Whatever your personal views on healthcare in America may be, we can all agree on at least two things: the system needs more help, and we need the right people in place to do it. Healthcare is one of the biggest and most important industries in America. With the Baby Boomer generation fast retiring and those of the “Greed is Good” ‘80s not as far behind as they may think, the size and importance of the healthcare industry in America will only grow with time.
With the industry expanding, so too are job opportunities. The healthcare industry is already one of the biggest and fastest-growing employers in America. That said, not everyone is cut out for a career in healthcare. HR managers for healthcare-related firms thus need to take extra care to find the right people for the job, and here’s how.
Hire According to Need
One of the classic dilemmas facing NFL teams high in the draft is whether they draft strictly for need or take the best player left on the board regardless of his position. There are arguments for both approaches, but for healthcare hiring purposes, the former beats the latter. You have specific healthcare-related needs that you need to fill, and flashy applicants can become flash-in-the-pan failures if they don’t closely match what you actually need to get done.
Other shortcomings aside, seek applicants who match a job’s specific needs as closely as possible.
Look for the Right Kind of People
One of those “needs” should be moral in nature. It takes a special kind of person to want to help people. Healthcare isn’t for everyone, and that isn’t a bad thing. Entrepreneurial, literary- and artistic-minded, and other workers have job skills that are needed elsewhere.
In healthcare, having people who work well as a team, are truly dedicated, and believe wholeheartedly in healing and helping others in an altruistic sense is more important than anything else.
Marry HR and Leadership
This need and altruism-based approach to hiring can’t just be limited to HR. Make sure that your company’s leadership mirrors these values.
Healthcare needs help, so take the time to find people who are dedicated to helping an industry and people who need their unique skills and compassion most.