Attracting the Best Healthcare Information Technology Talent

In the healthcare information technology (HIT) sector, talented, extremely-skilled employees are hard to find these days. According to a study done by Korn Ferry, the current labor shortage in the tech industry is anticipated to affect 4.3 million workers by the year 2030. 

Professionals with experience are becoming more selective about which companies they want to work for and won’t settle for just any offer that comes their way. If you want to find top talent in healthcare IT, you need to understand and focus on what matters to the job candidate. 

For the most part, many professionals who work in the IT sector are not satisfied enough in their current positions and want more than just a larger salary. A 2017 survey exposed some surprising results. 

• 78% have considered leaving their current position 

• 45% are satisfied in their current job 

• 75% would be willing to take a demotion to work in their ideal position 

• 72% would take a pay cut to work in their ideal position 

So what can those of us in information technology recruitment do to correct this situation? We need to start by focusing on the complete package. This includes giving employees the right culture, career, benefits, and compensation. 

High tech companies frequently receive lots of attention for the extravagant offices: break rooms with foosball tables, and free food. But these amenities and perks aren’t enough to keep an employee happy and satisfied in their job. Some of the most important facets are company culture (i.e. leadership, work-life balance, and communication) as well as opportunities for growth and advancement are paramount to retaining and attracting talent in hospital IT departments today. 

Here are some specific things to jump start your HIT recruitment efforts: 

1. Create a presence in the HIT space. 

One way HIT departments can entice passionate, talented people to work for a hospital system is to build it's brand within the overall HIT community. Intermountain Healthcare is doing a wonderful job of building their HIT brand. At HIMSS in Las Vegas 2018, they displayed the strength of their Innovation Labs and it's impact in the rural communities through their telehealth technology. Ironically - they were one of the few health systems that invested the time and resources to exhibit at the annual trade show.

These can also be great opportunities to form partnerships with other health systems and at the same time helps build greater brand awareness and establish a resilient presence in the HIT world. 

2. Always use the right kind of technology. 

People in the HIT industry want to work with the kind of technology that keeps their skills fresh and keeps them interested. A survey done by Salesforce indicated that 71% of employees wanted their companies to provide them with the same technology they use in their own personal lives. There are numerous options in today’s job market. Having a relevant and interesting technology platform can make a huge difference to candidates. 

Technologies that are currently in use can say a whole lot about a company. While you may not be able to afford the latest gadgets, it’s important to invest in your technology stack so it remains interesting, relevant, and current to potential HIT job candidates. A majority of these professionals favor specific platforms, solutions, languages, and tools. 

A functional piece of technology that works well is not always something that will capture a HIT professional’s imagination. This plays a major role in whether a candidate will accept or reject a job offer. 

3. Allow employees to have a more flexible work schedule. 

In order to show your commitment for supporting a work-life balance with policies that realize the personal life needs of your employees, work-from-home days and flex scheduling should be an option for people to choose from. 

As a recruiter - I can share with you that offering remote work flexibility would cut the time to fill with HIT candidates in half.

Let your employees know that you value their work. This is appealing to candidates who want to feel appreciated in their jobs. Glassdoor, Deloitte, Oracle, and Airbnb offer flexible work-from-home policies which in turn enable these companies to boost employee engagement, retention, and productivity.  Sadly, this is not yet something that health systems have embraced. The MUST start to consider this in order to attract the best.

4. Offer career paths that are attractive to potential candidates. 

The new norm in the HIT industry is non-linear career paths. This is mostly because candidates have different priorities for career growth. Many employees have said that the technology they work on makes them a part of the company as a whole. Therefore, internal opportunities are extremely important for career growth. Allow your employees to take on new roles and projects to support them in their career development. 

5. Conform your compensation package to fit every employee 

Don’t focus entirely on salary. Promote your entire compensation package and provide options personalized to the candidate’s priorities. Set your company apart from others by offering more appealing benefits to your candidates. Companies have focused primarily on lifestyle benefits such as free or reduced childcare, games, and relaxation areas for quite some time. While these are some good ways to attract potential candidates, it isn’t enough. Today’s candidates desire benefits that will help to advance their careers.  Education and certification reimbursement are highly valued in the tech community.

Paid time off can be offered for employees to continue their education in their field of interest or technology-based training can be offered. Finding the perfect balance of career advancement and lifestyle benefits can make a big difference when it comes to retaining valuable staff. 

6. Meet expectations and the market rate. 

One of the most important factors for weighing a current or potential job is salary. Make sure you are meeting market rate and expectations. A local accounting manager in recruitment can help you figure out what’s expected in your sector and region and advise you beyond simply the base salary. 

It doesn’t have to be a struggle to retain and attract top talent. By focusing on what matters to an employee, IT departments can find the right candidates. Going to work is more than just a paycheck. It’s about a sense of belonging in a community while continuously learning and living a life full of purpose.

In Conclusion

While there are many ways a health system can improve it's HIT recruiting success (ie, becoming more attractive to tech savy candidates and therefore securing new employees faster) the question begs "which of these recommendations would have the greatest impact"?

Without a doubt, what I hear day in and day out from high level candidates is "does the company offer any type of work from home remote flexibility". It's a relatively easy consideration for departments to meet today given the technologies available which can keep people in the touch - even while home. Yet, most hospital IT department cultures simply have been too slow to adapt. I imagine that as younger CIOs begin to work their way up the ranks - this WILL change significantly.

One of the great joys I get to experience as an executive recruiter is making a difference in the lives of the candidates I place while at the same time knowing that I helped a company build their team in a meaningful way.

For more information about BigFish Recruitng visit our website at www.bigfishrecruiting.com