From department managers to human resources professionals to the c-suite, recruiting to Rural America in healthcare is a tough job. There are many things that make it tough. First, recruiting is one of just several tasks or objectives that you have on you plate. You also have the challenge of your location, which is probably awesome, but nobody knows about it, unless they are already there. How do you get the word out?
Also, since recruiting is one of many things you do, when it comes up it is usually a fire drill. Somebody is retiring, or a spouse is taking a new job or they just want to make a move. Since recruiting is not something you do every day it can be difficult to get the process going and to find the resources to get the job done. You also have the issue of time (or the lack of it).
So, what do you do? You can post the opportunity in your local paper, but most people in your community already know about your hospital and the opportunities. You can promote from with in, which a great opportunity if you have the right person. This will save a lot of time and money. You can turn to job boards, which can be hard to navigate and can be costly and you still have to spend time going through the responses. You can turn to a recruiter, which also can be hard to navigate and very costly.
Since I am a recruiter, I am going to focus on this area. There are several different kinds of recruiting firms and several different methodologies. You can go with a national firm, a local firm or a small boutique firm. You can go with a firm that specializes in your specific area of need or you can go with a firm that does everything. You can go with a firm that does permanent placement, temporary placement or temporary to full time. There are so many options.
I would suggest that you do a combination of things. First I would do advertising that has reach and a look at a job board that is cost effective and easy to use. I would also look at a recruiting firm and interview a a few to see if they fit what you are looking for and what you need. Also, check out the credentials, make sure they belong to American Staffing Association and see if they have won any awards, such as Best of Staffing. Also, ask for references and ask to see the contract. If the contract is confusing, that could be a red flag. If you do decide to work with a firm, I would also recommend only working with one or two at a time. Working with multiple firms at once creates more work for you and recruiting firms lose interest in competing with several firms in working with one client.
I hope this helps you as you look at your recruitment efforts. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.