Healthcare organizations must position themselves as a great place to work now–or else risk losing out on attracting the talent necessary to succeed tomorrow.
It’s easy to see why:
- The Population Reference Bureau notes that the “number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to more than double from 46 million today to over 98 million by 2060.”
- According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, “the United States could see a shortage of up to 120,000 physicians by 2030.”
- Healthcare costs are rising faster than income and the regulatory environment is ever-changing. This burdens the system and makes strategizing tough.
Considering the current landscape and challenges, hospitals and healthcare offices must strive constantly to find high-quality doctors that are ready to face and solve key issues. That means they differentiate themselves. One way to do that is through smart employer branding strategies. Here’s how that’s done:
Create a dynamite employee value proposition
Ask yourself: What does it mean to work at your hospital?
Your answer should highlight your organization’s core values and the big challenges you solve. It should detail the growth and development working at your organization offers, as well as perks and benefits.
A good example to follow is Massachusetts General Hospital, who Indeed.com has found is one of the top hospitals to work for. Their website’s careers section promotes the chance to make a life-changing difference, build the future of medicine, learn and improve, have a work-life balance, and enjoy various financial benefits.
Make your brand authentic, attractive, and visible
First, understand that you must deliver upon the employee experience you advertise in job postings, on social media, and elsewhere. See how you’re doing so far by checking third-party employer review sites like Glassdoor, in addition to sending out anonymous employee feedback surveys. Make changes as needed.
Then, strategize and execute your employer branding campaign. The campaign must be centered around a big vision that doesn’t just sound attractive to candidates, but also authentic.
For instance, Mayo Clinic, who the U.S. News ranks as the best hospital in the country, has a great mission statement:
- “To inspire hope and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research.”
Once you have a mission statement, you can begin a campaign. There are many ways to spread word about your healthcare facility.
For example, you can be more active on social media, especially professional networks. LinkedIn is a great place to share content and job openings. You should also be on sites like Doximity, where more than 70% of US doctors have profiles.
To further expand your brand’s reach, you can also try the following:
- Traditional ads: Think billboards, radio ads, TV commercials, etc.
- Guest posting: Physicians regularly read medical publications like Medscape, Harvard Health Journal, and Medical Economics. See about guest posting on such outlets.
- Website blog: An SEO-optimized website with lots of healthcare content will gain higher ranking in Google, and therefore naturally attract potential candidates through organic search. Paid advertising is another option as well.
Attract and retain top talent
As an article in Becker’s Hospital Review notes, a good brand campaign will eliminate many “unqualified candidates” and bad fits from even applying, which saves time and guarantees the “attraction of better quality candidates.”
What it comes down to is that, with the right branding strategy, you can attract top talent, even in a tight market. The key to keeping that talent is fulfilling what your employer branding campaign advertises in terms of work, career development, pay, benefits, etc.
Additionally, partner with a recruiting agency who can help you understand more about what it takes to land the best physicians. By running a brand campaign and partnering with a recruiting firm like Adaptive Medical Partners, you can elevate yourself to the position of a top employer in healthcare. Then, the future will look much brighter for your organization.
