Healthcare Staffing Industry Trends

When it comes to staffing trends in the healthcare industry, there is a reality the medical community must contend with: there is a shortage of healthcare workers.

Healthcare executives are well aware of the trend, and unfortunately, it is likely to continue. By 2025, Mercer forecasts a shortage of more than 400,000 home health aides and 29,400 nurse practitioners. There will also be continued shortages of other healthcare professions.

The main reason that this healthcare staffing trend is so unremitting is also the most obvious. It takes education, experience, and time to fully train a healthcare worker. You can’t simply pick someone off the street and train them to become a qualified medical professional within weeks, or even months. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has caused even more turbulence in the healthcare staffing industry.

But all is not lost. Creative recruiting techniques are on the rise, many of which healthcare recruiting agencies like Judge are using to reach, identify, and connect with talented candidates.

Recruit through non-traditional venues

The days of merely posting a position on a job board and waiting for a pool of qualified candidates to apply are gone. The job market is competitive, and recruiters must be savvy. This means finding new ways to reach candidates who might not even be actively searching for opportunities.

Social media recruiting is an ever-growing trend, and recruiters use it to identify and attract candidates. For example, virtual networking in online groups with shared interests is a great way to engage candidates. You can offer helpful updates on what your company is doing, provide useful career tips, and inform members about upcoming educational opportunities. Do this enough, and job seekers might just be inspired to apply! Finally, by asking your employees to occasionally share job postings (on LinkedIn, for example) you can reach a larger pool of possible connections.

Highlight your organization’s brand

Want to attract qualified healthcare candidates? Find a way to stand out! Demonstrate your selling points online and celebrate your employees’ accomplishments as your own. Use video marketing because visual content receives extremely high engagement rates. Participate in meaningful events and share helpful tips for healthcare professionals.

Showing what your company is really like through multiple channels will give potential candidates a better idea of what it means to be a part of your organization. Establishing a positive organizational culture takes time, but it is well worth the effort in the long run, as it can create stability and extend candidate pools.

Adapt to a multigenerational workforce

Today’s workforce consists of Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers – all expecting something different from their jobs and benefits. For companies with multigenerational workforces, it’s important to remember that each generation has a unique set of goals and aspirations. For example, the better you understand what Gen Z wants from the workplace versus what millennials expect, the more effective your healthcare staffing strategy will be.

Embrace virtual and remote recruiting

Virtual technology has become one of the most popular trends of the past year, and it is certainly here to stay. For most job seekers, virtual communication was the only way to find new opportunities throughout most of 2020. Meanwhile, for recruiters, it was the only way to set up an interview, onboard, and even begin a new job. Not only has wide scale remote recruiting proven possible, but recruiters have also increased candidate pools by expanding their geographic recruiting regions.

This new way of filling healthcare positions is expected to grow, improve, and make the entire process even smoother!

Conclusion: Healthcare Staffing Industry Trends

Healthcare staffing trends have moved towards incorporating virtual technology, not only when it comes to clients’ onboarding experience, but also in showcasing the positive aspects organizations have to offer. Paying attention to these emerging trends might determine the success of your organization, so do your research!