Thanks to the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), millions of previously uninsured Americans have been able to obtain health insurance – which has created quite a strain on the healthcare industry. 

The Society for Human Resource Management reports that healthcare staffing issues are only predicted to get worse under ACA. As more people seek medical care both from primary care services and emergency room visits, providers are predicted to face staffing shortages in terms of physicians, nurses, assistants, office help and more.

Not only are health care experts anticipating a swelling demand for employees, but they also predict a shift in the type of workers health care providers will need. As more people seek out care, needs will shift from emergency services to a greater demand for preventative care services.

So what can your organization do to ensure that you stay on top of these emerging trends and hire the best talent for your healthcare service?

Look for Ways to Combat Staffing Shortages

Sudden staffing shortages can wreak havoc with budgets and cause existing employees to suffer burnout from overwork, long hours and excessive stress. Anticipating such shortages can help you develop a plan to cope with such issues. One way to minimize the impact is to seek out recent graduates as part of your recruitment strategy. Consider forming alliances with nearby colleges and universities and regularly update job listings on their alumni job networks. Finding talent takes time, so cultivating relationships with up-and-coming students is a great way to attract new talent to your organization. Consider attending university job fairs and stay in contact with students set to graduate in the next few years.

Encourage Current Employees to Make Referrals

Your existing staff is one of your best resources for attracting top talent. Hiring through referrals has a number of key benefits. One study found that referred candidates are hired much faster than those found through job boards, an average of 29 days to hire for referred candidates versus 55 days for those found through job boards. Referred candidates are also less expensive to source and, according to one study, more likely to stay on the job longer. Approximately 46 percent of referred hires stay with the organization for at least one year, while only 33 percent of those hired through job sites were still with the company a year later. Employee retention is a key indicator of quality of hire, so it is important to pay attention to such metrics during your healthcare staffing efforts.

Automate Key Elements of the Hiring Process

Hiring can be a time-consuming process, and recent figures suggest that U.S. employers are taking longer than ever to bring new talent on board. New strategies have made it possible to automate some of the more arduous aspects of the process. Automated reference checking can drastically shorten hiring times; eliminating time wasted trying to call references and can actually lead to better feedback on job candidates. Other tools such as automated debriefing checkups and video interviewing can also be used effectively to hasten hiring and lead to better talent decisions.

Healthcare staffing can be a complex process, and recent changes to health insurance laws have only made this process that much more challenging. The field is poised to experience tremendous growth in the coming years, so it is essential to ensure that your approach to recruiting and talent acquisition are designed to attract the best possible talent to your organization.

What strategies do you use to staff your healthcare organization?

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