6 Things Recruiters Do to Hire Healthcare Workers

One of the biggest hurdles that the COVID-19 pandemic threw, is the shortage of healthcare workers. And the challenge? It lies in quickly hiring healthcare workers.

The system is reaching its maximum capacity, and healthcare professionals themselves are starting to get sick. As a result, they need to be quarantined, confined into hospitals, staying inside nursing homes, and many other healthcare facilities.

The point nails home: the system needs additional help and backup healthcare staff.

As the crisis worsens, states and federal governments are pressuring staffing and recruiting professionals to ramp up and get creative in their efforts to get more healthcare workers on-board.

"Due to COVID-19, there are many positions right now that are crucial. Every hospital across the country is potentially short-handed. As some of our healthcare workers get exposed and possibly come down with the virus, this will place a further strain on an already strained system."

~ Greg Musto, CEO of The Roman Healthcare Group, a member of the Sanford Rose Associates network

Many recruiters and staffing professionals are left to pick up the slack. But how are they stepping up? And for medical staff, how are they raising the bar and adapting to the solutions for their business?

#1 Using remote screening tools

The recruiting strategies in the spotlight right now are video interviewing and conferencing. Every recruiter in the country is ensuring that they have the knowledge and the tools necessary to video-screen their candidates.

In addition, it also means helping candidates get up to speed and help them take a shine on video calls. A lot more video interviews are being used as a final interview, as opposed to medical job candidates visiting the site for a one-on-one interview.

#2 Fast-tracking the hiring process

Some hospitals need infection preventionists everyday for a 13-26 week assignment. Systems that usually take 1-2 weeks to approve contracts for interim candidates are receiving approval in mere hours. The sense of urgency is evidently more exponential.

A lot of long-time client hospitals are putting their trust in Locum Tenens to connect candidate to a healthcare provider.

#3 Asking for help from struggling industries

Instead of trying to look for new sources of talent, lots of savvy staffing firms have reached out to credentialed professionals who temporarily don't have work.

Schools are closed and lots of school nurses are out there -- just one example of a group of healthcare professionals who temporarily don't have a job. New candidates need to be oriented as swiftly as possible, so you help supplement hospital and long-term care needs.

#4 Staying true to values

Recruiting teams and staff management people are exercising patience, persistence, and pleasantness when it comes to dealing with candidates. We need to keep in mind that candidates, whether they're active or passive, would appreciate a recruiter who is candid, honest, and who follows-up.

They also give residents a way to communicate with their families via technology, because they can't have visitors anymore. It goes a long way with residents, staff, and families. Apart from taking care of patients, caring for residents should also be a high priority.

#5 Doing their part to stop the spread

In the current social climate, everyone wants to contribute to stop the spread of the virus. Hiring people and giving them work means contributing to the community and to the healthcare system as well. Recruiters and staff managers are on a mission to ensure that everyone gets a paycheck.

In addition, employees themselves are eager to help others as well. But before new employees are sent out to report, recruitment officers need to make sure that they're doing their part to stop the virus. Hiring new staff needs to be done as safely as possible.

#6 To complete and do what they're good at

A lot of healthcare staffers and recruiters work with partners who are in the middle of dire situations.

HR departments are constantly evolving and growing to help clients and new candidates at the drop of a hat. Just think of it as another recruitment venture, except it's on a much larger scale.