MightyRecruiterIn the face of imminent EHR of implementation in healthcare organizations all across the United States, there is a shortage of IT HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) professionals. While there is no lack of positions for them, hiring managers are having trouble attracting professionals who are trained in other areas than just tech. They need candidates who also possess clinical, change management and a variety of other skills. Here are some tips IT staffing for healthcare organizations can use to improve their hiring results.
Stop Looking for One Size Fits All Candidates
Many IT staffing for healthcare firms are going to extraordinary lengths to attract candidates who are skilled in several areas of EHR and HITECH. Instead of using precious resources searching for the elusive, why not cast a wide net and search for professionals who already possess certain skills and experience and provide them with training for any skills they lack?
Look In House
A good place to start any search for HITECH professionals is inside of your own organization. There are plenty of professionals who may not fit all of the requirements for the HITECH positions that you have open, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good candidates for those roles. Check to see if any of your clinical and healthcare employees who match all other qualifications but lack IT experience are interested in learning new skills. Offer them ongoing training, certification and incentives to make themselves more well-rounded employees to fill the gaps in your organization’s hiring needs.
Source Candidates Who Possess Other Necessary Skills
Recruiting for IT staffing for healthcare doesn’t mean you have to stick with candidates who fit a certain criteria. In the height of demand and time constraints, you have the flexibility to source candidates who may not have the amount of clinical experience that is normally needed for open positions within your organization. You’d be surprised at how many individuals possess many of the other skills that are necessary for your organization. Since it is becoming more challenging for organizations to find candidates who possess all of the skills and experience they seek, the next best way to find them is to recruit from professionals who possess other vital skills for those roles.
Recruit More Graduates
Establish relationships with colleges and universities so you can have top pick of graduates to fill any HITECH vacancies. Many schools offer partnerships with local hospitals and healthcare companies so they can recruit their graduates by offering training and employment. These schools also create career-based curriculum for students to complete to improve their qualifications and skillset for employment.
Offer More Employee Incentives
Thanks to the demand that the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act has created, healthcare employers are feeling the pressure more than ever to hire the right candidates. The main problem is it takes time to recruit and hire the right professionals. Since time is of the essence and not readily available, more and more IT staffing for healthcare firms must offer better incentives, such as ongoing training to recruit their ideal candidates in a shorter time frame. With such a diverse pool of candidates to choose from, more IT staffing for healthcare companies are starting to pay closer attention to candidate qualifications. HITECH professionals must be able to do more than tech, communication and healthcare clinical skills. They also need to be able to perform nontraditional job duties while maintaining privacy, security, data and adapting to a variety of situations.
Make Good Hiring Decisions
Pay closer attention to candidates during the interview. Assess their body language and be sure to watch for clues that indicate they know what you are talking about when you’re describing details about the job. Ask questions that require in-depth answers and details so you can better assess if they are the right candidate for the position or not. Verify their references and make sure that any individual you hire is one that is able to change with your organization’s needs and wear a variety of hats to help with your company’s bottom-line. Remember, when it comes to hiring HITECH professionals, think outside of the box and be prepared to take advantage of current hiring trends to help your organization meet current and future EHR and healthcare mandates, initiatives and laws. For more information on how to improve your IT staffing for healthcare strategies, Mighty Recruiter has resources you can use to achieve your goals.