Many hospitals and health system institutions have open positions, whether for physicians, nurses, practitioners or other roles. While some of this has to do with the industry-wide talent shortage, it's also connected to the difficulty health care organizations have in attracting and recruiting the best candidates.

Thankfully, there are a few best practices health care recruiters can adopt to boost their chances of successful employee placement. Let's take a look at tips that have worked well within the health care recruitment sector:

1) List the skills and characteristics you're looking for

First and foremost, it's helpful for recruiters to establish a list of the institution's available positions, as well as the skills and characteristics associated with each position. These can include things like specific experience within a certain field or practice, values that match those of the organization and the ability to lead a team, where needed.

Having a full understanding of the type of candidate your health system is looking for is a beneficial first step, and can help hiring managers shorten the list of potential employees to only those that will work well within their organization and with their existing staff.

2) Be open to experienced candidates, as well as those fresh out of residency

While experience is critical, especially in the medical field, recruiters shouldn't be biased against final-year residents, or candidates that just completed their residency. In fact, many organizations are dealing with an aging workforce on the cusp of retirement, and looking seriously into younger candidates can help balance the staff.

What's more, it's important to remember that candidates who just graduated from residency will often be on the cutting edge of medical study and practices, and could bring new skills into the organization.

Hiring managers should match candidates with the specific skills and characteristics they're looking for.

3) Leverage technology to knock down barriers

In addition to providing the proper consideration to candidates of all ages, medical human resource teams should also utilize the technological assets they have at their fingertips to widen their recruitment scope.

As Healthcare Global pointed out, this may require some revamping of the organization's recruitment practices. But the time and effort put into modernizing these processes will surely pay off. For instance, in addition to publishing job postings on reputable medical sites, recruiters should leverage other online networks - and even social media - to reach a larger audience.

In addition, advanced technology can bring recruiters and candidates together, even if geographical barriers currently prevent it. Considering candidates from out of state or out of the country had been difficult in the past, but with systems like video conferencing, hiring managers can now conduct face-to-face interviews with any candidate, no matter his or her location.

4) Consider candidates' needs and trial periods 

In addition to the requirements of the institution, recruiters must also take into account the concerns of their top candidates. As Cielo pointed out, some individuals may need to make accommodations for their spouse and his or her career, or may look to find a position that is close to a certain school or cultural institution. The organization must be able to make reasonable arrangements for their employees.

It can also be beneficial to offer residencies and internships to candidates instead of long-term positions. As Healthcare Global noted, this provides somewhat of a trial period for both staff members and HR stakeholders to decide whether or not it is a good fit.

5) Get help from the experts

As noted, recruitment and hiring is particularly difficult in the medical field. For this reason, many health care institutions are turning to experts who can skillfully assist them in finding and recruiting the best candidates for their open positions.

BlueSky Medical Staffing Software represents a strategic partner for your organization, providing intelligent and flexible tools for today's medical recruiters. To find out more about how BlueSky can benefit your hospital or health care system, contact us today.