The healthcare industry faces a looming talent shortage. As experienced professionals retire, attracting young, enthusiastic talent becomes crucial. But how do you reach a generation raised on instant gratification, social impact, and technological innovation? With the right strategies and tools, healthcare organizations can appeal to the values and aspirations of the new generation of professionals. Here, we delve into reliable and innovative recruitment strategies to entice young talent towards fulfilling careers in healthcare.
As the last Baby Boomers retire and Gen X starts to leave the workforce, Millennials and Gen Z will need to be ready to fill the great void in healthcare. A recent study by the American Hospital Association revealed that one in five healthcare positions remain unfilled in 2024, and EMSI data suggests that there will be a shortage of up to 3.2 million healthcare workers by 2026.
Never before has an entire industry faced an impending talent shortage of this impact before. But we can overcome all the doom and gloom by getting a new, young audience who is eager for success and belonging. So before diving into specific strategies, it's essential to understand what drives young professionals today. Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) prioritize:
- Purpose and Impact: They want to work in roles that make a difference.
- Work-Life Balance: Flexibility and a healthy work-life balance are critical.
- Career Development: Opportunities for growth and learning are highly valued.
- Technology: They expect modern, efficient technology in their workplaces.
- Authenticity: They value transparency and authenticity from employers.
How Employer Brand Attracts Young Talent
Establishing a strong employer brand goes a long way in conveying your company image to the world and attracting younger talent. Millennials and Gen Z value purpose-driven work and are drawn to organizations with clear missions and values. A compelling employer brand message answers the question, "Why do people work and stay here?" and aligns with the motivations of young career seekers.
Young talent wants content that gives them an authentic view of what it’s like to work in your organization, and more specifically in a field, facility, or even to the unit level. When you incorporate employer branding and messaging into your job descriptions, you have a powerful tool that attracts, engages, informs, and converts – so much more than your ATS job description alone.
Your employer brand should reflect your values and what makes your workplace unique. Focus messaging on current employee experiences, and the meaningful impact of a career with you on patients and the community. Utilize testimonials and employee spotlights on your social media sites to acknowledge the work of current employees and show potential ones what it might be like to work alongside them. Produce videos that showcase your workplace culture, including interviews with employees and highlights of company events & achievements.
You have so many ways to demonstrate that you care beyond the walls of your facility and showcase what you do for your employees when they are not in scrubs. Your employer brand messaging bears the burden of articulating those efforts and appealing to the desire of young talent for purpose, integrity, and authenticity in the employers they consider.
Authentic Storytelling
Authentic content and storytelling are crucial in attracting young talent. The story of what makes each employee choose you and the reasons they stay with you are at the heart of your employer value proposition. And when those stories are told through the voices of your employees, they connect to candidates in a personal way and draw them into thinking about how they can make an impact on the community and do life changing work like the person they just heard from. This can be achieved through:
- Videos of every community event, hiring event, employee appreciation event, and internal event that involves an employee and a patient in a positive way.
- Patient Stories: Share real stories from patients who have benefited from the care provided by your organization and specific teams. These stories can be shared on social media, your website, and during recruitment events. Let them express their gratitude and highlight the positive impact your employee had on their lives.
- Day in the Life Showcase: Create a video series showcasing a typical day for different healthcare roles – a nurse navigating a busy shift, a lab technician conducting vital tests, or a physical therapist guiding a patient's recovery.
- Employee Spotlights: Interview your young healthcare professionals and let them share their career journeys, motivations, and what excites them about working at your company in a specific facility/unit and the impact of their work in their personal life. Ask them to tell stories about what family members feel about their career choice.
- Employee-Generated Content - Encourage your employees to create and share content about their experiences on their personal social networks for visibility and use on your recruitment and internal channels.
- Blog Posts and Articles: Feature blog posts written by employees about their roles, career journeys, and personal experiences in healthcare. Encourage them to post on LinkedIn for reach.
- Social Media Takeovers: Allow employees to take over your social media channels for a day to share their work experiences and insights.
And of course, all of these stories should be told on your job descriptions. The skills required, daily responsibilities of the role, and generic list of benefits are no longer enough to attract talent and differentiate your organization from your competition. If your story is not being told, candidates will not know what makes your company the right career choice for them.
Flexible & Diverse Career Paths
Flexible working hours and schedules, remote work options, and part-time or ‘fractional’ opportunities are no longer an extra in terms of benefits, but are now a priority for young career seekers. The pandemic and rising gas and energy prices have helped this become more of the norm, and even as the debate on ‘return-to-work’ rages, organizations will absolutely need to continue to consider this in terms of attracting and retaining talent.
Generous paid time off policies, childcare support, same-day pay for hourly workers, and even gym memberships and personal trainers are benefits that healthcare organizations are using to attract talent and differentiate themselves. This is driving not only younger, but also more diverse talent who are benefiting from these unique perks of employment at local hospitals and facilities and that are often the main reason people make a decision to join.
The ability to move up or laterally within an organization is also highly important, and helps you to retain more talent by giving your seasoned employees opportunities to learn something new, while filling their roles with new talent. You’ll get a better ROI and enjoy higher retention rates when you hire internally for more experienced roles.
A Clearly Defined Role
Candidates want to know what they’re getting into before applying, but the expectation of what a role may entail is often not the reality of the role, especially in healthcare. Be sure the information you include on your job descriptions is an accurate representation of what candidates will do on a day-to-day basis and what you expect of them prior to applying. This is one way for the ‘wrong-fit’ candidates to self-select themselves out of the application process, freeing time for recruiters and hiring managers to focus on the right talent.
When it comes to salary and benefit transparency – be transparent. And stick to that throughout the interview and selection process. Knowing the perks, training, and advancement opportunities for a role up front helps your team become more efficient and inspires more candidate trust.
Remember that it’s okay to be clear on what you expect from candidates – during the process and as they become employees. The right candidates should understand that they are being invited to apply if they are the right fit for the role. Young adults who are now at the start of their careers are more aware than any other generations of the competition for talent and the clarity they expect when making huge life choices.
Competitive Salary, Benefits, Transparency, and Integrity
Millennials and Gen Z care a lot about workplace culture, sometimes more than they do about salary when making a career decision. That doesn’t mean they don’t care what they get paid, but they do expect salary transparency and won’t undersell themselves. A competitive salary shows candidates you know what they’re worth, and a great culture is what cultivates when you continue to recognize the value of your people.
Paid leave, retirement plans, health insurance, debt relief for student loans in certain positions, flex time, remote work for some roles, and childcare reimbursement are all important benefits these generations consider. For roles with unique bonus opportunities or compensation structures, candidates will give extra thought and care as they consider the job at your organization over another.
Millennials and Gen Z are looking for you to back up your promises. They know what an employer brand is, and they will look to see that the image you project is backed up in practice. These generations are tech savvy, information-driven, and they will do their research. They also value consistency and follow through. Call back and update candidates on the interview process; don’t leave them hanging. If candidates feel prioritized and cared for from the beginning, they can trust that your branding is built around real values that you aim to emulate in all aspects of the business.
A Workplace that Talent Craves and Thrives In
The new generation of healthcare workers wants to feel like they are making a difference, and know that their employer prioritizes that as well. They are often thought of as rejecting the “old” ways, but in fact they are eager to learn and thrive on challenge and opportunity. They look for ways to move up or take on new roles within the workplace, and value mentorship as a way to learn more about the company and feel connected to a unified purpose. Hospitals and healthcare providers that succeed at recruiting and retaining talent like this have a better chance of connecting more experienced employees with early careerists in a structured environment. This is not only good for young talent but will help build trust and morale for everyone on your team. Solid coaching, training, and inter-generational bonding helps you retain talented candidates and improve work performance.
You want to create and nurture a culture that encourages fresh ideas and embraces new technologies, workplace innovation, creativity, and self-awareness. Let young people know their input is valued and their internal wellness is supported. Many healthcare organizations are now employing wellness coordinators who operate exclusively as support for employees going through emotional, social, and family challenges of all kinds. Ten years ago, a position like this would be considered unnecessary, but now is a crucial resource ensuring the well-being of thousands of healthcare workers across the industry.
Personalize the Experience
Even now that you know what Millennial and Gen Z generations prioritize in terms of career choices, you are ultimately looking for an individual with unique strengths and experience all their own. If you focus on the characteristics that you are looking for in a candidate that make them a unique fit for the role, they will be able to envision themselves in the role rather than trying to connect your requirements to their skills. The search now becomes more about fit than requirements, and that’s important to young career seekers.
Once candidates can make the connection to a role that says, "That sounds like me" and continue to engage with you or give you data directly – you can now personalize every communication going forward. Targeted ads that include their name and desired role or career path, personalized career site pages with the types of info you know they are interested in, and related content served on other sites they visit are common ways to use technology to personalize the candidate experience for the talent you are trying to convert.
Leverage Technology
Leveraging technology is crucial for attracting young talent like Millennials and Gen Z to healthcare roles. Virtual career fairs provide a dynamic platform for showcasing opportunities, allowing candidates to interact and interview with employers from anywhere. Generative AI can craft personalized job recommendations and enhance job descriptions, making the job search process more relevant and engaging for younger job seekers. Chatbots offer 24/7 assistance, answering queries instantly and guiding candidates through the application process. Predictive analytics can identify trends in candidate behavior, helping recruiters tailor their strategies to attract the best talent. It can also identify candidates who are likely to succeed and stay with your organization long-term.
Mobile-friendly interfaces are essential, as Millennials and Gen Z predominantly use smartphones for job searches. Ensuring that job applications and career sites are optimized for mobile devices increases accessibility and conversion. Accessibility features, such as screen reader compatibility and simplified navigation, ensure that all candidates, including those with disabilities, can access job opportunities. By using AI-driven insights, recruiters can create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with younger audiences.
Technology also allows for more efficient data management, enabling recruiters to track and analyze candidate interactions and preferences. Virtual reality (VR) can be used to give potential hires a realistic preview of the work environment, enhancing their interest and commitment. Automated scheduling and screening tools streamline the interview process, reducing the time between application and hiring. Integrating social media platforms with recruitment strategies can amplify reach and attract passive candidates.
Gamification of the recruitment process can make applying for jobs more engaging for younger candidates. Using data analytics to refine job descriptions ensures they are appealing and relevant to the target demographic. With technology, healthcare organizations can build stronger employer brands that resonate with the values and expectations of Millennials and Gen Z. Ultimately, embracing these technological advancements can lead to a more efficient, engaging, and inclusive recruitment process, attracting the best young talent to the healthcare industry.
Be Where Young Adults Are – Social Sites
To attract young talent, you need to engage with young audiences where they are – Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Use these platforms for career fairs, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your facility, and Q&A sessions with healthcare professionals and recruiters.
Instagram: Create engaging content that showcases day-to-day life in your organization, highlights employee achievements, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at healthcare roles. A consistent approach will reap the most benefit long term on social, and Instagram is a great example of community building and storytelling.
TikTok: Over a third of young adults in the US use TikTok daily. It’s a fun, engaging, and captivating platform with lots of opportunity for content creators to test their branding and marketing abilities. No other platform has been proven to grow audiences faster or bigger, so this absolutely needs to be a consideration when building a social strategy.
YouTube: It’s owned by Google and is considered the #2 most used search engine in the world. All your long-form videos should be hosted and optimized here, then edited into short-form content for other social platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
LinkedIn: This is the fastest growing career platform for Millennials and Gen Z. Use LinkedIn to share job postings, company updates, and articles relevant to the healthcare industry. Engage with potential candidates through direct messaging and networking. Encourage your managers to update their profiles and share jobs across their networks.
Gamification
Gamification can make the recruitment process more engaging and appealing to younger candidates. Skills and knowledge assessments can be gamified and scored, with leaderboards and virtual swag awards to nurture a culture of friendly competition among candidates. The results of these games can provide insights into candidate’s capabilities and strengths while at the same time giving candidates a taste of what working in different healthcare roles could be like.
Elegant & Integrated Applicant Tracking System
Your ATS used to only have the responsibility of collecting candidate data, fairly. Now, it is responsible for attracting candidates (if they sell you on SEO which most ATSs fail miserably on), informing candidates about the requirements and skills needed for the job, and ensuring that they convert into applicants (just to name a few). As we’ve preached before (OPTIMIZING HEALTHCARE JOB DESCRIPTIONS), your job description may be your only opportunity to connect with talent, so you’ve got to make it the best experience within your recruitment arsenal and ensure the entrance into your ATS is seamless.
Smart candidates will not go through a disconnected, cumbersome, redundant apply process in its entirety. It’s a window into how the company manages their business and their people. A user-friendly interface, a clear process that doesn’t repeat steps and requirements, and one that transitions seamlessly from your career site or media from a brand and messaging perspective will increase your application conversion rates. Young talent views the approach to technology and content marketing as one that is understood or not understood.
Tracking and tagging the actions taken (and not taken) in your ATS will also be essential in understanding applicant behavior and optimizing your application process. Integration and data sharing with your media and destination partners becomes even more of a challenge as first-party data replaces cookie-based tracking. So, the more data you collect from candidates will help you connect with them in the future.
Partnerships: Reaching Young Talent Before They Choose Career Paths
Build relationships with local high schools, universities, colleges, and vocational schools with healthcare programs. Offer internship opportunities, participate in career fairs, and guest lecture to educate students about the diverse career paths available within healthcare. Consider a similar recruitment approach that the military takes before young adults are even eligible for serving – cast a wide net for branding and visibility and then use high-touch recruiter tools and tactics to develop and forge connections with potential candidates so when they are ready to make a career decision, they consider you a top company to join.
Investing in Young Talent Today
Attracting young talent to healthcare roles requires a multifaceted approach that combines showcasing the impact and purpose of healthcare careers with innovative recruitment techniques and the use of modern technology. By understanding the values and expectations of young professionals, leveraging social media, offering flexible career paths, and providing authentic content and storytelling, healthcare organizations can successfully attract and retain the next generation of healthcare professionals. Young professionals are not just looking for a job; they're seeking a career path that aligns with their values and allows them to make a real difference.
Investing in these strategies not only helps fill crucial open roles now but also ensures that the healthcare industry thrives with passionate, dedicated, and skilled professionals. As the landscape of work and technology evolves, staying adaptable and forward-thinking will be key to engaging and inspiring young talent in healthcare.
