When hiring a new candidate to join your healthcare team, you must take precaution to do your due diligence in the searching, interviewing and recruiting phases. Failure to do so, will result in spending time and money on a candidate that will eventually leave after a couple of months because of a poor fit. The consequences could be very taxing to your company. Luckily, there is the option of hiring an outside recruiter. A specialist who knows the ins and outs of every healthcare position and can use their expertise to allow them to avoid these 6 things:
Here are 6 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring in Healthcare:
- The Wrong Job Ad. Remember that employees are just as important as your customers, patients and clients. They build your company up and help generate revenue. In order to lure the correct candidates, it all begins with the job ad. Highlight what makes your company unique. Don’t make the ad overly complicated and properly define the job role and required qualifications. Make sure the job description is clear and concise.
- Omitting Important Keywords. Optimizing ads are just as important as the ads themselves. With all the different online job aggregators out there, you must know the best tags, geographic areas and keywords with which to label the ads. Know that these keywords are how potential candidates can find you. They are often the deciding factors that will entice the candidate to hit “apply”.
- Researching the Competition. Research similar facilities to help you both in understanding what works and what does not. Learn what the salary ranges are, benefits and bonuses being offered by competition or other healthcare organizations. What do you offer that they don’t? Utilize that information to create your own packages!
- Your Culture. Your employees are the representation of your company. You must ensure your interview process includes questions to help weed out candidates that will not fit your company culture or exemplify your mission statement. This will save you from the pain of having to fill the position multiple times. Find the right person who possesses the right strengths for the position. Then stick to those, don’t be lenient on the requirements or necessities of your company.
- Hiring for the Wrong Reasons. Don’t hire someone because you need someone ASAP. That’s desperation. Save money and stress by waiting until the perfect fit does apply. If you aren’t getting enough qualified candidates, it’s a sign that something in your ad or requirements must change.
- Failing to Check References and Licensing. This is especially important in the healthcare industry as failing to do so may result in lawsuits against your company. Make sure paperwork is real and relevant. References can often be falsified to “fluff” their resume. By checking these references, you can better understand their attitude and work ethic, successes and even failures.
Having an entire hiring and on-boarding procedure is key in ensuring that you will find the greatest fit for your open position and company. Continue to improve your hiring process. If you are unsure how to create and implement a hiring procedure, you may want to consult with a seasoned healthcare recruiter. Healthcare recruiters know how to find those “special” candidates who may be waiting for the right position.
