthcare field, this is of utmost importance.
A simple clerical error could mean life or death in some instances. Information handling is the lifeblood of hospitals and other medical offices, and these skills should be tested and assessed before hiring someone. The consequences of hiring someone who’s not already familiar with these skills could be costly—not only in potential errors, but for the recruiter who’ll have to go back to the drawing board. Testing for the healthcare field has become a staple. Whether it’s software that’s used commonly, English, or typing, as a recruiter it’s your job to understand the skills required for certain positions.
The healthcare field is on the up-and-up, and recruiting within the industry is on the rise. Staying on top of recruiting trends is important for hiring and retaining the best talent out there. After all, your medical office or hospital wants to have the best doctors and the best research, and for that, it needs the best recruiting team.
2 Comments
I agree with the social media argument that you make. People that work in healthcare are usually smart people that are pretty into all the latest trends. So social media is high on their to do list. We find a lot of our personnel with the use of social media. Thank you smart phones!
Looking into following Bannerhealth’s footsteps with the assessment option. It looks like it will release a lot of the pressure from both of the HR people and of the medical personnel that we ask for help when assessing new people for the positions we need to feel. Technology sure is going to help us here.