Plan Ahead to Avoid The Healthcare Staffing Shortage

An adage goes: an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Therefore, before being subjected to the horrors of sickness, preemptive efforts such as diet and exercise are highly prescribed. And if there is anyone who knows this piece of advice at best, it’s healthcare professionals.

Speaking of preemptive efforts, the looming problem of healthcare staffing shortage is something companies and organizations in the US should prepare to avoid. The pandemic pushed healthcare employees to the brink of exhaustion and burnout, resulting in many resigning from their posts. Reasons for burnout include a low sense of achievement, under-compensation, and mental health issues.

Even worse, after COVID-19’s containment, healthcare companies face the dilemma of getting healthcare professionals in the next few years. The pandemic has struck fear, particularly to potential healthcare workers, of how things can turn for the worse, making them rethink their career paths.

There have been efforts within hospitals and other healthcare institutions to take care of their current workforce so that they’ll still see value in their chosen career. For example, additional compensation, wellness counselling, and listening to employee feedback have been instigated so that modern-day heroes like doctors and nurses would keep to their calling’s greater purpose. But when it comes to replacing losses in the workforce now and soon, what will your organization do?

Here are some preventive measures your company can take in preparation for the healthcare staffing shortage that the industry may experience. With the suggestions below, your organization can hopefully create a talent pipeline of healthcare professionals ready to serve the community in the coming years

Build or be part of a community of healthcare professionals.

A good place to start creating your company’s talent pipeline is online, particularly in social media. If your organization has established a website or several social media handles, your readers, visitors, and followers already comprise members of the healthcare community. Engaging them through your content is an excellent means to introduce your company, as they may eventually feel enticed to send you an application.

Whether you post on your website or social media accounts, ensure that content is constantly updated, with variations in how netizens participate. Simple polls regarding hot-button issues in healthcare and live streams involving company activities are just examples of building an online following through engagement. In the constant updates of your content, make sure to throw in your company’s job vacancies. Long-time readers of your company blog or those who always comment on your posts will know a lot about the organization, and they’ll feel confident to know pretty well to whom they are applying.

Your company doesn’t have to start a community from scratch. Many online groups are dedicated to gathering professionals of the same interests and needs. Social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are home to these groups, and most probably, there are particular groups with individuals looking for jobs in the healthcare industry. Ask your recruitment team to look for these groups and find ways to become a member. From there, your team can post job vacancies and application details. Soon, your company’s inbox will be filled with resumes of job hunters eager to be part of your healthcare institution.

Start and maintain partnerships with schools.

Companies tapping on schools for recruitment is not a new thing. But it’s one approach that still works to date because it just makes perfect sense. Medicine and nursing schools have an integral part in compensating for the expected shortage of healthcare professionals, so you might as well go straight to the source.

Also, students undergoing residency or on-the-job training benefit a lot from companies that have built relationships with their schools. They can be sure that their school trusts the company, and there is almost an indirect recommendation to work for them in the future. Think of these benefits for your institution as you meet the nearing problem of a healthcare staffing shortage.

Your human resources team can send letters to various medicine and nursing schools on how you can approach their outgoing students for job offers. Ask the school if they host job fairs or internship programs and how your company can participate in them. You may even offer help in giving their alumni job opportunities. If the school has constant communication with their graduates, perhaps through an online newsletter sent through email, ask about how your organization can be part of the next monthly issue. A simple description of your company and a list of job opportunities would do.

Invite them to apply, even if they’re not seeking jobs.

Many companies resort to headhunting to fill out their job vacancy, and perhaps you should too. However, your search does not necessarily have to be within active job seekers. Chances are there are healthcare professionals out there who are thinking about shifting companies, even careers. A message from your company might be the sign they are looking for.

Choosing to whom you will send the invitation to apply might be tricky, as it depends on what the vacancy is and how relevant it is to the background of the person receiving it. Ensure that your recruitment team has researched enough on what backgrounds may work well with your organization’s job postings. For example, nurses who have worked in a hospital may find their way in clinics or as resident nurses for any company.

Take note that while active job hunters are the primary target, you can also consider those currently employed for fair game. After all, a message from your human resources team can still be considered planting a seed. The recipient of the message may feel honored to be headhunted, and they’ll keep an eye on your company. Whether the headhunted healthcare professional is employed or not, they are still part of your talent pipeline.

Open your search to a global level. 

It sounds like an ambitious move to invite overseas healthcare professionals to work for a company in the US, but in truth, this is the logical next move. Different countries are experiencing a surplus of healthcare workers, so unemployed professionals will see working for your company as a lovely opportunity.

If your company is interested in preparing for the healthcare staffing shortage by getting quality nurses of global prowess, PRS Global is here for you. As a premier healthcare staffing firm, you are assured that nurses you will employ have excellent professional standing and are well-introduced to the promising environment of healthcare in the US. They’ll also receive assistance in relocating to the US and continued support as they perform their duties. PRS Global understands the alarm caused by this imminent healthcare staffing shortage, which is why you must put your trust in PRS Global in creating your talent pipeline.

Talking to PRS Global is your first preventive step against the healthcare staffing shortage. Reach out to us today.