As we grow older, our healthcare needs become more complex. At the same time, more and more doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals are reaching retirement age. This adds to the dilemma faced by those working in the healthcare recruiting industry. Healthcare recruitment has become increasingly difficult over the years.

The goal is to find top-quality candidates as quickly as possible. As a recruiter, it is important to ensure that candidates are fully qualified. The reality is, while health care facilities may depend on recruiters to find qualified candidates to fill positions, patients' lives may depend on your recruiting efforts. This cannot be taken lightly.


As we get older, our healthcare needs are changing.

Fortunately, there are some ways to streamline the processes of healthcare recruitment.

The Basics First

Research is always in order when recruiting. Your goal is to gather information about the profession, including average salaries and which groups are most likely to be targeted for recruitment.

Determine a recruitment strategy for each healthcare profession you plan to target. Create benefits packages and list the advantages of working for the organizations you represent. This should include such things as tuition reimbursement, housing assistance, and any signing bonuses. Get creative; if the area includes recreation that might interest prospects, be sure to include information about that, too.

Consider a Job Fair

Getting the word out to the right people isn't always easy. One way to do this is to hold a job fair. Although job fairs typically have a bad name in the recruitment business, they do serve a purpose. They offer job seekers the experience of job application practice, and employers have an opportunity to pre-screen applicants.

A job fair helps to increase awareness of available job opportunities and healthcare facilities, and recruiters can gauge the qualified workforce available. Although this is not an accurate measurement, it can be helpful in determining future recruitment strategies.

Consider holding a "happy hour job fair" or a "pancake job fair." These options make it possible for candidates to stop in on their way to or from a current job, and the unique title adds interest. Some people may stop out of simple curiosity.

Beyond Typical

In order to streamline the process of recruitment in certain industries, some innovative processes have been developed. One method used is Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), in which the recruiting, hiring, and all phases of bringing the new hire on board is handled by the RPO staff providers. In other words, the RPO assumes ownership of the recruitment process from beginning to end; therefore, it is responsible for the results of the hire.

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a program designed to help organizations manage problems and challenges they may face in dealing with meeting the demands of workforce needs. This can include everything from managing staffing needs to billing and customer support.

In many cases, a Vendor Management System (VMS) can be an ideal solution for obtaining and managing various staffing services. This is usually a web-based application that allows users to manage resources in real time.


Perhaps the most important aspect of recruiting is finding a way to make your job stand out.

Bottom Line

More doctors and other healthcare professionals are reaching retirement age, which makes it more important than ever before to find creative and innovative ways to streamline the healthcare recruitment process.

The bottom line is, when it comes to recruitment in the healthcare industry, the goal is to avoid potentially hazardous or life-threatening gaps in patient care. In other words, time is of the essence. But ensuring that candidates are qualified is also important.

Healthcare organizations are relying on old recruitment classics like job fairs, but they are also trying out new approaches. Recruitment Process Outsourcing and Vendor Management Systems are two strategies that seem to be working. What have you found that's helpful in healthcare recruitment?

Debbie Allen is a content writer, online marketer, and blogger. Her background is in organizational development, and she frequently writes about small business management topics.