As CEO of a healthcare recruitment company, I know that the nationwide nursing shortage has forced healthcare organizations to embrace the latest technologies that have an emphasis on creating a great candidate experience. In other words, it’s a tight market and so to succeed, you have to have a good recruitment system.
These are the six steps that help healthcare organizations create a world-class recruitment organization, and I think the same strategy can be applied to any business that has similar staffing challenges.
1. Source passive candidates and build a talent community.
Finding prospective candidates is the first step. Technology now gives us the ability to access millions of prospective candidates by scouring the internet and knowing what to look for through keyword searches, candidate work experience, capabilities and similarly situated employers.
Having the right software is like having a metal detector when scouring a beach. There are those who still randomly dig holes in hope of finding treasure, but cutting-edge organizations are more targeted in their approach.
2. It’s all about the candidate.
In today’s fast-paced world, the experience for candidates during the recruitment process must be lean and clean.
Tailor message for coders, designers, Millennials, Southerners, etc.
When recruiting candidates, the process should be customized specifically based on demographics. This might mean customization for the role they would play or customization for their particular generation. If the recruitment message is not tailored specifically for the the individual, it’s more likely to fall on deaf ears.
As we developed our process, we knew IT staffers, RN’s and doctors all communicated using their own unique language and approach. In the Age of Twitter, recruitment messaging must be quick and to the point. Word economy is king.
Come on in!
And when asking for information from the potential applicant, I recommend never asking for more than necessary: name, email are the best way to interact, so make it a low hurdle for the individual to step over as they inquire about the position. This means being candidate-centric, rather than employer-centric.
3. Give recruiters tech that makes them more productive.
Because they are people persons.
Let’s face it, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Most recruiters are poor at administrative tasks and attention to detail while their strength is the interpersonal communication that connects with an applicant.
We want our recruiters building relationships with the candidates and earning their trust so they close the deal. Don’t let the process fail because you push someone to do a task that is outside of their core competency. It’s important to provide recruiters the tools to organize their day, prioritize candidates from the candidate pool based on qualifications, eliminate phone tag with candidate through self scheduling and automate responses and reminders for both the recruiters and the candidates to stay top of mind.
When you make it easy for the recruiter, more candidates stay in the pipeline ad recruiters can do what they do best.
4. Get personal.
Use their name and text them.
Think about how people communicate today, primarily through texting. Despite this obvious fact, how many companies have made texting possible for communication with applicants? This can be accomplished with texting technology built into the communication platform.
Sync their social network’s with yours.
Also keep in mind what it means to build a relationship with a candidate. People join other people within organizations more than they join a corporate entity. Connecting their personal networks with the organization’s networks helps to bridge that gap. In today’s world of social media, it’s a natural extension of the relationship building process.
Video!
Two other tools that we have found effective in recruitment are video communication to interact face to face and without awkward delays and personal messages with a high-touch interaction. These should also be recorded for tracking and follow up purposes.
5. Data is gold.
Technology systems are full of information and data which are little nuggets of gold knowledge to help you recruit!
Utilizing those information nuggets to make informed decisions, interact with candidates and create a customer experience that is high touch creates an unexpected level of service in the recruitment process. Think about it, when was the last time you heard a candidate say something nice about the recruitment process?
Do the math.
Another use of the data rich information is putting the science behind recruiting: what size funnel do you need to hire 100 RNs, how many NPs are available in a community, what are you learning from all the candidates your recruiters are talking to?
Using data analysis to build a platform of expertise and knowledge to inform recruiters and clients and to anticipate trends is the way to supercharge the process.
6. Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics tools, based on empirically tested and proven research, can be used to determine length of tenure, turnover and service orientation.
So, in addition to screening for education and competencies, use predictive analytics to help map candidates and employee behavior to screen and hire the best person for the job and organization.
The recruitment process is more competitive than ever. Even with the most advanced technology and data, it’s still challenging due to the labor environment we are in today. Winning at this game means constantly improving the tools, customizing the experience, and differentiating yourself.
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Jill Schwieters is founder and president of Cielo Healthcare, the world’s leading provider of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions for the healthcare industry. Cielo Healthcare leverages its deep healthcare expertise and customized, innovative solutions and entrepreneurial agility to enable organizations to improve quality and reduce the cost of care.
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