Workplace Shortages? Attract Top Talent With 5 Healthcare Recruitment Marketing Strategies

You know about competitive compensation, life-enhancing benefits, a supportive company culture, and a healthy work-life balance. 

But, how do you ensure that your marketing efforts truly differentiate your organization, giving you a competitive edge?

We’ve gathered our top recruitment marketing strategies to help position your organization as an employer of choice and attract high-caliber professionals.

5 Healthcare Recruitment Marketing Strategies to Combat Workforce Shortages

1. Optimize Your Career Page

Optimizing your healthcare organization’s career page is crucial for attracting top talent. 

Here are six ways to improve its effectiveness:

1. Create a mobile-friendly design
   About two-thirds of applications are made from mobile devices today. Ensure your career page is easy to navigate and fully optimized for mobile devices—focus on improving load times and simplifying navigation.
2. Share detailed job descriptions
   • Use concise and informative language to attract qualified candidates. Include things like job qualifications, duties, and company culture (e.g., company mission, values, and diversity and inclusion initiatives).
3. Include benefits and growth opportunities
   Clearly outline the perks of working for your company. Include career development programs, growth opportunities, insurance information, time off details, 401K or retirement savings options, and employee wellness programs.
4. Develop clear job listings with filters
   Make sure it is easy for applicants to find and navigate to relevant positions. Add search filters to allow searching by location, department, specialty, and job type (e.g., part-time, full-time, contract, etc.) to streamline their user experience.
5. Share employee testimonials and videos
   Share testimonials or day-in-the-life videos from current employees to humanize your brand, making it more appealing and relatable.
6. Simplify the application process
   Create a streamlined, easy-to-navigate, and complete application process to increase the number of qualified applicants applying for your open positions.

2. Leverage Organic Social Media

Organic social media can help your organization build brand awareness, showcase company culture, reduce recruitment costs, and reach more diverse candidates. Here’s how to optimize LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for organic recruitment:

• LinkedIn
  This is the go-to platform for professionals in the healthcare industry. Share company updates, job openings, and employee testimonials to attract candidates who are actively involved in professional development. Use LinkedIn features like company pages, CEO and executive pages, employee advocacy, and industry-specific groups to connect and engage with qualified candidates. Post and share articles that position your organization as a thought leader in your industry or specialty.
• Facebook
  Create a personal connection with top talent by creating a company page highlighting your organization’s culture, values, and community involvement. Humanize your brand by posting and engaging on various topics (e.g., job postings, team events, behind-the-scenes videos, day-in-the-life employee takeovers, testimonials, etc.). You can also share job postings on relevant or industry-specific Facebook Groups to expand your search.
• Instagram
  Use visually appealing and engaging content, like static image posts, Stories, and Reels, to highlight your workplace, team, and benefits. Consider sharing images and short videos showcasing your office and day-to-day environment. Don’t forget to include relevant or trending hashtags to increase visibility among job seekers. Popular go-to’s include #Hiring, #Recruiting, #WeAreHiring, and #JobOpening.

Remember: Always get proper permission from patient before posting their stories or images to avoid HIPAA violations.

3. Content Marketing

Healthcare organizations commonly leverage content marketing to attract and retain long-term patients; however, it can also be used to significantly enhance recruitment efforts. The following actionable steps can help your company build a strong brand presence, engage top talent, and present your organization as a desirable place to work:

• Blog About Industry Trends
  Leverage your company blog to share content related to the healthcare industry (e.g., industry trends, best practices, company news, etc.). This will help attract high-caliber professionals who want to work in a modern, innovative, and informed company. 
• Deliver Personalized Content via Email
  Send targeted emails to passive and active healthcare candidates engaged with your organization and the hiring process. Send updates on job recommendations and future roles that fit their skills, interests, specialties, and experience. Highlight company updates and healthcare trends. 
• Develop a Resource Portal for Professional Development
  Create value beyond your job listings with a dedicated portal on your company website. Include educational resources for healthcare professionals (e.g., eBooks, webinars, certification guides, etc.) to attract top talent and position your company as a leader that’s invested in employee development.

4. Use Paid Advertising

Optimizing your recruitment strategy through paid advertising can help you effectively engage and attract top talent. 

Here are two strategies to consider:

1. Google Ads (Paid Search)
   Leverage Google Ads to target candidates based on their search terms, demographics, and interests. 
   Focus on these areas:
   • Keywords
     Research and select specific keywords ideal candidates will likely use when searching for careers. Focus on things like job titles, industry- or specialty-specific skills, and geographic locations (e.g., pediatric dermatologist jobs in Los Angeles). Note: If your jobs are location-specific, use Google’s location targeting to reach candidates in those areas.
   • Compelling Calls to Action (CTAs)
     Use clear, engaging, and action-oriented CTAs like “Apply Today” or “Join Our Team.”
   • Optimized Landing Page
     Build and optimize a dedicated paid search landing page to drive potential candidates to your application process and increase applicants. Ensure it aligns with the ad and clearly communicates the job title, description, and your organizations’ value proposition. It should also deliver a fast, efficient, complete application process to improve conversion rates. 

2. Paid Social Media Advertising
   Promote job openings and company culture on social platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

• LinkedIn 
  • Sponsored Content
    Promote your job openings directly in user feeds. Target ads based on industry, category, demographics, education, job experience, interests, traits, and more. This helps organizations reach the most relevant audience. Here are the five most important tips for attracting top talent using sponsored content:
    • Define your objective (e.g., brand awareness, lead gen., etc.).
    • Target the right audience.
    • Craft compelling, keyword-driven headlines.
    • Include a strong CTA.
    • Monitor performance metrics.
    • Turn off ‘Easy Apply’ feature on all job listings.
  • InMail Campaigns
    Leverage InMail to send direct messages to top talent, inviting them to apply or learn more about your organization. InMail campaigns have an average response rate of 20%—compared to just 3% on email.
• Facebook and Instagram 
  • Carousel Ads
    Capture audience attention and drive engagement with bold graphics highlighting several job openings or different aspects of your company culture.
  • Custom Audiences
    Leverage the Facebook Custom Audience Feature to retarget top talent that has previously engaged with your careers page, job listings, or paid ads.

5. Employer Branding

Support your recruitment efforts, build trust and authenticity, and humanize your healthcare organization with these tactics:

• Use Employee-Generated Content
  Encourage employees to share their positive work experiences on social media platforms. First-hand endorsements resonate more with potential candidates than company advertising, increasing the likelihood of persuading high-caliber candidates to apply.
• Share Company Achievements and Awards
  Leverage your website, blog, and social media platforms to highlight company achievements, certifications, and awards for things like workplace culture, employee satisfaction, or healthcare excellence. Top talent is more likely to join companies that prioritize employee satisfaction, demonstrate stability, and align with their personal values.

Learn more about employer branding and effective strategies for building a compelling employer brand that attracts, engages, and retains high-caliber candidates.

Additional Recruitment Marketing Strategies

• Attend health-related job fairs
• Host open houses and recruitment events
• Build partnerships with local educational institutions
• Implement employee referral programs
• Post on industry-specific job boards and niche websites