Recruiting candidates in today’s competitive job market can feel like managing a never-ending cycle with shifting factors. Now is the time to create medical recruiting strategies to help retain staff and find the best candidates quickly. These strategies can also help you take your hiring practices to the next level. However, to attract suitable candidates, you must use techniques for attracting and engaging with job seekers. As a result, you will help convince them to say, “I accept,” while improving your interview-to-hire ratio.
In no particular order, the following are some suggestions to help you fill your open positions.
Strategy #1 – Think About Your Benefits, Pay, and Culture
It’s no secret that recruiting in the medical field is challenging. In today’s job applicant market, medical recruiting strategies must answer candidate questions, including: “why should I choose your organization?” and “why should I stay?” You must offer them something that appeals to them as a valued team member.
A company’s culture and benefits can be significant selling points. Do you have employee perks, a social calendar, and a collaborative environment? Likewise, can you offer a competitive salary and benefits package? A good work-life balance? If so, make these known in your job listing, on your website’s career page, and you must create the narritive during the interview.
If you can’t offer a top salary or benefits package, consider other offerings that may set you apart from other companies competing for candidates. Some of these may include:
- Training opportunities
- On-site childcare
- Gym memberships
- Flexible work hours
- Special bonuses
- Remote work
If you interview a great candidate who wants higher pay, but you can’t offer them more money, ask them what else you can off to help them say yes. You may be surprised at their response.
Strategy #2 – Consider the Position Requirements
Think about your job listing and the details you’ve included. While there are essential requirements for the role, make sure you communicate the qualifications and skills you really need on day one. Are there skills that you’ve listed that you can train the right candidate to do? By taking this approach, you widen your pool and give potential candidates a chance to say yes.
Also, for the best medical recruiting strategies, consider soft skills. Often transferable across careers and industries, soft skills are behaviors and interpersonal skills that help people succeed in their work. Indeed conducted a recent survey of hiring managers, and they reported the following soft skills were named as most important:
- Problem-solving
- Effective communication skills
- Self-direction
- Drive
- Adaptability and flexibility
Other soft skills that hiring managers seek include:
- Teamwork
- Dependability
- Leadership
- Open-mindedness
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
- Empathy
Strategy #3 – Find Out Where Your Candidates Are
Make sure your job posting is where your candidates are looking so they can connect with you. Are they going to the latest industry conference? Are they completing a residency or fellowship program? Maybe they are already working for another company in the industry.
Undoubtedly, posting on websites like LinkedIn, pathologyoutlines.com, and other industry job sites is one of several medical recruiting strategies. You can also consider reaching out to fellowship programs or attending industry conferences. In today’s competitive market, virtual meetings and interviews can help you meet candidate expectations, and they have become the norm. If a candidate is interested, invite them for an on-site visit where they can meet other team members.
Strategy #4 – Review Your Reputation and Brand
Today’s candidates pay attention to a company’s values and brand. People prefer to work for an organization aligned with their values. For many candidates in the healthcare industry, improving health outcomes and making a positive impact are underlying motivations. Communicating your brand’s core message and reputation can help attract dedicated talent.
Also, a diversity and inclusion protocol is an essential factor many candidates consider when choosing an organization. The following are some ways to ensure your efforts are visible:
- Advertise your commitment to inclusivity through social media channels and other communications.
- Update your website and careers page to highlight your organization’s culture and fair hiring practices.
- Add more diverse language to forward-facing materials about race, age, disabilities, etc.
Strategy #5 – Rely On A Professional Recruiting Firm
At Santé Consulting, we are an expert healthcare recruiting firm for pathology and laboratory medicine. Since 2008, we’ve been an industry leader specializing in the recruitment and retention of:
- Pathologists
- PhD and doctoral candidates
- Laboratory medicine executives at the director level and above
We’ve based our mission on believing every client deserves a personalized approach to ensure they meet their goals. We know that more important stakes are involved than simply filling a position. Our medical recruiting strategies take into account that our clients are working to fulfill a vision and mission to provide the highest level of professional healthcare diagnostics possible.
Let’s Work Together
At Santé Consulting, we have access to highly qualified candidates across the county. We can also help you streamline the process of selecting and onboarding candidates. If you are an organization seeking candidates for pathology and laboratory medicine, contact us. All consultations are confidential.