The Primary Challenges in Healthcare Recruitment and How to Overcome Them
For health and medical organizations, the human element is everything. The quality of healthcare patients receive depends almost entirely on the doctor, nurse, therapist, or clinical assistant they face when they come in for treatment. However, sourcing and retaining the right healthcare workers is a complicated task.
What makes healthcare HR so challenging and how can healthcare organizations get over staff struggles?
Workforce Shortages
Healthcare worker shortages are nothing new. Expert sources claim that in the next few years, the United States healthcare system will experience a shortage of close to 30,000 nurse practitioners and over 400,000 health aides. Demand also frequently outstrips supply for RNs, physicians, and other healthcare workers.
There is no magic solution for healthcare staff shortages. A career in healthcare requires rigorous training, specific qualifications, and long-term commitment. While decision-makers devise strategies to address employee scarcity, organizations are vying for top healthcare talent.
Employee Burnout
Healthcare is a taxing career, especially for professionals involved in primary care. Long hours, overwork, and mental strain lead to burnout, which causes healthcare workers to quit their jobs and seek less strenuous employment opportunities.
Moreover, COVID-19 exacerbated the lack of human resources in healthcare. Nearly 20% of all American healthcare employees quit their jobs during the pandemic.
Expanding employee benefit packages, addressing mental health issues, and striving to achieve a healthier work-life balance can help healthcare organizations retain employees.
Geographical Limitations
The major healthcare talent pools center around metropolitan regions, while rural healthcare facilities often face enormous recruiting challenges. Top candidates will rarely consider moving to a rural area, which means limited access to quality healthcare for the local population.
Rural healthcare organizations can attract professionals through scholarship programs, tuition assistance, and appealing to candidates who like the idea of moving to a quieter, slower-paced area.
Insufficient Diversity
Even healthcare facilities that manage to retain staff often fail to achieve sufficient diversity among their workers. Diversity in healthcare is especially critical for organizations that serve large numbers of immigrant patients or populations with a specific ethnic or cultural profile. Employee diversity can help overcome cultural or language barriers.
Healthcare organizations can promote diversity by creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for all employees, addressing any issues of racism or bias, and encouraging diverse applicants to seek relevant positions.
The Solution: Work With Skilled Healthcare Recruitment Counselors
Talent acquisition in healthcare comes with a unique set of challenges. Workforce shortages, staff burnout, geographic limitations, and lack of diversity all make it difficult to source quality workers for healthcare organizations.
Working with a healthcare-focused recruitment agency like Fair Health Cares can help organizations overcome HR difficulties.
Contact us to learn more about our healthcare recruitment strategies.