Facilities across the country are in need of new talent. Whether it is CNA, RN, or senior nursing positions, healthcare facilities need to find a way to find fresh healthcare provider (HCP) recruits. This can only be achieved with forward-thinking recruitment strategies, and intelligent investments in the correct places. To get you started, here are 5 effective strategies that will make finding new HCPs easier than it has ever been.
Foster a powerful brand presence
A strong, distinct employer brand goes a long way. Employees will naturally send applications to you, if you build a strong reputation as a reliable and trustworthy healthcare employer. Fostering this kind of image is tricky, as there is no one right answer. Heavily investing in employment retention by providing flexible scheduling options and stronger compensation packages, or tweaking your management policies to the personnel around you is one way to strengthen your facility’s image. Putting a strong emphasis on diversity and cultural sensitivity training is another, as you show potential hires that you are committed to making everyone feel welcome.
Create partnerships with educational institutions
Nursing students will be the HCPs of the future. They will take time to grow into their roles, but building a working relationship with a respected educational institution will give you potential access to a wide pool of fresh, new healthcare professionals to bring into your institutions. You can work together to create internship programs, where students can work and train on-the-job for big companies with the possibility of full time integration down the line. There are also residency programs, where nursing students get classroom instruction and practical experience with trained experts in their fields. The school gets to provide its students with real clinical hours, while facilities get to hire any standouts who perform well during these programs.
Look into artificial intelligence
AI has become a hot button topic across several business sectors, and for good reason. Intelligent applications of artificial intelligence can improve the speed and efficiency of your recruitment process. Just look for the best applicant tracking systems (ATS) and allow them to handle all the tedious processes while you divest your resources into other departments. Some of the recruiting tasks that can be automated with AI include (but are not limited to) skills tests, scheduling interviews, combing over resumes for keywords, sorting important documents, and more.
Develop a strong referral program
Other people will help you find talent, given the right incentive. Implement a referral program, and your own employees will spread the word for job openings out of their own volition. Be sure that they are adequately rewarded for their efforts, either with cash prizes or an outright bonus. If done correctly, this allows facilities to save on funds and resources that otherwise would have been allotted into advertisement.
Emphasize hiring from within
If you have a senior nursing or administrative position that requires filling, then promoting from within is an incredibly useful strategy. For one, it naturally promotes retention. Other HCPs will see tenured and skilled co-workers being rewarded for their efforts, and will more likely stay with their organizations instead of looking for opportunities outside. You are also giving more responsibilities to HCPs with extensive knowledge and experience with your facility’s particular systems and processes. This sense of continuity builds a strong identity and culture within a healthcare organization.
