Tuesday, June 1 is National Healthcare Recruiter Recognition Day, a time dedicated to recognizing the essential role of clinical recruiters in the American healthcare system. And at a time when the use of travel, temporary and other contingency workers is hitting all-time highs, there’s never been a better time to show these amazing workers some well-deserved recognition!
It’s also a great time to acknowledge that healthcare recruiters should enjoy the same type of career benefits and professional development as nurses and other clinicians (as we’ve been advocating during Nurses Month). Of course, that’s always been the policy at CareerStaff, where we’re proud to offer recruiters great benefits, support, opportunities for advancement and more.
As a leading healthcare recruitment company, we understand the importance of hiring motivated recruiters who can help nurses and clinicians connect with the facilities that are most in need of their skills. And we know that the quality of our recruiters — the folks who represent us to the thousands of nurses, therapists, pharmacists and other clinicians in the CareerStaff network — is a huge reason why so many healthcare workers love working with CareerStaff.
Take, for instance, Alexandra, a licensed practical nurse and one of the CareerStaff Clinicians of the Month for July, 2020. When asked about her favorite memory of working with CareerStaff, she gave a warm shout out to her recruiter, Chalonda. “She has been a part of so many changes in my life, getting married and having my son. She sends us weekly inspirational messages,” Alexandra told us. “She truly is amazing.”
What’s It Take To Become A Healthcare Recruiter With CareerStaff?
If you’re interested in joining the CareerStaff team as a healthcare recruiter, or you currently work as a recruitment professional and are interested in transitioning to the clinical world, we’re here to help! Here’s a quick guide to what it takes to become a healthcare recruiter with CareerStaff.
#1: The basics. Healthcare recruiters who meet the CareerStaff standard should have a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and great communication skills — ready to make relationships with clinicians and administrators alike. Experience in healthcare is preferred, as is a Bachelor’s degree.
#2: Attention to detail. To be an effective healthcare recruiter, you should understand the finer points of staffing and recruitment strategy. That means knowing the specific needs of each facility, as well as the different channels relating to candidate pools and what certifications may be required in any given situation. It also means having advanced organizational skills!
#3: A willingness to learn. Even if you’re already experienced as a healthcare recruiter, each opportunity will require additional training to bring your relevant knowledge and specific expertise to their highest possible levels.
#4: Empathy. Healthcare workers are subject to an extraordinary level of stress, reflected in the high levels of burnout and compassion fatigue. On top of that, the Covid-19 pandemic has only increased the anxiety of nurses, doctors and other essential workers. Effective recruiters will understand this and offer clinicians support that’s appropriate to their situation.
#5: An active interest in the healthcare industry. Working in healthcare is different than most other industries. Clinical facilities often have high turnover rates, and many also face shortages among their local workforce. Keeping tabs on the current state of healthcare and clinical recruitment via industry publications or networking (on LinkedIn, for instance) will help healthcare recruiters make the best possible decisions.
#6: Persuasiveness. There’s a good reason why sales experience is often required for healthcare recruiter jobs. Essentially, it’s your job to “sell” opportunities to the best candidates. You may have to convince facility managers to accept a candidate who may not be their first choice, but is still the best candidate in the situation. With that in mind, the most successful healthcare recruiters are often those who are constantly improving their sales skills.
#7: Friendliness. Nothing engages healthcare workers more than a recruiter who treat them with friendliness and respect. In fact, the nurses and clinicians we work with often cite friendliness as the factor that sets CareerStaff recruiters apart from the rest. As Brian, a nursing professional and CareerStaff Clinician of the Month for February 2021, told us, the best part of working with CareerStaff is “is the kindness I am show by staff and especially my recruiter Lara!””
#8: The motivation to help others. As an essential part of the healthcare industry, recruiters are, like the clinical workers they serve, called upon to make difficult decisions and work in challenging situations. Perhaps more than any other type of career, healthcare workers should be motivated by the desire to help others and maximize the power of patient care — and this holds just as true for healthcare recruiters as it does for doctors, nurses, therapists and other clinicians.
Looking For A New Healthcare Recruiter Job?
If you’re an experienced healthcare recruiter seeking new career horizons, we may have an opportunity for you at CareerStaff Unlimited! As a leading healthcare staffing and recruitment company, we’re proud to offer our recruiters amazing benefits like a great culture, full medical, dental and vision insurance leadership training opportunities and more. There’s a good reason why we’ve been Certified as a Great Place to Work for three years in a row (and counting)!
You can learn more about working with CareerStaff here, and search available healthcare recruiter jobs here. And once again, from everyone on the CareerStaff Unlimited Team, Happy National Healthcare Recruiter Recognition Day!