The healthcare market sector (which includes senior housing) has created more jobs than any other industry sector.

This is great news for the economy and for workers.  It is a mixed bag for senior housing providers.  On one hand it means demand is up, but it also means finding and hiring the best candidates is more difficult.

The healthcare market sector (which includes senior housing) has created more jobs than any other industry sector.

This is great news for the economy and for workers.  It is a mixed bag for senior housing providers. 

On one hand it means demand is up, but it also means finding and hiring the best candidates is more difficult.

There are at least three specific factors impacting senior housing that will make recruiting and hiring in the coming years more challenging:

• There are dozens to hundreds of new senior communities being built each year.  This means an increased need for administrators, executive directors, regional managers and top corporate leadership.   (As a side note, it also means there will be a need for thousands of new line staff.)

• There are a disproportionate number of the current generation of leaders who are rapidly approaching retirement age.   While, because of the current economy, many of those leaders will work longer, ultimately they will retire and need to be replaced.

• Because of the increased number of communities and units being added to the marketplace the very best team members will be critical to success of any senior housing organization.

There are a number of approaches to recruiting and hiring, not all of them have been so great for candidates.   While it is possible that an aggressive or adversarial process can weed out weak candidates, it is also possible you will create a bad impression for your company and drive away the best and brightest. A recent white paper produced by HealthcareSource makes the point that improving the recruitment and hiring process can substantially improve your chance of getting the very best candidates. The white paper details  5 very specific things you can do to improve the process:

1. Communicate with Candidates throughout the Process – It is almost impossible to over communicate with candidates.   They want to know where they are in the process and how they are stacking up.
2. Develop an Application Process That is both Efficient and Thorough – Great candidates are very busy people.  Having an on-line process that does not need to be completed in one sitting makes it more likely that the best candidates will follow through rather than moving on to another opportunity.  The process should be clearly understandable to the candidate allowing them to understand where they are in the process.
3. Use the Interview Process to Promote and Evaluate Accountability –  This means creating a system that requires mutual accountability on the part of the hiring managers and candidates.
4. Involve Top Performers, Residents, and Patients in Evaluating Candidates – This involvement improves the hiring process, improves employee satisfaction and resident loyalty.
5. Build Relationships with Candidates through Social Media – Social media is a great way to reach new candidates, particularly younger ones.  LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are particularly useful tools to enhance the process.   Social media is perhaps the best way for you to build your brand in the eyes of candidates.

The HealthcareSource white paper can be downloaded for free and provides much more in-depth, practical suggestions on how to implement each of these 5 items.  Download the white paper HealthcareSource: Five Best Practices for Improving the Candidate Experience. What are you doing to recruit and hire the best candidates? Steve Moran