Staffing agencies have a crucial role in our healthcare system. Hospitals, small clinics, nursing homes, and other facilities frequently use them to fill permanent and temporary workforce needs.
Managing these agencies requires a specific set of resources and managerial skills. At around 20%, the healthcare industry has one of the highest turnover rates in the economy. And that figure refers to the pre-pandemic period, during which it increased significantly. Moreover, there is currently a shortage of healthcare workers across all positions, from physicians to surgeons to providers of custodial services.
This article will provide you with numerous tips that can make a difference when it comes to healthcare staffing and managing agencies.
Use niche platforms to post jobs
While it’s a good practice to post job offers on general platforms like Indeed, you should also take advantage of online job boards that target the healthcare industry specifically.
The number of such platforms is quite high and increasing. For example, Hospital Careers, HealthJobNationwide, and HealthECareers target all types of healthcare professionals, while Nurse.com and iHirePharmacy are explicitly directed at those looking for a job as nurses or as pharmacy workers.
Using a combination of general and niche platforms is usually the best tactic to reach an audience as wide as possible.
Use Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
ATS is a type of software that facilitates tracking the recruitment process. It can help you save time and resources by allowing you to keep track of every applicant’s progress in the recruitment process. Without such a tool, you would have to process, sort, and store each application manually, which can be a stressful and time-consuming activity. When using ATS, the software takes care of administrative issues and allows you to focus on identifying the best candidates to hire.
Develop relationships with desirable healthcare facilities
Workers may prefer certain employers over others. They don’t just look at which hospital or clinic is currently hiring but also at how each employer scores in terms of pay, work environment, benefits, employee well-being, and security. It’s important for healthcare staffing agencies to be in touch with workers’ sentiments on different employers and develop relationships with those employees find most desirable.
For example, one employer may give its workers generous discounts on medical services, provide them with access to additional training and implement modern cloud based video surveillance solutions, while another may lack in terms of workers’ benefits and security measures. In this case, the healthcare staffing agency should prioritize relationships with the first one.
Maintain multiple pools of candidates
One way to streamline the recruiting process is by maintaining a pool of candidates for different jobs and positions. Instead of having upper management and janitors in the same generic pools, you should have a pool for top management positions, one for lower management jobs, one for surgeons, one for physicians, one for nurses, and so on. This makes the filtering process much easier as you can filter the pool for other factors (e.g., experience), knowing that all the pool members are qualified for that particular position.
Use tools that allow you to verify workers quickly and effectively
Healthcare workers should be trained and certified for the specific positions they are applying to. This doesn’t just mean having the right educational background but also having passed specific tests for healthcare workers, such as board certification or National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Nowadays, various tools (e.g., Certification Matters) allow recruiters to verify workers digitally. This will help staffing agencies save money and time while also reducing errors.
Offer advice to workers on how to augment their skills
Workers often feel that they lack the complete range of skills and experience to apply for positions beyond the entry-level. In addition to basic recruiting services, staffing agencies can also advise workers on how to strengthen their resumes by completing specific training courses, interning, and getting the right certifications.
Offer advice to employers on how to improve employee retention
As mentioned early, healthcare employers deal with very high turnover rates compared to businesses in other industries. By surveying workers and understanding their goals and concerns, healthcare staffing agencies can offer healthcare facilities helpful advice on how to decrease their level of turnover and become more effective at keeping their workers satisfied and engaged.
