Medical Recruiting Strategies To Hire Better Talent

Recruiting is the most underrated part of talent management. Just 51% of Americans say they are very or extremely satisfied with their jobs. Many work in jobs unsuitable for their skills, experience, and personality. 

You must use medical recruiting strategies to find qualified employees and keep them satisfied in your workplace. Here are a few of the best medical recruiting strategies you can use today.

Understand Your Talent Needs

Only recruit new talent if you know how your candidates can fulfill issues within your organization. Ask yourself why you must hire a new employee. Filling a position is important, but ask what else a new person can bring to your workplace. 

You may be able to fill a current position by promoting someone else. You can also combine the open position with another post, letting your current employee take on their responsibilities. 

Talk to the relevant department head about the open position. Ask them what they want in a candidate and how their team is doing. If they have an employee in mind for the position, let them talk to the employee and take control of the recruiting process. If you have someone in mind, name that person and see if your department head agrees. 

Staffers in the department may have suggestions for the position. Talk to them, and give a staffer a referral bonus if the employee they recommend is the person you hire.

Write a list of the essential skills and experience for the position. Do not just think about how many years a candidate should have in the medical industry. Think about specific experiences that a candidate should go through before applying. A candidate with four years of experience in a management position may be a better fit than a candidate who has worked eight years in medicine but not in management. 

A temporary staffing fix may fulfill your talent need. Temporary staffers are suitable for short-term projects or surges in demand. You can also hire temporary employees and elevate them to permanent status if they perform well. 

Related: What Is Locum Tenens?

Create a Modern and Healthy Work Environment

Your recruiting strategies will only mean something if you have a respectful environment where people want to work. Consider how you can reduce burnout, underemployment, overemployment, and mental health problems in your workspace. 

All new employees should receive onboarding, even if they have worked in medicine for decades. The onboarding can refresh their skills, help them learn about company policies, and connect them with important employees. Consider using games to make your training more fun and easier to remember.

60% of employees say they would pick a job with professional development opportunities over one with regular pay raises. Think about how your employee can progress in the workplace. Entry-level and junior-level employees should have opportunities for training, pay raises, and promotions. Be transparent with applicants about how they can progress in their positions and what they can do to qualify for promotions.

Workers also value performing meaningful work; a 2018 survey found that 90% of workers would trade part of their income for work that was meaningful to them. Consider how the position would impact people’s lives and mention that in your job posting and interviews. Think about how the position could have a better impact on people. If the position is front-facing, use technology that helps your employee talk with clients. 

Do you need help with creating a better environment for your employees? Order consulting services from Daily Care Solutions now.

Consider Your Benefits, Culture, and Pay

Look at how other organizations pay employees in similar positions as your open position. The salary should match theirs, but it’s okay if it’s slightly lower or higher. Salaries should rise based on job expectations and national trends; the salary of gastroenterologists rises 12% every year because the population gets older and requires more digestive care. Tell your applicants you will raise their salaries as time passes. 

If the salary you will offer is lower than your competitors, you must increase your benefits. More vacation time, flexible work hours, and opportunities for bonuses are three popular ones. 

Some people prefer to work at home and consider remote work a benefit. Others prefer an office. It’s okay to require your employees to work, but your office location should be nearby and accessible with public transportation. You can throw in discounts on train or bus tickets as a perk.

Mention training as a job benefit. Describe how you offer regular and continuous education, training your employees on the latest medical technology and trends.

Related: Digital Health Trends

Have Realistic Expectations and Requirements

Think about what the schedule for the open position looks like. Break down what tasks the employee would complete in an average day, week, and month. Consider who the employee would work with and designate people to oversee their work and ensure they are doing okay. 

Attach the schedule and the names of supervisors in your job posting. The more transparent you are about work requirements, the more trustworthy you will seem to applicants.

Remember soft skills. Your employees should be dependable, empathetic, and creative. Mention soft skills in your job posting and think of questions you can ask to test your applicant’s abilities.

Read your job posting and ask yourself if any details may lead someone to say they are unqualified. Your posting should encourage truly unqualified employees to refrain from applying. However, you should remove requirements that have nothing to do with the position. 

You should expect a few people to apply for your position despite not meeting all your requirements. An employee who can learn quickly and communicate well with others may be a better fit than someone who lacks soft skills. Be holistic and flexible with your expectations. 

Your applicants may not have time to participate in multiple interviews or exercises before being hired. Streamline your recruiting process so applicants don’t have to keep being interviewed. 

Figure Out Where Your Candidates Are

You should post about a vacancy on your website. But the best applicants may not know that your company exists. Figure out where they might be and spread the news of the job opportunity as far as possible. 

Younger applicants may be at colleges near your practice. Many colleges have career fairs, so sign up for one. You can also contact the college career centers and ask them to email students about your organization. 

High school students may be suitable for internships, volunteer opportunities, and short-term positions. Advertising to them can encourage them to apply for positions when they are older and more qualified. You can connect with high school programs that encourage students to pursue careers in medicine. You can also post fliers at places like restaurants where they are working, encouraging them to pursue better career opportunities. 

Older applicants may attend industry conferences, and you can rent a table to advertise your practice there. Even if you don’t recruit new employees, you can use networking strategies at conferences to connect with other professionals. You can also post on LinkedIn, using hashtags and private groups to appeal to the professionals you want. 

Are you searching high and low for qualified medical professionals? Schedule an appointment with Daily Care Solutions today.

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Be Diligent With Recruiting

You should start screening resumes as soon as they come in. However, you do not have to read hundreds of documents alone. You and at least one other team member should screen resumes and read cover letters, taking notes on who you think the best candidates are. 

Be prepared to spend at least one hour every day on recruiting. Create a schedule for yourself so you’re not rushing. Interviewing will take longer than reading resumes; ask your applicants when they have time for an interview, and find a suitable time for yourself. Ask a staff member to conduct interviews, though you should give them questions they should ask all candidates. Another staff member should be in charge of healthcare credentialing for your candidates.

Give time at the end of each interview to answer questions from your applicants. Many people are curious about company culture, benefits, and skills needed to fulfill positions. Give specific details and encourage your applicants to contact you for more information.

After your first round of interviews, create a shortlist of applicants. Once you’ve decided that someone is not fit for a position, send them an email letting them know. You do not have to tell the applicant why you are not picking them. 

Move your remaining applicants to the next stage quickly. They can participate in another round of interviews, but ask them a different set of questions than the previous rounds. You can also ask your applicants for references or pieces of writing. 

You should inform shortlisted applicants who don’t make the cut through a phone call or email. Add personal touches, telling them that you enjoyed speaking with them and want them to apply again. These touches can add a human face to your company and make the rejection easier. 

‍Related: Ace Your Next Locum Interview