Like in any other country, the US healthcare system plays a vital social role. It helps people live longer, more fulfilled lives while also allowing them to reach peak productivity in the workplace. Unfortunately, modern healthcare in America is plagued by several issues that only international experts can patch.
Specifically, the sector has experienced a major labor shortage in the last few decades. As the country becomes older, it becomes increasingly harder to fulfill the healthcare system’s needs from within. This is why the government has made it easier for hospitals and clinics to onboard staff from foreign countries.
Not only do these professionals solve the issue of lacking labor force, but they also bring their expertize to the mix. They have unique perspectives on common medical procedures and might even teach the local US doctors a thing or two.
Challenges in Healthcare Recruitment
As mentioned, the US healthcare system is struggling with several major issues. Aside from employee shortages, medical jobs are notorious for high turnover rates. Professionals are always on the lookout for better offers, leaving their previous employees hanging. The constant movement of labor is especially damaging for patients in rural areas.
However, the market dynamic also causes issues for medical staff. Shortages lead to heavy workloads and burnout. As medical providers can't process all their patients, they're earning less money, which also leads to stagnant paychecks for medical staff.
Approximately 80% of the medical workforce is continuously looking for new employment. Hospitals and clinics can adapt to these changes through proactive recruitment, a task that not every medical provider is successful at. As a result, US healthcare might be forced to onboard 30,000 domestic and international professionals by 2031.
Global Recruitment and Quality Patient Care
In this day and age, if you want to ensure quality patient care, you must start with top-tier talent acquisition. Not only should you ensure that you have enough medical experts on your team, but you also must be certain they excel at their position.
Hiring skilled international professionals improves patient outcomes. It enhances communication across the board, which will ultimately lead to higher client satisfaction rates. On the other hand, if you don’t properly vet your global staff, you might struggle with low-quality care, a high number of medical errors, and a reduced clinic reputation.
The recruitment process is more than simply filling empty spots on your team. You’re supposed to find global experts who share your organization’s values. You must onboard employees who have a similar patient care philosophy and believe that your methodology is optimal for improving patient outcomes.
Assessing Global Recruitment Strategy
You can't determine by heart whether or not your recruitment strategy is successful. Instead, you must implement metrics that show you the exact numerical changes in your onboarding process:
Nurse and Doctor Turnover Rate
This metric shows you how many medical experts you've lost during the previous period. High turnover forces you to recruit new staff from domestic and international talent pools. Worse yet, high turnover will force you to train new staff continuously and waste time on administrative processes.
Patient-to-Staff Ratio
Ideally, you should have enough employees to assist all patients. Having a low ratio ensures that you have enough medical experts onboard and that every person gets the personalized care they deserve.
Time-to-Treatment
This metric shows us how much time an average patient has to wait until they're received by the medical staff. Reducing this figure allows you to process a higher number of patients during a workday while also increasing satisfaction rates.
Retention Rates
High retention rates usually indicate that you have fantastic in-house policies, provide competitive paychecks, and have friendly staff. By retaining your best talent, you’re ensuring continuity and team cohesion.
Strategies for International Recruitment
If you wish to properly tackle all the challenges that come with a dynamic labor market, you must implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy. Here are a few tricks that will help you acquire the best foreign experts:
Advertise Through Different Channels
You should publish recruitment posts on all major recruitment platforms. Focus on international websites that are popular among foreign workers. Another good practice is to get in touch with employment offices in foreign countries and proactively seek new recruits.
Create Rapport with Agencies
Before arriving in the US for the first time, most international medical professionals don't have the necessary paperwork. Instead, foreign experts hire an international nursing agency to help them out with the entire process. So, we recommend that you build a relationship with these agencies so you can pick and choose foreign professionals as soon as they become available.
Create a Strong Brand
Potential employees will check your website, user reviews, and publications before they start working for your clinic or hospital. It is vital that you build a strong personal brand in the US to make your offer more enticing. Share employee testimonials so that international nurses and doctors are not worried about how you'll treat them.
Use Social Media
Young generations prefer unofficial, casual communication with their future employers. They want to learn more about your company through direct chat without having to send lengthy emails. We recommend that you build your social media presence and assign staffers who will respond to all incoming inquiries coming from international experts.
Streamline Your Hiring
Things are much more complicated when you onboard international medical experts than local staff. Not only do you have to worry about the documents, but you also have to help your new recruits with the language and introduce them to your medical procedures. However, all of this can be made easier if you create an actionable recruitment plan meant to streamline the entire onboarding process.
Conclusion
Instead of trying to find employees among local talent, you should consider hiring internationally. Although the process is more complex and will initially cost you more money, it pays off in the long run. By diversifying your staff and learning more about foreign practices, you’ll be able to run a more effective medical business.