From practitioners to nurse managers and medical directors, the competition for healthcare talent has never been more fierce. Today’s private practices are facing high turnover rates, staffing shortages, and a new epidemic of worker burnout. And these challenges were prevalent long before the arrival of the pandemic. In this post-pandemic era, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) anticipates the physician shortage alone to reach as high as 139,000 practitioners by 2033.
With all these surmounting challenges impacting recruitment, many private practices are seeking more effective ways to attract and retain healthcare workers. Here’s a look at 5 recruitment strategies your private practice can implement this year to drive revenue, improve patient outcomes, and improve staffing initiatives.
#1. Utilize Your Current Staff
Think about it: your current employees are well-versed in everything from your internal workflow to your practice’s culture and technology. This makes them an invaluable asset you can leverage for your recruitment strategy. Leaning on your staff to identify potential candidates can help you attract more like-minded individuals that are a strong cultural fit for your practice. An effective way to entice your staff to participate is by offering a referral bonus for any candidates they provide that ultimately get hired.
Another outlet to potentially explore is considering current staff for a new job opening. Providing promotions and career pathing internally is a powerful tactic for driving retention which can also be emphasized to attract new candidates interested in career growth.
#2. Freshen Up Your Employer Brand
Crafting an impactful brand stems beyond simply developing an enticing logo. It encompasses everything from your online presence to how your messaging, values and goals communicate your unique culture. This is crucial to how you’re perceived by employees and patients alike. If you haven’t revisited your branding in several years, job seekers may interpret that as a lack of genuine investment in who you are and what you have to offer as a facility.
It can also make your practice seem outdated. Failing to freshen up your brand can not only hinder your hiring success, but can cast your reputation in a negative light- thus leaving you with costly vacancies for an extended period of time. The goal is to create a cohesive experience for interested candidates where messaging is consistent no matter where they look.
#3. Provide Growth & Development Opportunities
From department heads to leadership positions, the majority of today’s workforce wants to align themselves with an employer that supports upward mobility and progression in their careers. To attract top talent, consider making education and leadership development opportunities your standard model. Providing healthcare workers with the pathway to expand their skill set and grow their careers is an effective way to not only appeal to modern workers but to also retain them.
#4. Emphasize Flexibility & Work-Life Balance
With rising burnout rates, work-life balance is no longer a nice perk to offer – it’s a must!
This is especially true when it comes to millennial workers, who prioritize PTO and flexible scheduling, and are projected to represent 75% of the global workforce by 2025. With nearly half of physicians reporting feelings of burnout, prioritizing flexibility and work-life balance is integral in attracting candidates to your opportunity.
#5. Adopt a Flexible Staffing Strategy
Given the current volatile environment of the healthcare landscape, the key to recruitment success for your private practice is to implement a flexible staffing strategy geared toward satisfying your changing needs. This encompasses proactively planning for future openings, as well as tapping into the expertise of a healthcare staffing agency to avoid any financial and operational burden that comes with an understaffing facility.
Here at Polaris, we’re helping private practices just like yours drive revenue and improve patient outcomes through flexible, effective healthcare staffing solutions. In a time when healthcare workers are needed now more than ever, our team of recruitment experts can help your facility implement an innovative recruitment strategy. To learn more, contact the Polaris team today.