Managing Your Facility's IT Staffing Needs
As the standards for the use of electronic health records rise, the demand on facilities to meet these standards has increased as well. Facilities are being called upon to protect patient data, streamline records and billing, all while keeping costs low.
The demands being put on your facility are astronomical in terms of technology and software requirements. Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to meet these growing needs is to plan strategically how you will source and place the IT medical professionals, who will help your facility meet these standards.
Most facilities understand who and how to hire medical professionals such as aides, LVNs, nurses, nursing supervisors, etc. But it can be difficult for your recruiters or department hiring managers to know what to look for in an IT professional. They may not even know where to start looking or what to advertise to recruit the best talent.
To make matters even more complicated, a shortage of more than 50,000 healthcare IT workers nationwide is projected. This will make the search for top-notch professionals in this sector ever harder to find, let alone hire.
Rely Upon Experts
Because IT professionals can be difficult to find, it can present a challenge for your facility. To avoid a lengthy hiring process, you may want to consider bringing in outside experts who can assist in finding the right candidates. Just as your physicians may request a specialist consultation, you may need the input and assistance of someone who specializes in recruiting IT professionals for the medical field.
If you engage a medical recruiter to help you find and pare down your candidate pool, you may also want to consider having your internal staff expand their education and experience. Your recruiter will be able to deliver qualified IT candidates, but the ultimate hiring decision is up to your facility. However, without the proper experience in IT medical hiring, your facility may not be able to identify and hire the best candidate.
There are many training programs geared towards educating HR personnel and other professionals involved in medical staffing decisions. These programs help to educate employees with the field of healthcare information technology and how that changes the hiring process and final decisions.
Make Your Facility Known to IT Professionals
Because IT professionals in the medical field have their pick of positions, it is extremely important to ensure your facility is recognizable. While traditional branding and marketing efforts help raise awareness of your facility to these professionals, your facility should strive to appeal to these professionals specifically. A great way to do this is to harness the power of social media.
The best social media site for reaching professionals is LinkedIn. Consider joining IT professional groups on the site and participating in relevant discussion topics. This is a terrific way to make your facility known, as well as to get your job openings in front of IT professionals. In early January there were literally hundreds of groups geared toward information technology professionals and several groups that were focused on healthcare IT professionals.
We hope you’re enjoying our weekly blog posts. Be sure to check back next Wednesday (January 30) when we discuss “2013 is a Great Year to Consider a Career in Healthcare.”
Remember, Snelling Medical Professionals is here to help. We differentiate ourselves through our recruiting and our support – all the while paying close attention to the details that make the best fit for your facility. From temporary staffing to direct hire, Snelling understands that attention to details is the key to a successful match. So contact us with any questions you may have or if you would like more information on finding an IT healthcare professional!
NOTE: A full-color, downloadable PDF is available.
