How to Add Magic to Your Recruitment Efforts
You may be wondering how Career Tree Network gets its candidates. It’s like a magic trick but, instead of a rabbit, we’re pulling a Healthcare candidate out of the hat.
The secret to our success is being proactive instead of reactive.
In reactive recruitment, you look to fill a job once the position is open; you post a job ad, put your feet up on your desk and wait — usually to little or no candidates.
But with proactive recruitment, you pound the pavement and meet the candidates in the middle.
While it takes more work, it’s the best way to ensure you get the highest quality candidate possible. In a time where PTs are in high demand, it may even be your only option. As a client of ours once said to us:
"The time has come to quit waiting for talent to arrive, it's time to pull them in and be more proactive."
So, if you’re ready to shake things up, read on for our magic tips and tricks to proactively recruit PTs.
{Post} It Good
Putting up a job ad is the first step in ensuring people come knocking on your door, but be careful; you’ll want to make sure you put up an ad that’s clear and appealing. Add details about the duties of the position itself, caseload and the company culture to give potential candidates a good idea of your company. Consider even adding a short video ad to give PTs the best idea of what you have to offer. No one likes a mystery organization, so the more open you can be, the better.
Once you’ve got your ad, you’ll want to put it in a few spots. Your company website is one good place for the job ad, but using platforms such as ZipRecruiter, glassdoor or indeed among others will help you reach an even wider audience of potential candidates.
By doing this you’ll be reaching out to active candidates — people presently engaged in their career search, such as a new grad searching for their first position. While this is a good start, you’ll want to reach out to another type of candidate we’ll cover below.
An Awesome Wave of Emails and Texts
If you’re still holding your breath waiting for the next set of candidates, you can exhale now. They’re called passive candidates and, while happy in their current position, are open to exploring other options. Often harder to find, these candidates are golden nuggets who are usually of higher quality than active candidates.
So, now’s the time to go panning for those golden candidates, but this is also where things get tricky. You’re going to want to cast a wide net, and sending emails and text messages is a great way to do this.
But you may be asking “Where do I get candidates’ contact information?”
For us, we typically use state licensure data and research each individual Healthcare Professional to ensure we have the right information for each candidate. It’s a lot of work, but is a vital part of our service that helps us stand out from the crowd. If it seems daunting, we’d be happy to help!
Search and Employ
While it’s easier to wait for a resume to come flying through your window, what if there was some way to find them yourself?
Luckily there is! While we briefly mentioned ZipRecruiter and indeed for posting jobs, you can also take advantage of their resume databases. Comprised of resumes across the nation, you can search among them by location, profession, and even by the date it was posted. Because of this, you don’t have to sort through hundreds of resumes that are either ancient or from an unqualified candidate.
Be an Ice Cold Caller
While it’s easy to send an email to someone once you’ve found their resume, try taking a more personal approach by giving them a cold call instead. They’ll feel flattered you took the time to reach out to them and will be more open to talk. On top of this, you may even get a time set to meet up in person without all the back-and-forth of emails and texts.
If the conversation ultimately ends with a no, this is still the perfect opportunity to build rapport for the future and ask if they know another Healthcare Professional in the field who may be interested.
You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so it can’t hurt to just ask.
Warm up Your PTs
As you read the previous tip, you may have been wondering why you’d want to stay in touch with a candidate even when they say no. This is the second half of proactive recruitment; while getting yourself out there is the first part, building and maintaining a bench of candidates is the second and just as equally important half.
By building this bench, you’ll have a number of individuals to get in touch with when you need to fill a position. This can be vital when you find yourself suddenly in need of a Healthcare Professional for whatever curveballs life may throw at your company.
To keep these candidates engaged, consider asking to add them to a mailing list that keeps them updated on job openings and other news in your company. When they get an email they can either respond or forward the email along to a fellow Healthcare Professional who could potentially end up being just the person you’re looking for.
The possibilities are endless here so you may as well take any chance you can. You never know where it may lead in the future.
Coffee for Two
To meet more candidates face-to-face, set up a time frame for candidates to meet you at a local cafe to chat about your company and any open positions you have. We recommend informing individuals via email and text. When setting the time, make sure you pick a range that can work for people after work, such as from four to six or five to seven.
Doing this will let you set up an informal meet-up where potential candidates can get to know you and your company while you also get to determine if they’d be a good fit. It’ll take the pressure of formal interviews away while still letting you meet candidates.
While this one may take a little effort and legwork, setting up a coffee meet and greet can yield great results. After all, they do say you get out what you put in.
Look to the Next Generation
As the seasons change and students in Healthcare fields prepare for their impending graduation, many will be thinking ahead and looking for their first job months before getting their diploma.
To capitalize on this, send out job ads for local universities to share amidst their students. Consider attending a career fair for students to chat with you and learn more about your company. You can even bring a mailing list so they can sign-up for to be alerted about company news and open positions.
By doing this, you’ll be building a presence and reputation among students that shows you care and are invested in training and mentoring new grads. This is an important quality for many students and something that will help you draw in even more candidates.
Congratulations!
By now you’ve hopefully built a presence among Healthcare Professionals; you’ll be known as a friendly professional organization that is warm and receptive to helping individuals with their job queries. If you play your cards right, you’ll even be the first they think of when looking for a job, letting you get top-quality candidates before they look anywhere else.
But if you’re still struggling or have additional questions, don’t worry; we’re here for you.
With over 12 years in business and a narrow focus on recruitment of Healthcare Professionals, we’re sure we can help with our expert advice and support.
For more information feel free to reach out and contact us.