The healthcare industry is a competitive and fast-paced environment that relies on quality care, patient satisfaction, and highly skilled nurses to keep facility operations running smoothly. Consequently, nursing professionals, specifically registered nurses (RN), are in significantly high demand. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2021 to 2023.
At the same time, healthcare employers are faced with some challenges that come with recruiting nursing staff within the healthcare industry. From shortages of qualified healthcare candidates to intense competition for the best nursing candidates, it can be difficult for an employer to build a quality healthcare team that can provide exceptional care for patients.
Fortunately, the use of hiring technology tools and the rise of technology hiring have expedited the recruitment of top-notch nursing staff. Here are some of the top technology hiring trends that have accelerated hiring in the nursing field:
The Latest Hiring Technology Trends
Online Job Postings
With the help of popular job posting sites, it’s now easier than ever for healthcare employers to reach a wider applicant audience in a shorter amount of time. Today, with the help of online job publications, healthcare professionals can quickly and easily find job opportunities that match their nursing qualifications. Furthermore, most job postings online allow job seekers to apply for open nursing positions using a digital application process. This enables applicants to upload their resumes in real time. Additionally, employers can now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter out unqualified applicants and find potential applicants in a matter of minutes.
Virtual Interviews
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated remote work; it is now common for companies to allow their employers to work from home. And while most nursing positions require a nurse to be on-site to work, many traditional face-to-face healthcare interviews can be replaced by virtual ones. This enables both healthcare employers and nursing candidates to avoid long travel hours and cut down on expenses. Moreover, virtual consultations can also allow for more efficient scheduling, eliminating the need for coordinating different time zones or making arrangements for in-person interviews.
Gamification Recruitment
Gamification is changing the landscape of technology hiring by using certain “game elements” such as challenges, rewards, and competition to make the recruitment process more engaging and entertaining for job seekers. The benefits of gamification recruitment are that it’s fun for nursing candidates to complete and can also help employers build a more diverse team. That’s because gamification recruitment can not only help test a candidate's skills and knowledge but also provides insight into how a nursing candidate would react and perform their job in real-life working scenarios. As a result, healthcare employers can have more information on which nursing candidates would make a better fit for their medical facility by using gamification recruitment hiring technology tools.
Chatbots
Chatbots, or AI-powered tools, are becoming increasingly popular in the recruitment industry. But what’s so special about chatbots? While chatbots may have had a bad rep in the past, they have become exceedingly advanced due to major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and machine learning. As a matter of fact, chatbots can save recruiters time by answering simple to complex questions that a candidate may have during the hiring process in real time. What’s more, modern chatbots are now able to understand natural language and respond in a conversational manner, making them more user-friendly. As far as recruitment goes, chatbots act as virtual recruiters that can manage the recruitment process and can pre-screen applicants before scheduling interviews with a live person.
Online Training
Once hired, most healthcare employers will require nursing staff to undergo orientation and training. Certain hiring technology tools can help with these processes, such as e-learning, webinars, and different types of interactive virtual training. These types of online training can help speed up hiring nurses and cut down on time and cost for both the employee and the employer. Additionally, with the use of online training, newly hired nurses can feel confident that they have been prepped and equipped with a certain amount of knowledge and skills before they step out on the floor.
Technology Hiring Apps
Technology hiring apps have revolutionized the way medical facilities and hospitals are able to recruit qualified nursing professionals. Today, recruitment apps can streamline the process for hiring managers by allowing them to post job openings, track candidates, schedule interviews, and communicate with job applicants all in one platform. What’s more, technology hiring apps enable healthcare facilities to reach a wider pool of highly skilled nurses in a faster and more cost-effective manner. Furthermore, technology hiring apps can benefit both registered nurses (especially those who work on a per diem basis) and healthcare facilities by connecting qualified nursing professionals to medical facilities that need coverage immediately. Ultimately, one of the major benefits of hiring technology apps is that they offer a fast and efficient way for employers and job seekers to connect.
Mobile Recruitment
Alongside hiring apps, it’s no surprise that mobile recruitment has become one of the most popular ways for job seekers to look for employment. In fact, almost 59% of global web traffic in the second quarter of 2022 was via mobile devices. Therefore, healthcare employers who are looking for nursing applicants should make sure to provide hiring technology tool features such as apps, job postings, candidate screenings, and applicant tracking systems that are accessible through smartphones and tablets.
The Benefits of Technology in Hiring
When it comes to healthcare, the hiring landscape is constantly changing, and technology has been the driving force behind much of the change we've seen in recent years. Keeping up with the latest trends in hiring technology will give healthcare employers or recruiters an edge over competitors. This includes implementing technology hiring tools such as apps, chatbots, and pre-screening tools to make recruitment a more streamlined and inclusive process. At the end of the day, hiring technology greatly improves recruitment efficiency, diversity, and accuracy in the healthcare sector.
If you are a medical facility recruiter looking to connect with verified, local clinicians to fill short-term nursing shifts quickly and easily, download the Nursa app today and fill all the shifts you need in no time!
