5 Effective Tips For Recruiting Offline Nurses
Simply Hired Staff
Nurses are the backbone of every healthcare organization. Currently, there are serious nursing shortages all over the country, and it is predicted those shortages will continue into the future. There simply aren’t enough nurses to fill demand, and an aging population. You will need to think outside the box as you seek to recruit talented nurses – you may limit your options by only utilizing an online or social media approach.
While social media and other online resources are widely used in recruiting today, not every talented candidate in the industry can be found online. According to studies, approximately 10% of adults are still not using the internet at all, and about 30% of adults decline to use social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc). Younger folks are far more likely than older folks to use social media, although all ages access the platforms. It is valuable to determine where your candidate pool participates in educational and professional activities and, therefore, where to focus your recruiting efforts.
See the tips below for recruiting nurses who are less active (or inactive) online:
Employee Referrals
If you already have a strong team of nurses and need to replace or add to your talent, consider asking every top-performing nurse for recommendations. You might offer bonuses or other rewards for successful hires that result from an internal referral, to encourage participation. These bonuses can be offered both to the new hire, and to the professional who referred them.
The Old-School Method
Advertise in newspapers, community circulars, and any other print publications that may be preferred by the types of nurses you’re targeting. Even if they don’t see it, someone may tell them about an advertisement. Print can also result in word-of-mouth referrals!
University & Technical College Recruiting
While most young people are online, there are some who have refrained from using social media, or the usual channels that would let you reach them. Consider working with local schools that have nursing degree programs. You can set up internships for students, participate in job fairs held on campus, and directly recruit top talent upon graduation. Master’s and Ph.D. programs, in particular, may have experienced nursing talent that is, perhaps, less active online. Start generating interest in your organization while the nurses are still students in the program. Catch their attention as they eagerly seek to determine their first placement post-graduation. Make sure to advertise the perks of working with your organization!
Alumni Associations
Contact schools of nursing in order to connect with their alumni base, as they have access to professionals who may like to work for your organization. The campus career center is another good resource, as recent graduates may still utilize school resources as they search for the perfect job.
Continuing Education & Certification Courses
One area where you can always expect to find nurses is in continuing education. Form relationships with popular local or online schools to learn ways that you can advertise your positions, or create a meet ‘n’ greet with participating nurses. You may also be able to sponsor certification courses and use the email list of participants to recruit directly.
Other Events, Conferences, and Associations
Attend industry events where nurses are participating and speaking. You might either linger to socialize and create introductions or request a booth in order to advertise your open positions. Your organization could consider making a donation to the event, as well, so you’re listed as a sponsor. You can also participate in job fairs for the medical community. Finally, be sure to engage the relevant national and local professional groups and associations. Consider attending events they host and placing notices in publications distributed to nurses.
Industry-Specific Recruiters
Cast a wider net by partnering with industry-specific recruiters who can do some of the legwork for you and expand your access to talent in today’s market. Find the right niche for your organization – is it a hospital, clinic, specialty hospital, educational or research organization? Target the specific types of nurses you seek.
The Bottom Line
Nursing is an important, rewarding career with a workforce shortage – nurses are in very high demand! While career websites, email, and social media certainly all deserve your recruiting efforts, remember that it is still only one facet of a thorough approach. You may blast notices to your social media network to see if they connect you with talented nurses who are two or three times removed from your network. A well-rounded mission to recruit the best nurses involves online tactics as well as face to face encounters.
Recruiters and administrators have an important role to play in mitigating the nursing shortage issue, so your organization doesn’t experience staff serious or prolonged vacancies (which have a direct impact on patient care). As you attempt to fill positions with the best of the best, you want to ensure that you leave no stone unturned – some adults, believe it or not, are still not active online. Get creative to connect to those hold-outs!
Article Updated from the Original on May 26, 2019
