If you recruit in the healthcare space you’re very aware of the nursing shortage across the country. Word on the street is that organizations can count on this professional deficit to continue into the next decade.
All the buzz generated around this shortage can tempt healthcare professionals to jump at any candidate that checks the necessary hard-skill boxes on their lists – but it’s those quick moves that could cost them more, in the long run, both financially and quality-wise. If you’re looking for long-term nursing talent that won’t leave you with costly turnover consequences, you’ll need to cover a few more bases during the interview process so that you can secure the best fit for your needs.
Lucky for our team at Kinetix we have our own topic expert in the form of Jay Kuhns, Vice President of HR Strategy – you may have heard of him if you’ve been in the recruiting game for a minute. Jay’s healthcare recruiting industry expertise makes him the perfect source to tap on your quest to learn what you should be looking for when hiring strong nursing talent to add to your organization.
We sat down with Jay to hear what he had to say about identifying valuable nursing potential that will fit the bill for your team:
Go Back to the Basics
“Some of the traditional skills are more important than ever in today’s hypercompetitive healthcare landscape. These fundamentals include advanced clinical skills in their respective specialty, critical thinking skills to handle the complexities of both patients’ physical and emotional needs, a keen understanding of the power of non-verbals in the patient-care setting, and the ability to collaborate with colleagues of all levels in the organization.”
Not sure how to dig deep for this information? Hit the candidate with some behavioral questions that prompt them to highlight these key skills in specific situations.
Look for Leadership Material
“Beyond the core set of priorities, for those nurses who are considering advancing their careers into leadership roles, look for a track record that highlights participation on a volunteer status for new projects, demonstrates leadership by readily accepting “Charge” assignments, and showcases proactive internal networking efforts with more senior leaders.”
These are all tell-tale indicators that this candidate is in it for the long haul, and instead of hunting for the next best thing somewhere else, they are actively looking for new ways to advance towards their goals with their current organization.
Identify Industry Smarts
“Recruit someone who pays attention to the healthcare industry as a whole (not just clinical aspects) that will help round out the professional composition of the nursing role – or any other clinical position for that matter. This quality will allow them to contribute to the growth of the organization in ways they may not have imagined early on in their career.”
This person isn’t just on the team, they add to the team and the organization as a whole. Bonus points if you can find someone who is not only plugged in but also enjoys finding unique new ways to shake up old processes!