Having trouble finding nurses for your growing practice or facility? As a leading Sacramento medical staffing agency, Pacific MedStaff can tell you that you’re certainly not alone.
Hiring in healthcare, particularly nursing, is a big challenge today for organizations from small practices to large hospitals. It’s a perfect storm, really, where aging baby boomers are in need of more medical services, while bottlenecks in nursing education are constraining the talent pipeline.
The bottom line: There’s more demand than ever for nurses – which means you have to go beyond the traditional job posting to find them. Here are 4 tips to help you:
Tip #1: Get referrals from other nurses.
One of the best ways to recruit and hire new nurses is to ask your existing nursing staff for referrals. Nursing is a close-knit community and nursing employees generally want to help.
Plus, when an employee refers someone, that candidate is typically hired approximately two-thirds of the time. So your odds of finding new recruits via your existing staff are good.
Tip #2: Tap into the power of Facebook.
For most career fields, LinkedIn is generally the social media tool of choice. However, if you’re after nursing candidates, you’ll have better luck on Facebook, which has profiles for nearly 1.5 million nurses. Facebook advertising for recruitment is also an effective way to reach passive candidates who may not be looking for a new nursing job. You can target specific profiles based on location, connections, interests, and current employment.
Tip #3: Appeal to younger nurses.
Millennials are increasingly becoming the majority of the workforce. To keep up, you have to think about what’s important to them. Younger workers are especially looking for more scheduling flexibility, as well as professional development so they can advance their careers. So when you’re recruiting, pitch your mentoring, continuing education, and other career advancement opportunities.
Tip #4: Sell your job.
Don’t simply talk about what you need. Communicate how you can help candidates achieve their career goals. Also, sell the organization and what makes you unique. Top nurses have their pick of opportunities, so it’s up to you to appeal to them. Explain your commitment to quality; tools and resources that will be available to them if hired; and the positive work culture you can offer.
The nursing shortage isn’t going away anytime soon. But by following the tips above, you can increase your chances of finding and hiring top candidates for your nursing openings.
If you’d like more help with the process, contact Pacific MedStaff. As a leading Sacramento medical staffing agency, Pacific MedStaff can serve as your source for top RNs and LPNs, as well as medical specialists and medical administrative staff. Contact us today to learn more about our medical staffing services in Sacramento.