4 Ways to Attract Allied Health Care Candidates During the Pandemic
Increase in allied health care demand across the country
Finding qualified and talented allied health care candidates is hard enough during “normal” years. Add in a pandemic and it makes everything much more difficult. Undoubtedly the COVID-19 pandemic has created an enormous amount of strain on healthcare systems across Canada. As a result, more and more nurse practitioners, occupational health nurses, etc. are required to keep up with the demand. On the other hand, there is a rise in job vacancies in the field. Job vacancies in health care and social assistance went up by 56.9%, during the last quarter of 2020.
There are a number of trends contributing to the vacancies. Including allied health care workers wanting to quit after the pandemic due to poor working conditions. Baby boomers are beginning to retire and the U.S. recruiting Canadian healthcare workers.
Recently graduated healthcare workers also “don't want to be held captive to their employer”. Instead of applying to those vacant positions, younger allied health care workers are opting to work on a casual basis as they don’t want to work in areas with a high workload and no time off.
How can I handle the staffing changes in the allied health care industry?
So what does this mean for private and public health care institutions? It means they will need to properly highlight why working at their institution is better than working at another. Those institutions will also need to update their recruitment screening process to ensure the people they are hiring are going to be staying for the long haul.
Here are 4 things you’ll want to do in order to attract high quality allied health care candidates.
#1 - Focus on work life balance
The covid-19 pandemic has caused people to rethink their career choices. Many nurse practitioners and occupational health therapists are trying to move away from working extended weeks to a more balanced lifestyle. That means they value time to work and time to relax. Highlighting the tools that your organization can offer such as; support staff, counseling, mental health programs, benefits, etc. will help your organization stand out. You want to focus on your candidates' specific needs and values in the changing environment.
#2 - Create Allied Health care Ambassadors
Make your best allied healthcare employees your brand ambassadors. Have those employees speak out about the culture of your organization. Allow them to voice their views on different outlets such as websites and social media. This will show the candidate what a typical work day might look like.
#3 - Compensate Accordingly
There is no denying that there is a shortage of quality nurse practitioners and occupational health nurses so your organization will need to be prepared to compensate competitively and offer different compensation packages accordingly. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement or loan repayment programs. These are just a few of the many ways your organization can create competitive compensation packages.
#4 - Hire a Recruiter
Recruiters are a great option to attract high demand allied health care candidates as they know the market, know the correct candidates and are experienced in screening and ensuring the fit is right. Campbell Morden offers allied health care staffing services so we know just how important it is to ensure your workers are of the highest quality. Leaning on a recruiter during a high demand spike is a cost effective way to get the best candidates for the role.
For more information about how Campbell Morden can help build your allied team....
