The widening skills gap, new workplace trends emerging from COVID-19 and the relatively low unemployment rate all equate to one undeniable truth: crafting an employment offer that attracts top healthcare talent is no easy feat.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.4 million new jobs. Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for healthcare services.”
With opportunities abound, employers are seeking strategic solutions for ensuring their employment offer stands out from the crowd. While employers typically ask themselves, “What can this candidate contribute to our company?” a more effective approach requires shifting this traditional mindset to instead ask, “What can our company offer this candidate?”
Throughout the recruitment process, you should be striving to undercover the candidate’s motivations, interests and work preferences to tailor your offer and value proposition to align with that individual’s specific needs. Personalization is key. Here are the elements you should consider incorporating into your employment offer to win top healthcare talent.
Highlight Cultural Elements Unique to Your Organization
From your marketing through the offer stage, it’s imperative to showcase what your organization offers in terms of the culture and work environment. If there’s one prescription a majority of medical professionals crave a dose of, it’s more control over their careers. From flexible scheduling and greater autonomy to the ability to strengthen their clinical skills.
Today’s employees may desire a lucrative salary but even more important is their need to forge a strong affinity with a healthcare organization’s values and vision. Research shows that hospitals and health systems with impactful employer brands are attracting twice the number of applicants per job than those without one. The same study also found that these healthcare organizations enjoyed a 43% decrease in their cost per hire, as well as a 40% reduction in lost new hires within their first 6 months of employment.
Whether your hospital or facility has a unique internal anatomy, caters to a specific type of patient or prides itself on having the latest cutting-edge technology, a vital part of enhancing engagement and the overall candidate experience lies in being strategic about how you position your offer.
For instance, the University of Rochester Medical Center has found a way to balance internal department needs with their staff’s needs by offering both 8-hour and 12-hour shift patterns. That’s why many organizations leverage healthcare recruiting, as these specialists have the expertise, personal touch and resourcefulness needed to ensure you’re speaking to top talent in a language that truly resonates with them.
Be Transparent and Enticing Upfront
Many medical facilities refrain from making their best offer upfront, which only serves to delay the entire hiring process. Securing quality healthcare workers means crafting a competitive offer as swiftly as possible. Because let’s face it: in the current job market, candidates are entertaining multiple opportunities, and will ultimately migrate towards the company that exercises transparency and recognizes that individual’s value.
Time is of the essence and allowing negotiations to drag out for several weeks can be incredibly detrimental to both your bottom line and internal employee morale. Additionally, you’ll risk communicating to candidates that the organization places a greater emphasis on conserving dollars over investing in its people.
Healthcare Recruiting New York City
The candidate experience is imperative to securing top talent in today’s hyper-competitive healthcare landscape. Our healthcare recruiting experts in New York City are equipped with the knowledge needed to help you implement a successful recruitment strategy and avoid any unwanted missteps that can deter potential hires from joining your team.
To learn more about how Polaris can help you craft an employment offer that stands out from the crowd, contact us today.