If recruiting for the medical field feels like the most competitive type of recruiting, that’s because it is. Whether you believe the shortage of qualified medical professionals (especially those willing to travel) is from the long educational path to becoming a nurse or laboratory technologist or because the healthcare industry is the fastest-growing segment of the economy, one thing is certain, we’re facing an unprecedented shortage (as documented by the U.S Department of Labor, among many many others.)
So what’s it like recruiting for the medical health profession during this explosive period of growth? Well, if you are leading the pack (as are our recruiters here at Triage Staffing) you’ll note the following:
- Recruiters in today’s fast-growing medical field have the ability to quickly screen, vet, hire and onboard medical professionals. If this doesn’t exist at the company for which recruiters work (often enabled by technology) then the recruiters are at a disadvantage when it comes to finding the best medical pros.
- Today’s medical recruiting professionals understand that retention is as much a part of their job as recruiting new applicants. If a medical professional is taken care of by his or her medical recruiting company, they are not only more likely to stay but likely to refer any of their colleagues.
- Recruiters who deal in the medical profession MUST understand the undercurrent that retirement brings to the table. This requires an understanding of the situation: the number of Americans entering retirement each day is about 10,000, while the population of young adults entering the workforce will rise by less than 3 percent.
- Meanwhile, globalization makes skilled workers prime recruiting targets of healthcare organizations around the world, and with platforms like Glassdoor, Yelp and Salary.com, these workers can easily compare compensation and employer reputation, quickly and easily.
But what happens when the staffing agency and the hiring organization don’t do their parts in this? Even the best recruiter can’t overcome a lack of technology, a poor client reputation or the increasingly high referral and compensation models that are hitting the industry as qualified worker numbers continue to dwindle.
Recruiters who understand the situation as outlined above need their agencies to assist with the following:
- Great technology. We now have technology that can source, screen, initiate a requisition, extract data from multiple file formats and even automate responses. Staffing agencies can support their recruiters by implementing technology that not only allows recruiters to easily navigate the landscape of resume databases and individual (often nation-wide) applications but technology that powers career sites in a way that makes job seeking a pleasure instead of a chore.
TRY: Double down on great technology by providing email alerts or even SMS updates about new jobs!
- Employer branding options. Staffing agencies who have the ability to assist their clients with employer branding and reputation management will win this war, simply because traveling medical professionals have a choice and they are NOT going to waste an assignment (however short) in a hospital or medical facility with a crummy reputation. If agencies can build a rapport with long-term clients and show them how to manage their reputation by specifically targeting dysfunctional behaviors that plague the medical industry (bullying, mismanagement, long hours, cliques and abusive behavior), there is a greater chance that medical travelers will see them as advocate partners, rather than sharks in the water looking for their next placement.
TRY: Create a quick tips course around reputation management that potential and current clients can access on your website!
- Killer referral plans. Referrals are arguably the lifeblood of a staffing agency. Great medical pros often know other great medical pros (many of whom will consider traveling at some point in their career). When an agency will back up its recruiters with a referral plan that is fair, consistent and funded, great referrals will follow. View our referral plans here.
KNOW: Your referral plan doesn’t have to have HUGE numbers to work.
A consistent plan people know will work for them the way you say is often a better incentive.
- Resources for travelers and the recruiters who serve them. One of the things that can make being a medical professional hard is the constant need for more, additional and further certifications and licenses. Continuing education has to be a part of how agencies support their traveling medical professionals and in turn, their recruiters. Making learning resources, forms, certification deadlines and more available easily and readily will create the partnership that is the bedrock of a great medical staffing agency.
DO: Create a resource center on your website with important dates, reminder emails and common forms needed for medical traveling professionals.
Of course, there are many more ways to win the talent wars in the medical professional field. Staffing agencies, like Triage Staffing, have tried them all. From offering great housing assistance, to giving you custom tips on bringing your pets along on vacation, we’re always trying to be a cut above other agencies. Bonus? We’re always hiring new recruiters to help us be the absolute best home for traveling medical professionals. Learn more about working with us to create the best “home” for today’s medical pros.