Recruiting is a hard game in general, but even more so when you look at the healthcare industry. Healthcare recruiters continue to face an uphill battle in the competition for talent to staff clinical positions and non-clinical support staff positions across the industry. Healthcare industry statistics show an increased demand for healthcare workers—and a shortage of workers over the next decade. This means healthcare recruiters will have to get creative to overcome the odds.

Healthcare Industry Statistics Show Extremely High Demand

First, the bad news for healthcare recruiters sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Association of American Medical Colleges:

• Healthcare support occupations and healthcare practitioners will comprise one-fifth of all new jobs by 2026, containing 13 of the 30 fastest growing careers. That’s good news for job seekers in the industry, but the competition for top talent for healthcare recruiters will increase dramatically.
• By 2030, there will be a supply and demand problem. Trends seem to show that there will be fewer physicians (in the range of 42,600 to 121,300) than necessary to provide the care needed for an aging population.

You Will Need To Increase The Benefits You Offer To Stay Competitive

According to Health eCareers Healthcare Recruiting Trends Report for last year:

• 67.3% of those surveyed offered sign-on bonuses as a recruiting tactic for healthcare professionals
• 55.1% of those surveyed offered relocation assistance to recruit for positions in the healthcare industry

These healthcare industry statistics show how getting your prospective hire in the door with a signing bonus, relocation assistance, or other perks can help your talent acquisition team stay competitive. In fact, these perks may become a necessary norm. Salary negotiations may be tougher as well because candidates will have the upper hand as they become in greater demand.

Branding Can Help You Draw In Top Talent

According to a report from Healthcare Recruiters International:

• The majority of healthcare job candidates, over 90% in fact, believed employer branding was an essential recruitment tool in the hiring process.
• The most commonly used recruitment resource by healthcare job candidates, at 75%, was the employer website.

These healthcare industry statistics indicate that there is hope—recruiters must engage in a long-term strategy to increase their branding, paying particular attention to their employer website. While various recruitment marketing strategies may be essential to candidate engagement through avenues like social media and building talent pipelines, focusing on brand and improving the portal of entry can be valuable as the competition increases.

Aim To Make The Candidate Experience Excellent

According to The Talent Board’s latest survey of rejected candidates:

• 42.7% of candidates who are referred (but ultimately not chosen for the job) still apply again, refer others, or continue to engage with a potential employer in other positive ways. So while talent acquisition professionals know that employee referrals are a great way to find a quality source of hire, now it’s also clear that they continue to be a great source even when rejected.
• Providing job-related feedback to candidates makes them 52% more likely to apply again, refer others, or continue to engage with a potential employer in other positive ways. Thus, taking the time to engage with “rejected” talent can help you maintain a pipeline of potential future talent.
• When candidates are rejected by phone, they are 28% more likely to apply again or refer others to the company.

The candidate experience during the hiring process is part of your brand. When rejected candidates feel they were treated poorly, they can put negative reviews on sites like LinkedIn. Cultivating a talent pool in the face of candidate shortages is extremely important, and it’s nice to know that simple courtesies like phone calls or tailored feedback can nurture potential future candidates that will be in such high demand.

When taking a look at healthcare industry statistics, the main takeaways for your future success in healthcare recruitment are to lay the groundwork for the future, treat serious candidates courteously, court them with competitive benefits, and build your brand with recruitment marketing strategies. It’s also important to stay up-to-date on the latest healthcare industry statistics and trends. When it comes to healthcare recruiting, being diligent and creative will go a long way.