Top 4 Healthcare Trends Impacting Your Recruitment Strategy in 2021

Theresa Pente

Recruiting during a global pandemic was, by most accounts, a rocky ride. Healthcare recruiters held on, dug in, and did their best to remain resilient as their healthcare clients struggled, persevered, and coped. As we begin the New Year, organizations will continue to learn from 2020 as they prepare for what’s ahead. But what trends should we expect in the coming months? We have answers that may help.

D&I Will Remain Important

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) will remain at the forefront of our initiatives for 2021. In the U.S. last year, racism again created debate and division, and organizations took note and resolved to redefine their recruiting efforts this year for inclusivity. There is plenty of data out there showing that diverse companies are more productive. One study showed companies that have an employment model that embraces diversity add 19% more revenue to their bottom lines. So, in addition to being the right thing to do, recruiters that emphasize diversity in their sourcing and hiring will also be adding revenue to their companies. Having a D&I policy also will help recruiters attract more candidates. One study showed 83% of candidates pay attention to diversity in a company before selecting them for a new career path.

Practice Scope Will Widen

Another trend this year to expect is that we will likely see a continuation of the licensure changes from 2020 that allowed nurse practitioners and other midlevels to work toward the top of their practice. The pressure of the pandemic made the states take action to try to expand care delivery at a time when staff was stressed and strained. There were already shortages to contend with and the pandemic illustrated that we simply didn’t have enough care providers to meet the demand. As providers adjusted to their new “freedoms,” many called for these changes to become permanent. This could change educational requirements, certifications, and training long-term. It could also change the workflows at healthcare facilities, and of course, how recruiters conduct their business.

Benefits Matter More Than Ever

There is evidence that benefits are increasingly important to employees, along with the types of benefits offered. Health insurance is always important, particularly to someone in the healthcare field who sees first-hand what can happen if you don’t have coverage. But increasingly, mental health benefits have become important to candidates, particularly during the pandemic when so many people reported a decline in their mental health. As we enter 2021, it might be a good time to reassess company and organizational benefits to allow more health-centric goodies, such as flex time or gym memberships. Self-care will continue to be important, so anything employers can do to provide it will help recruiters sell a nice package to their recruits.

Remote Work Will Stay

The other trend we can expect to become permanent this year is that remote virtual employment is here to stay. For obvious reasons, the healthcare industry was less affected by this trend, but call centers, billing offices, and other admin tasks may stay virtual this year. This not only affects the job requirements but also how the recruiter operates; Gartner says 86% of recruiters used virtual interviews last year.

MedSource Consultants works with healthcare providers to find them the best candidates in the market. Contact our team of leading recruiters to find out how we can help you capitalize on 2021 trends and meet your hiring needs.