The State of Healthcare Recruitment: A Conversation with Rachel Mayse of Pride Health

The healthcare staffing sector is ripe with opportunity, but is facing challenges amid today’s talent shortage.

According to Staffing Industry Analysts, the U.S. temporary healthcare market is valued at $15.5 billion as the Affordable Care Act and an improving economy are contributing to the industry’s growth. Finding enough qualified talent, however, remains one of the top hurdles that healthcare recruiters continuously encounter because of the growing number of insured people in the U.S. and the increasing retirement rates of American doctors.

How are staffing professionals overcoming obstacles in healthcare recruiting and where do they see the industry heading over the next few years? I spoke with Rachel Mayse, director of operations at Pride Health (a Bullhorn customer), to learn her perspectives on addressing the talent shortage, identifying the biggest misconceptions in the space, and ways technology can increase recruiter efficiency and productivity.

MF: Healthcare recruiting has seen its share of challenges in recent years. What are some of the current barriers that you’re facing in the industry?

RM: I would say the main challenge is finding enough qualified people. As a recruiter, unfortunately in the healthcare industry, a lot of higher-quality candidates are working with direct employers. The stigma is still there in the healthcare industry, where candidates and professionals don’t want to work with staffing agencies. In addition to finding top talent, another challenge lies in constantly keeping up with changing state laws. We need to stay abreast of legal issues and make sure our candidates are aware of the current legalities. For example, we must send out candidates who are not only top-rated, but are appropriately credentialed. Each client and each state have different laws, so we must ensure that all credentialing is accurately captured and reported.

MF: Alternatively, what are some of the opportunities that you’re seeing in healthcare recruiting? How does healthcare compare to other sectors in staffing?

RM: I think it’s an exciting space because it’s one of those industries that has stayed tried-and-true. The healthcare sector has a lot of consistency, and there will always be a need for it. There are different types of recruiting in banking and retail, for example, where those industries have dramatically shifted because of changing consumer demands. But healthcare has longevity because people will always need adequate healthcare – even in times of economy uncertainty. Healthcare provides a lot of reassurance, so that creates a lot of exciting opportunities for us to continue growing the sector.

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MF: Healthcare recruiting is one of the fastest-growing segments in staffing, but there are some myths about it. What are some of the biggest misconceptions in healthcare recruiting that you’re seeing as a staffing professional?

RM: One of the biggest misconceptions that we see at Pride Health is that some people think that we only staff doctors and nurses, which isn’t true. The healthcare industry is so prevalent with so many individual occupations, from doctors to direct-care counselors to visiting nurses. There is an enormous opportunity in staffing day-to-day aides – healthcare professionals who visit patients at their homes on a daily basis. That’s a big piece of healthcare recruiting because it’s not only a very important occupation, but it’s also one of the few areas of healthcare that lends itself exceptionally well to the staffing model because of the volume of needed talent.

MF: Recruiter productivity and efficiency is certainly one area that I’m sure you’re constantly seeking to improve with new processes and technologies. How can healthcare staffing maximize their operations so their teams can become better at their jobs?

RM: Credentialing is one of the biggest areas that staffing firms need to streamline through efficient technology. I’m a firm believer in using technology and an even firmer believer in one-stop shopping. There should be one solution that we use to help us complete our work. That’s where Bullhorn Healthcare Edition has tremendously helped us. By streamlining the credentialing process, we’re not using pen and paper, and we’re not using multiple spreadsheets to keep track of pertinent information. Bullhorn helps us maximize visibility into outstanding and expiring credentials by managing and consolidating documentation from within one system. It makes the overall recruitment process much faster, so recruiters can spend more time on the phones for placements and developing stronger candidate relationships, which lead to increased firm revenue. And we’re not losing any crucial information about candidates or clients because it’s all centrally located in one database.

As healthcare staffing continues growing, the firms that will be able to streamline their operations and increase their efficiencies will be the ones that will have the biggest competitive advantage. And those firms will also be the ones that will successfully overcome the industry challenges.

MORE: The Best Background Check Practices in Healthcare

Matt Fischer
Matt Fischer is president and chief technology officer for staffing industry software provider Bullhorn.


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