Trying to find the best healthcare talent in today’s market remains a challenge for many companies. Sure, you may receive up to a hundred résumés for an open position, but probably two or three candidates are truly qualified, and you’ll face stiff competition trying to get them to accept a job offer. It’s a situation that makes many HR managers pull their hair out.

Offering meaningful incentives to promising candidates boosts your chances of attracting the best medical workers. With hiring the best possible employees in mind, let’s take a closer look at how to spice up your organization’s job offers.

A Signing Bonus helps to clinch the Deal

Consider offering a signing bonus to ensure your company is able to convince the best candidates to sign on the dotted line. If you are worried a new employee will end up leaving after a few months, pay some of the bonus up front, while paying the rest on the employee’s one-year anniversary. The most important thing is turning a quality candidate into a contributing team member.

While signing bonuses add a short-term expense to your company, you may actually save dollars in the long run when considering the costs of onboarding new employees — a task you’ll need to repeat after hiring an inadequate worker that quickly needs replaced.

Offering extra vacation or personal days upon hire is another incentive option worth considering in lieu of a cash signing bonus. If your company’s budget is currently tight, this provides another means for incenting the top industry talent to consider your organization. You are also able to stagger the PTO offer over a longer period, giving the new hire another good reason to stay with your firm.

A Robust Benefits Package and Welcoming Culture helps to attract Top Talent

If you regularly encounter difficulty in getting the best medical industry talent to join your company, you need to ensure you provide a competitive benefits package. Talk with your staffing agency partner about where your compensation and benefits rank among other medical companies in your city.

Additionally, remember to foster a positive company culture, as this provides another good reason for quality candidates to choose your firm. Word about corporate culture — both good and bad — spreads quickly in the employment market.

If your organization needs additional insight on building a winning healthcare team, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. One of the country’s top medical staffing agencies, we offer the top candidates able to make a positive difference for your firm. Schedule some with us today!

With everything involved in the hiring process, sometimes checking a candidate’s references gets the short shrift. This isn’t good for your company, because when a decision comes down to two quality candidates with similar skill sets and medical industry experience, reference checking plays a large role in making the correct final choice. When performing reference checks, it is important to follow a thorough, mistake free process.

Let’s look more closely at some reference checking mistakes your HR team needs to avoid to make the best possible hiring decision.

Considering References who never worked with the Candidate

It is vital to only consider references who directly worked with a candidate. This is especially important when considering the stressful nature of work within the healthcare industry. A first-person perspective on how the candidate performs when under pressure offers better predictive insight to their on-the-job performance with your organization.

In short, don’t consider references from a candidate’s high school teacher or Boy or Girl Scout troop leader.

Not Reference Checking Every Candidate

Your HR team needs to follow a consistent hiring process. This includes performing thorough reference checks on at least every candidate you bring in for an interview. Skimping on this part of the process might lead to a costly hiring mistake.

Your interviewing team benefits from having any additional information weaned from a reference check when talking with a candidate. If the time doesn’t allow reference checks before an initial interview, definitely perform them before any follow-up interviews take place.

Insufficient Questioning of a Candidate’s References

The members of your HR team doing the reference checks need to channel their “inner Mike Wallace” — the legendary 60 Minutes reporter known for tough questioning. In short, don’t ask leading questions and leverage meaningful follow-up queries to gain additional insight into a candidate’s previous work performance. If your reference checkers are only receiving “yes” or “no” answers, their questions probably aren’t good enough.

Prepare a worksheet for your HR staff that covers these questioning strategies. This helps to ensure consistency between those checking references, and that you have all the information you need to make an enlightened final decision on which candidate is best for your company.

If your organization needs additional input on how to build a winning team in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we offer top notch candidates able to make a difference in your office. Schedule some time with us as soon as possible!

Cultural fit plays a large role in the overall happiness with your job, both in the medical industry and other business sectors. If you aren’t professionally compatible with your employer and coworkers, your work performance may suffer, adversely impacting your chances at a better position elsewhere. It is important to understand the corporate culture at any healthcare establishment before you accept a job offer.

Let’s take a look at some ideas on finding a compatible company culture at your next position in the world of healthcare.

You must Research the Company Beforehand

Researching the company in question before any job interview is vital for a myriad of reasons, especially so you sound knowledgeable during the interview. This research also potentially offers you a look at their company culture. The company’s website as well as their LinkedIn and Facebook pages, if present, are other great sources for cultural information.

Additionally, you can check out their listing on Glassdoor for insight from current and former employees.

Leverage your Professional Network

Talk to any contacts within your professional network to see if they know any current or former employees of the company in question. Maybe you already network with a current worker? This “inside” information is invaluable when trying to figure out whether or not you would fit in at any organization.

Find out what everything you are able from as many sources as possible (either online or inside information), and then keep your eyes open when arriving for your interview. Check out the office and watch how people are interacting with each other. Ultimately, once you have all the information you need, trusting your own judgment is the best call.

Personal Information on your Résumé

While you want to limit the amount of personal information you put on your résumé, mentioning some — like any volunteer activities — helps to give your potential employer an idea of what makes you tick. It lets them decide whether or not you would make a good fit with the other workers at their company. Any smart company in the medical industry knows happy employees perform better and are probably more empathic with patients.

Also, work with your recruiter to go over your personal attributes, so they have a better idea of which of their clients makes a better cultural fit.

If you need further assistance on your job search in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top medical staffing agencies, we can help both you and your career. Schedule some time with us today!

The interview remains the most important aspect of any hiring process. A prospective employer gets to see candidates in person and watch how they react during a stressful situation — a vital trait for any healthcare professional. If you are a generally shy person, performing well during an interview becomes a challenge, making your prospects for a successful job search more daunting compared to other candidates.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some ideas to help you stand out during an interview if you are shy. Let’s take a closer look.

Focus on your Nonverbal Behavior

Making a good first impression plays a big role in your ultimate interview success. Interviewers pay close attention to your nonverbal actions during an interview. Greet your interviewers with a firm handshake when being introduced, and make (and maintain) natural eye contact throughout the interview — without staring.

In addition to eye contact, focus on keeping an upright posture and use natural body language when speaking. Practice these techniques with a friend before your interview day; this is especially vital when you are shy, since your non-verbal actions need to be perceived as natural.

Considering hiring a career coach that specializes in interview preparation if you can’t find anyone to help you practice.

Bring a One-page Document of Professional Accomplishments

Being extra nervous sometimes makes it difficult to remember everything you want to discuss during an interview. Prepare a one-page document containing a bullet point list of your professional or educational successes you want to highlight when talking with the interviewer.

This extra “security blanket” helps to give you a clear head when asked a difficult question. It also ensures you don’t forget any significant achievements that ultimately could earn you a job offer.

Make a Mental Picture of your Interview Success

When in the waiting room before the interview, focus your mind on a successful performance. If you are confident you will be a valued member of the healthcare company in question, those positive feelings will come out during the interview. A good attitude overcomes any shyness when it matters.

If you want any additional advice on interview preparation, or anything else with the hiring process, talk to the knowledgeable recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top medical industry staffing agencies, we can take your career to new levels — even if you are shy. Schedule some time with us today!