As the talent market becomes increasingly competitive, healthcare organizations need a targeted approach to recruitment. In companies of all sizes, hiring managers are tasked with seeking new ways to effectively advertise their open positions and reach their target audience.
Exploring different avenues to actively attract and engage qualified candidates requires time and attention. As you seek to improve and maximize your recruitment efforts, here are some of the most forward-thinking strategies to keep in mind.
Take a more targeted approach on social media.
According to a recent survey conducted by Career Arc in partnership with Future Workplace, 91% of employers are using social media to find candidates. However, social media platforms alone aren’t the answer to all recruiting challenges.
Rather than passively recruiting for candidates on social media, you can take a more targeted approach. For example, there are groups on LinkedIn specifically for healthcare professionals. Some of these groups include Medical IT Pros and Healthcare Industry Professionals Group. Starting group discussions and connecting with individuals in these healthcare-specific forums will bring you in contact with a broader potential candidate pool and give you an accessible outlet for sharing your company’s job openings.
Develop talent channels.
When recruiting talent, you can also create your own talent channels. Many organizations are creating a pipeline of candidates through their own established channels, such as onsite training or externship programs. This allows the leaders at your organization to begin building a qualified talent pool of potential candidates (often recent graduates), while also preparing and grooming them for the demands of your work environment. Identify opportunities where you can get in front of your target audience and find viable candidates who already have a vested interest in your organization.
Make your job postings about the candidate — not you.
Too often companies write their job postings around their own needs without acknowledging the interests of their candidates. Job descriptions focus solely on the job’s responsibilities and requirements may prompt a passing view, but they likely won’t be too intriguing for the reader. Remember, in the recruitment process, you must treat candidates as the customers — therefore, you must sell them on the experience offered by your organization!
When targeting many candidates in today’s workforce — especially Millennials — consider addressing their specific concerns and giving them a reason to explore you as an employer. For example, studies show that many Millennial candidates seek more than a paycheck— they’re looking for employment that gives them a chance to make a true impact on society.
It’s key to recognize the importance of purpose to millennials and make your job descriptions reflect your mission. Highlighting your company’s culture can do wonders to attract millennial candidates to your job openings by prompting them to look at the “big picture” rather than just the job itself.
Despite growing number of online platforms, there’s no denying the challenges that come along with recruiting talent in today’s workforce. Qualified candidates have many choices when it comes to their employment. It’s no longer enough to simply post an opening on an online job board and expect it to get immediate traction.
You must be proactive in executing a recruitment program that is driven by meaningful strategy and truly targets the candidate pool aligned with your hiring needs. Rethinking the way you currently advertise your job openings can make an impact on the quality of candidates who apply to your organization, and ultimately, the quality of hires you bring on board.