In today’s ultra-competitive job market, recruitment and social media marketing strategies must be intertwined to attract top talent.
I’m often surprised by how many healthcare human resources departments are operating in the Stone Age as it relates to attracting top talent.
Organizations that are simply posting jobs that list generic qualifications, job responsibilities and clichés (“looking for a self-motivated team player”) are behind the times and losing the war for qualified candidates.
But by implementing a few modern tactics, and starting to think like a marketer, not just a recruiter, healthcare recruiters can step into the 21st century and attract top talent through social media sources that are already in place:
- Use Facebook to your advantage
The marketing department of your healthcare organization has a Facebook page. So should you. Posts can and should be about everything from your open positions to company outings, fundraisers and more. Generally, your Facebook careers page should be a snapshot into the world of how cool your company is to work for. Also use Facebook to target nurses and other positions with ads that click thru to your career site. - Video
There’s no more powerful recruitment too than the video testimonial. Videos tell an honest and compelling story of your company culture and why your employees love working there. Videos can be repurposed on your career site, by creating your own YouTube or Vimeo channel, or by utilizing a LinkedIn Careers Page. Which leads us to… - LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the 21st century version of networking for healthcare recruiters and can be used in so many different ways. Recruiters can perform keyword searches looking for candidates who match the criteria of the open position. You can also join industry and skill based groups, dropping in content and monitoring discussions. Another LinkedIn tactic is to follow industry thought leaders so you can stay on top of “who’s who” in the industry. - Twitter
Why use Twitter as a recruiting tool? Well let’s see…it’s free, and it provides a highly targeted approach to finding healthcare talent.By following hashtags such as #nurse #nursing, #physician, etc., you can follow people, discussions and potential sources of talent.You can also post your own posts applying hashtags to them and drop in posts relational to your company and industry. So it’s also a great way to promote your employer brand.
These are just a few ideas but if you begin thinking like a consumer and a marketer as it relates to your healthcare recruitment, you’ll find more quality candidates at a lower cost per hire on a more consistent basis.