It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is struggling to find and retain top talent. While the workforce landscape is competitive, recruiting talented employees is not impossible. There are several things recruitment teams can do to differentiate themselves in today’s marketplace. 

Create or enhance your employer brand. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, an employer brand is an important part of the employee value proposition and includes how a company communicates its identity to potential and current employees. It incorporates an organization’s mission, values, and culture, and portrays the organization as a great place to work. A solid employer brand can aid in employee recruitment, employee retention and engagement, and the overall perception of the organization in the marketplace.  

Define your differentiators. What makes your organization unique? How are you different from the competition? What benefits and opportunities do you offer to your employees that others may not? How does your offering match up with the needs and wants of a prospective candidate?  

“Clearly defining and communicating those benefits and differentiators should be part of your overall recruitment strategy and shared with candidates by everyone on your team at every touchpoint,” explains Candi Olivo, Executive Director of Talent Acquisition at Rogers Behavioral Health. “In today’s landscape, your differentiators alone could give you the competitive advantage you need to be able to hire top talent.” 

Market effectively to your target candidates. This means understanding the skills, experiences, goals, and motivations of your ideal candidate for each available role. Once you have defined those factors, clearly showcase those differentiators in the appropriate channels and on the right platforms, including your website, social media, job boards, blogs, podcasts, videos, etc. Don’t forget to leverage existing employees as ambassadors for your company and give them tools to reach out to prospects they know, write positive reviews online, and engage with your online content.   

Cultivate a culture of belonging, flexibility, and growth. Attracting top talent is only the first step. You also need to retain them. Ensure you are creating a positive and supportive work environment, where employees feel valued, respected, and included. Don’t let the things that are important to prospective and current employees, like work/life balance and professional development, fall by the wayside. Commit to making those needs a reality. 

Employers can uniquely position themselves in today’s competitive marketplace by clearly defining, communicating, and promoting their employer brand and key differentiators and then committing to those things throughout an employee’s time with their organization. 

These blog was written in collaboration with ADAA’s Institutional Member organization Rogers Behavioral Health as part of our Mental Health Career and Job Center offerings.