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Attracting & Retaining Talent in the Medical Field

Attracting & Retaining Talent in the Medical Field
Image by EVG Kowalievsk via Pexels

 

As a medical practitioner, you should know that your practice is only as good as the team you have working along side you. At the end of the day, patients won’t be impressed by your marketing, use of technology, or even how big your practice is. They’ll remember the care they received from you and your staff. 

Making sure you’re providing top-quality care requires attracting and retaining top talent in the medical field. 

We often think of attracting talent as something reserved for big businesses, marketing agencies, and sales companies. But, your practice is a business, and although your main goal should always be to meet every patient’s needs, it’s how you and your staff do it that will make a lasting impact. 

 So, how can you bring in top talent in your field? Let’s cover a few strategies and insights that will make your practice more attractive to the right employees. 

 

Drawing Inspiration From Other Industries

Again, it’s not a negative thing to look at your practice as a business and to take notes from other industries to attract talent. First, build your brand and focus on establishing your voice as a practice. What do you stand for? What are your values? Most importantly, what kind of patient care do you provide? 

Essentially, building your brand is a way of marketing yourself to both patients and prospective employees. When people know who you are and what your practice is about, they’ll feel more comfortable. It will also give potential employees some insight into what your company culture might be like. 

Other important strategies often used by different industries include: 

  • Offering attractive benefits;

  • Building a talent pipeline;

  • Writing strategic job postings;

  • Creating a referral program;

  • Offering internships.

Another technique that can make your practice more approachable is to change the way the standard interview process works. Consider getting creative with things like group interviews and team interviews. These practices can offer a peek into your practice’s culture and can help interviewees feel more comfortable. 

 

Tailoring Your Message to Medical Professionals

Of course, there are clear differences between the healthcare industry and other sectors. So, while you can adopt certain recruitment strategies from other industries, there are some things you’ll have to tailor to the specifics of your practice. For starters, think about how you can attract attention and make sure the right people are noticing your open positions. Some of the best ways to do that include hosting job fairs, posting on community bulletin boards, and attending job fairs at local universities or medical institutions. 

Once people start to notice your practice and your job openings, you can tailor your message further. Focus on the soft skills you’re looking for in staff members, rather than solely discussing hard skills. Make sure potential employees know about opportunities for growth and development within the practice, and focus on things like mental health and a strong work-life balance. 

It should come as no surprise that healthcare workers are at a high risk of burnout. When you build a brand that focuses on the overall well-being of your employees, you’re more likely to attract people who are willing to work harder and stay loyal to your practice because of the environment. 

 

Creating the Ideal Workplace Culture

 

 

Image by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

 

Attracting top talent is important, but retaining that talent is even more crucial. The last thing you want for your practice is a revolving door of employees. Your patients will feel more comfortable if they can get to know your staff during each visit, from the person making their appointments to those directly providing care. 

Not only will a positive work environment attract talent, but it will retain employees and help you become an employer of choice. Being an employer of choice means offering growth opportunities, recognizing employees for a job well done, offering attractive benefits, and making sure you prioritize the well-being of your staff, especially in an industry that is known for being stressful. 

Take the time to learn what your existing staff wants (and doesn’t want) – especially your nursing staff. Take a look at those in management positions and consider how the people you have leading could be impacting the culture. Are you understaffed? Are your managers engaging and talking to everyone? Do they step in when something is needed? You’ll learn a lot by listening to your team, and you’ll boost loyalty if you make changes based on their suggestions. 

Most importantly, you need to be willing to step in when something isn’t right. Nursing abuse is very real and can destroy your practice if ignored. By creating an environment where your entire team feels safe, appreciated, and heard, they’ll be more likely to stick around for years. Plus, they’ll become brand ambassadors for your practice. Word-of-mouth advertising is just as important for the recruitment process as it is for attracting new patients. 

Attracting talent in the medical field is essential for a growing practice. Don’t be afraid to take a page from other industries, and focus on creating a work environment that backs up the values most important to you. 

 

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