Stepping into healthcare recruiting is a decision you can feel confident in. Healthcare is the fastest growing industry in the US, and it’s constantly in need of talented professionals [*].
Hospitals, medical facilities, and healthcare practices have thousands of roles to fill. But the COVID-19 pandemic left them struggling with candidate shortages and higher turnover rates.
A savvy and creative recruiter finds and connects experienced candidates with organizations in desperate need of their expertise while making sure it’s the best fit for both parties.
So, if you’re interested in becoming a healthcare recruiter, you could pick up a lucrative new career or add it into your existing recruiter toolbelt with nearly unlimited earning potential.
Where do you start?
Use this checklist to become a healthcare recruiter on your terms:
1. Choose your own path
Healthcare recruiters don’t all follow the same route. Some decide to find an internal recruiting job with a hospital or healthcare agency. Others take their skills to a recruiting agency, which lands contracts to make placements for clients.
But people who want to be their own boss and work on their own terms, become independent recruiters or start their own businesses.
Independent recruiters create their own schedules -- moonlighting after their day jobs or make it their new full-time job, depending on their goals and time. They don’t have to deal with monthly quotas, stressful deadlines, arbitrary metrics, or commute to an office.
want to become an independent healthcare recruiter? Statistics tell us that average salaries for healthcare recruiters range between $50,000 and $75,000 per year. But that number could be higher if you learn the top skills to become a better recruiter and stay focused.
Most healthcare recruiting is contingency-based. This means you typically receive half your payment when you make a placement and the other half after your candidate spends time with the company (say 30 or 60 days). So you’ll have to wait on your new hires to earn the full commission.
Some healthcare facilities are notorious for taking a while to pay invoices. So try to save at least six months’ worth of expenses before you quit a salaried position to venture off on your own.
here at relode, we don't think you should have to wait for hires to start earning as a recruiter. Relode is a community with a strong and qualified network of independent recruiters. And we’re on a mission to make hiring better for everyone.
Our intuitive platform and proven process make it easy for you to refer talent and get paid. When you refer candidates, you’ll earn rewards each time they're submitted to a client, complete their first interview, AND get the job.
Once you decide which route you want to take -- either working as an employee for an agency or as an independent recruiter, you’ll then need to:
2. Find your niche
Healthcare recruiting is a diverse landscape with a lot of nuances. To be a successful recruiter and attract top candidates, you have to know what you’re doing and talking about.
For example: How will you know what separates qualified candidates from those who aren’t?
You need an understanding of your candidates’ typical:
- work responsibilities and functions
- healthcare setting (ex. hospital, home care, private practice, etc.)
- skills and abilities
- required certifications, degrees, licenses, and work experience
- job challenges
The best recruiters leverage their expertise in a particular niche to stand out. They’re up to speed on industry trends and know all the correct healthcare terms and lingo to keep up with candidates and employers.
And that’s why so many people with healthcare experience become healthcare recruiters.
For example, if you have experience managing nurses, you probably have an insider’s perspective on what skills, certifications, and personality types employers are looking for in candidates.
You’re uniquely qualified to identify and sell what makes your candidate the best choice for the role.
If you don’t have healthcare experience, no worries! Hone in on one or two specialities and learn everything about them. This will help you connect with candidates, establish credibility with employers, and make more placements.
Your specialty can even define your personal brand.
3. Create a personal brand to stand out
Healthcare recruiting is competitive. So how will you stand out to candidates and convince them you’re the recruiter they should trust?
A personal brand can help do this for you. Just like businesses use their branding and marketing to attract and engage customers, you can use your personal brand to:
- highlight your qualifications
- define your mission and values
- show off your personality
- encourage network connections
- provide value to your target audience
- establish your reputation
Modern job seekers will be looking for this info on your website, social media pages, and LinkedIn profile before connecting with you. That means if you have little to no brand or social media presence, candidates will notice!
Check out this guide to learn How To Create a Personal Brand as a Recruiter next!
4. Advocate for solutions to industry challenges
Being your candidates’ number one fan is the best way to build a community and strong network of referrals.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, healthcare is an astoundingly demanding and stressful environment. Current national averages for nurse turnover rates are as high as 37% [*]!
Show your network that you care about solving issues in their industry and that you’re on their side. Help job seekers land their dream roles, and passive candidates that they might be something better out there.
Work your magic to come up with creative solutions to:
- recruit for diversity, equity, and inclusion
- negotiate fair, equitable compensation and benefits packages
- find organizations offering employees ongoing training and continuing education stipends
- prioritize companies with mental health and wellness perks (like gym memberships)
Prove you can do this for candidates, and they’ll refer you to other professionals in their network (who you may also be able to place in better roles). Keep nurturing these relationships, and you’ll always have top candidates to refer when new positions open up. Word of mouth marketing will always make the biggest impact for you!
5. Let technology do the heavy lifting (+ save you time)
Most healthcare recruiting beginners are surprised to learn how long it takes to source quality candidates. Many spend the majority of their recruiting time on this task.
Likewise, how you plan to organize and keep track of candidates in your pipeline also affects your efficiency. It’s essential to track who you’ve made contact with, which resumes have been sent, and who’s applied or interviewed for roles.
A clunky sourcing process and applicant tracking systems can limit the number of placements you make, which caps your earning potential.
The time you save here can be better spent finding new candidates and devising strategies to tackle the biggest workforce trends of 2022.
Instead, take a cue from the top habits of highly successful recruiters: let technology speed up your processes.
take advantage of the top sourcing tools in the Relode Sourcing Marketplace. Our Marketplace gives recruiters discounted access to some of the top innovative sourcing tools in the industry. We vetted all the partners in our Marketplace, so you don’t have to spend the time sorting through them yourself.
Sourcing tech backed by AI helps recruiters weed through thousands of profiles to find candidates based on specific keywords and skills.
track candidates in your pipeline with Relode’s intuitive platform The Relode platform allows recruiters to browse jobs across 14+ categories, refer candidates, and make the most of every minute.
You’ll be able to easily track, organize, and manage your pipeline in one platform, so no one slips through the cracks.
Combine both tools to find qualified candidates faster, make more placements, and earn more rewards. It’s a win-win-win!
If you want to break into healthcare recruiting, learn how to earn more on your terms with Relode and help us make hiring better for everyone.