Hospitals and healthcare organizations across the country are grappling with a very real and prevalent reality: an industry-wide talent shortage. While the issue is something healthcare leaders have faced for years, the pandemic has only exacerbated the race for talent.
Finding skilled physicians and executives, especially those with highly specialized expertise, is no easy feat. However, in order to maintain a competitive presence in the market, it’s imperative not to let geography get in the way. Expanding your search radius allows you to tap into a bigger candidate pool and win over top talent before competitors.
Now the question is, how do you convince talent to relocate?
Here’s a look at how to successfully make a case for why a potential hire should consider relocating for your opportunity.
Motivations Behind Relocating
According to a recent Graebel study, “Despite worldwide travel bans and ongoing concerns about health and safety risks due to COVID-19, nearly 3 in 5 workers (59 percent) say they are more willing to relocate for work now than they were prior to the pandemic.”
In order to convince candidates to uproot their lives and start over in a new location, it’s crucial to understand the key motivating factors behind why someone would make a move. The top three reasons why healthcare candidates would consider relocating include:
- Better perks or compensation
- Career advancement
- Opportunity to be closer to loved ones – i.e. an elderly parent, siblings, or a kid in college.
Understanding these main drivers provides the insight needed to shape your value proposition in a manner that’ll entice candidates to take the next step.
Compensation & Perks
To navigate today’s competitive labor market, you need to be strategic about the type of salary and benefits packages you ultimately offer relocation candidates. Creating a compelling case for why a potential hire should work for your organization needs to expertly weave together cultural components with a competitive salary and perks.
From sign-on bonuses to retirement benefits, flexible scheduling and child care benefits, be prepared to sway your target audience with enticing offerings that align with their wants and needs. Paint an appetizing picture of their growth potential in the role, clue them in on your facility’s upcoming expansion plans, or communicate opportunities for them to magnify their positive impact if they come onboard.
You’ll also want to discuss the particulars of your relocation support. Relocation packages can encompass everything from providing assistance selling their existing home and covering costs incurred during the moving process, to supplying temporary housing and reimbursing travel-related expenses. Providing a robust relocation package is an effective way to remove the stress and headaches that come with moving while demonstrating the level of support and care you provide to staff.
Digging Into Career Advancement
Supporting potential candidates in their quest to make forward strides in their careers is another important path to explore. Will the role allow the physician to shift from a productivity-based hospital to one with a value-based healthcare model? Will they be exposed to new, advanced technology like AI and surgical robots? Will a director-level candidate be able to assume a wider scope of responsibilities? Is the role overseeing a new department, providing the candidate with the ability to influence outcomes and play a pivotal role in company growth? Are there industry events or speaking opportunities they’ll be able to leverage? From professional development to internal structure, gaining a firm understanding of a candidate’s career aspirations will allow you to tailor the role in a way that’ll encourage upward mobility.
Providing Family-Related Support
There’s a strong possibility that the candidate you’re interested in relocating will have a family to consider should they make the transition. While offering things like travel reimbursement is crucial, what other resources do you have at your disposal that can provide additional support to the candidate’s spouse or family? For instance, if their spouse will need to look for a new job, is there any assistance you can provide? If they have children, are you able to compile information surrounding local school systems to encourage a more seamless move?
Don’t forget to pique their interest by delving into details about the city or community they’ll be relocating to. What type of lifestyle aspects can you highlight – like the budding entertainment scene or recreational pursuits – that can be used to entice the candidate into accepting your offer? The goal is to exercise transparency and piece together both the personal and professional elements of the role that’ll drive a candidate closer to a “yes.”
If you want to widen your access to talent and strengthen your chances of winning over relocation candidates even further- try partnering with a healthcare staffing firm that already has expertise in attracting and relocating the winners outside of your local geography.
Contact the Polaris team today to learn more about how we can create a customized recruitment strategy designed to help your organization thrive.