Human Resource Managers are facing a problem of recruiting high-skilled medical professionals on a global level. Healthcare organisations have realised this problem and have devised ways of addressing it through innovative solutions supposed to improve the hiring process in the healthcare industry.

With reference to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the US, new data announced that from 2016 to 2026, 2.4 million new jobs will be added to the healthcare industry. This is the result of mainly the ageing population within physicians which contributes to a greater demand for healthcare services around the world. The average age for health practitioners in the Life Science sector is 55 years old, hence, the need for future talent is in immediate demand.

However, the ongoing advancement within the healthcare sector has transformed the way the industry functions, hires and manages its employees making it more candidate-centric. Companies have also resorted to recruiting consultancy firms to cope with such advancements and help strategize ways to determine qualified candidates.

When hiring into the medical field, it is paramount to be aware of new and essential trends for finding highly qualified professionals. In previous years, there has often been an apparent mismatch between the growing technological advances and the expertise that workers presently acquire. Due to the ongoing changes in medical innovation, it is estimated that by 2020 approximately 850,000 jobs requiring digital skills will be created worldwide. Henceforth, companies should reinforce certain soft skills that correspond with such technological changes. For example, such abilities include communication, adaptability and empathy skills. This will enhance workers’ performance and compliment their hard skills, that is, skills acquired through education and repetition. Companies should also take the initiative to go a step further by providing regular training programmes to practice such skills.

Building a stronger company brand name would help attract talent as well. A recent survey of 240,000 students from several elite schools indicated that among a list of prominent business, only two companies from the Life Sciences industry were chosen as a possible suitor. Adjusting the image of companies within the healthcare sector by utilizing current forms of social media platforms is an effective way to break stereotype ideology. It is also useful for displaying relevant and productive work or activities that were done.

Recruitment firms can further assist companies in the healthcare sector with generating a reliable talent pool with passive and active candidates. Doing so can promote candidate engagement and relationships, which are ideal when it comes to tackling hard-to-fill positions. To add further to that point, there is the possibility of recruitment outside the medical field. For example, although the advancement in robot-assisted surgery is still in its infancy stage, the demand for such technology is needed. This will, in turn, increase the urgency to recruit qualified workforce in the research and development field such as hardware and software developers, electrical engineers and even roboticists. For similar reasons, the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) in the UK, for example, created a workforce intelligence unit in 2013 to collect high-quality workforce data to ensure precise decision-making when it comes to recruitment, training and staffing inside and outside the medical field.

Ultimately, in the years to come managers within the medical industry will have to address skills shortages with an effective system for recruiting. Such solutions can generate a positive impact on the talent acquisition process, creating an ease when it comes to hiring and recruiting.

References:

1. The Importance of Soft Skills in the Healthcare Profession, iCIMS
2. Recruiting and Hiring in Healthcare Industry: Challenges and How-to’s, August 2017, Talentlyft
3. Healthcare Job growth outpaced nearly every other sector in 2018, January 2019, HealthleadersMedia
4. Talent Acquisition Professionals: Technology Is Changing Your Job—And That’s a Good Thing, September 2018, Cornerstone OnDemand 
5. Robot-Assisted Surgery: Why It’s Growing Fast & It’s Impact on Hiring. December 2018, Healthcare Recruiters International
6. Workforce Intelligence Unit. IPEM
7. Building The Talent of The Future – EY