The 6 Most Successful Healthcare Recruitment and Retention Strategies

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There is a shortage of qualified healthcare workers, and according to organizations like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the numbers aren’t expected to improve anytime soon. What’s more, the turnover rate is significant, and burnout is at an all-time high since COVID-19 hit us. But people still need care, and healthcare companies are still trying to hire healthcare professionals who will take the job and stay.

Companies must know what it takes to target the ideal candidates and encourage them to stick around. With that in mind, here are the top healthcare recruitment and retention strategies you should be following.

1. Dust Off Your Hiring Practices

Technology has changed the healthcare world in many ways, and that extends to its hiring processes. Keep up with the competition by keeping application methods modern and straightforward.

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, online job searching has doubled since 2005, and more people are looking to social media for career opportunities. If you can, emphasize a mobile-first process. Make it easy for people to apply to a position online, and consider how your interview questions fit the current climate. Spend time thinking about whether your hiring methods fit the types of healthcare professionals you want to attract — and what those professionals are looking for from you.

2. Upgrade Your Benefits

When Mayo Clinic surveyed thousands of physicians in 2014, over 50 percent said they had experienced at least one symptom of burnout. The survey also found that work-life balance had decreased in physicians from three years before. Healthcare recruitment strategies should consider the rise in burnout that has happened more than ever since 2020.

Healthcare professionals will be looking to see if companies offer a good compensation package. Many healthcare companies have upped their packages since the pandemic to include things like:

  • Sign-on bonuses
  • Relocation or travel allowances
  • CME allowances
  • Increased PTO, remote work, flextime, or maternity leave
  • Free insurance
  • Quartly or retention bonuses
  • Tuition assistance

Referral bonuses have also become more common, allowing employees to benefit from bringing in new hires.

3. Highlight the Company Culture

If you want to retain healthcare workers — not just hire them — company culture is essential. Burnout is one of the leading reasons nurses quit and leave nursing altogether. When seeking new talent, emphasize the positives about your work culture. (And if the culture could use some work, the company should direct energies towards improving it.)

Potential hires care about salary and benefits, sure, but there’s more. They’ll check out your Facebook page and look for examples of how people feel working for you. Keep up with your social media and share snapshots of your work culture to attract more professionals.

4. Target Younger (or Future) Healthcare Workers

Healthcare recruitment strategies can start early. Consider looking for recruits at distinguished medical schools or nursing campuses. Though less experienced, younger healthcare professionals are excited about their careers and able to grow with a company they enjoy.

5. Utilize Multiple Platforms

Job boards aren’t enough — although they should be part of your strategy.

The most successful recruiting strategy focuses on several different platforms to attract and convert the right people. Healthcare job boards, social media, targeted ads, SEO, website landing pages, and passive recruiting methods work together so that you’re not getting lost in the shuffle.

When more healthcare professionals see your ads and posts, they’re more likely to get interested in your company, follow what you’re doing, and apply for positions when they’re available.

6. Leverage a Recruitment Agency

Successfully recruiting healthcare professionals is complicated, especially in the current climate. That’s why many organizations turn to recruiting and advertising companies for help getting their job postings in front of the ideal candidates.

Alabama Media Group knows how to reach nurses and other healthcare workers. We use a comprehensive approach to recruitment that targets the professionals you need in ways that other companies haven’t considered. To learn more and get help with your recruitment processes, contact us today.