The last two years have majorly changed the recruitment trends in the healthcare industry. Covid-19 has disrupted every industry, but healthcare has seen some of the biggest changes in the two-year span compared to other industries. While this can be good news, it also means that there are a lot of unpredictable factors in how the industry functions.
Recruitment has not been unaffected by the pandemic and what was once a fairly reliable recruitment process has changed. New skills are being taken into account and potential recruits are expected to meet different expectations than they have in the past.
Whether you’re looking to find a job in the healthcare industry this year or you’re simply curious about the changes made, here are some of the top recruitment trends to be aware of in the healthcare industry this year. Also, This is a career that pays very well and offers a lot of room for continuing education with a master’s degree in the Healthcare section.
1. Desire for Technology-Driven Skill Set
Virtual healthcare took off when Covid-19 hit. All around the globe, healthcare professionals were forced to turn to teleconsultations in order to continue seeing patients. Some countries went into lockdowns where no one was permitted to leave their house without reason or outside of a certain radial distance.Â
The pandemic had a direct influence on the increase of teleconsultations and even once it eventually comes to an end and people are able and willing to travel to and from an office, many patients are expected to continue virtual appointments as they provide healthcare in a much more accessible manner than before.Â
In 2022, healthcare recruiters are looking heavily at the technological skills of potential recruits. Being able to work virtually and provide high-quality care even through a screen is a skill that many recruiters are not willing to overlook.Â
2. Virtual Hiring
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Due to the continued shortage of healthcare professionals, virtual hiring processes are expected to remain in place. Many hospitals and healthcare facilities simply do not have the means to conduct in-person interviews at the moment and have leaned into conducting virtual interviews.
Since virtual hiring will likely be the choice option for many organizations, knowing how to succeed in a virtual interview will be a key factor in the decision-making process. Virtual hiring processes also allow recruiters to see how technologically skilled a candidate is.
3. Early and Proactive Engagement
Also in line with the shortage of healthcare workers is early and proactive engagement with recruits.
Before the pandemic, many healthcare companies made a point to proactively engage recruits for executive and other upper-level positions, but not with entry-level candidates. This is quickly changing as healthcare companies everywhere are in desperate need of workers with any experience.
Both before and during the hiring process, organizations are making a conscious effort to reach out and work with potential recruits in an effort to encourage them to apply and choose their organization.Â
4. High Focus on Diversity
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Although many organizations have been striving for more diverse recruitment, this became especially true in 2020 and 2021. It’s expected to continue being the main focus for many employers as it is still a dominating topic across social platforms and in newsrooms.
Many healthcare organizations will be looking to improve their diversity and equality across the board. Companies that are serious in their interest for inclusion, however, have extensive diversity roadmaps and strategies in place and those that are simply looking to tick boxes will be easy to weed out.
Diversity and inclusion are playing a key role in recruitment trends this year and companies that aren’t serious about creating a more accepting, equal environment are expected to face trouble. Whether that’s in not finding enough candidates or losing trust from their current workers, healthcare companies that don’t include diversity won’t be as successful.
5. Emphasis on Employee Retention
Covid-19 has had a huge and undeniable impact on healthcare workers. Almost 20% of healthcare workers quit at the beginning of the pandemic and about 12% were laid off. Of those that remained, 1 in 3 considered leaving.Â
With such a disastrous impact on the number of healthcare workers available and those that feel like they can safely work, healthcare recruiters are placing a huge emphasis on employee retention. Even without the pandemic, constant employee turnover is expensive for any industry. In an effort to reduce the employee turnover rate and increase their workforce, the healthcare industry is expected to make more arrangements for incoming workers.
Things such as a living wage, acceptable hours, positive work culture, and prospective opportunities are all reasons a worker might look for work elsewhere. In hopes of improving employee retention, healthcare organizations are assessing their current job offers and ways that they can change them to create a more enticing workplace.
With this in mind, those looking for a job in healthcare have a very powerful negotiation tool. Many organizations are willing to make adjustments and negotiate hours, wages, and other aspects of the job in hopes of finding more workers.
6. Securing Data
With the rise in the use of technology for healthcare, organizations are expected to provide more security for patient data. Paper charts, filing cabinets, and email notifications are expected to be replaced in favor of secure online portals. Online portals aren’t impenetrable, though, and healthcare organizations will need to put an emphasis on IT teams in order to protect sensitive data.
Healthcare organizations will prioritize data protection and to do so, they’re expected to expand their IT teams and security protocols.Â
Data protection for healthcare organizations looks different from other industries as it must meet rigorous standards. In order to accommodate these needs and ensure all healthcare standards and regulations are met, organizations will need to hire data privacy specialists to join and improve their teams.
A Recruit’s World
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With the current and expected recruitment trends in the healthcare industry, it’s safe to say that it’s the prospective recruit’s playground. There are many improvements being made by healthcare organizations in order to improve employee work-life and due to the nationwide worker shortage, potential recruits have a lot of negotiating power in their hands.
When it comes to recruiting in the healthcare industry this year, we expect to see many changes all across the board. From desired skills to the hiring and interview process, a lot will be different.
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