Attracting qualified candidates for health facility jobs is harder than ever. Daily, we hear from hospitals and systems across the country that it is becoming increasingly more challenging to attract qualified candidates.
Nationally, ManpowerGroup’s annual Talent Shortage Survey https://web.manpowergroup.us/talent-shortage finds that 69% of US employers report difficulty filling jobs due to candidate talent shortages.
So whether you are recruiting for a healthcare facility management position or another industry, don’t alienate hard-to-find candidates during the interview process.
Follow these practices to avoid losing candidates due to a flawed interview process.
Interview best practices
1) Put your best foot forward. Trite to say and silly to write, but organizations don’t always show their best side. We hear this directly from our recruitment candidates and attendees of our Beyond Competency seminars. Candidates notice and comment on inhospitable environments. Dour faces and lack of hello’s in corridors are noticed. Interpersonal skills exhibited by current employees factor into a candidate’s decision-making matrix.
Treat candidates as you would treat a dinner guest in your home. Words and actions should portray a welcoming environment.
2) Coordinate the visit. If the interview is a multi-hour session with many interviewers, ensure that the entire visit is coordinated. Work with human resources to understand the candidate’s flow through the interview day. If there are chunks of open time, fill it, shrink it, or assign a trusted individual to sit with the candidate during downtime. If the candidate is left alone, check in with them while they wait.
Quick story. Recently I spoke with a friend who was interviewing for a new job. They walked her to what was supposed to be an empty conference room to wait 30 minutes for the next interview, but several employees occupied it. Nevertheless, the escort left the candidate to wait for her upcoming meeting, while her new “acquaintances” conversed. The next day she asked HR to remove her name from consideration.
3) Use their time productively. Many candidates take hours away from their current job to interview, respect their time. Yes, they are interested in the role, but they also want to feel as though the interview was a productive, coordinated use of their time. Candidates tell us when they think their time was wasted.
4) Select group interview individuals wisely. During an interview, it is common to have management candidates speak with employees they may manage. Before selecting employees to talk with candidates, consider if they have hidden agendas that will adversely impact the recruitment.
Employee interviewees have told management candidates where organizational or department warts exist and, worse hinted at the inadequacies of the person to whom the prospective candidate would report. Collaborative interviewing is a plus, but loose employee lips can derail recruitment. Make sure guardrails are established before interviews.
Remember that while you are assessing candidate worthiness for health facility jobs, they are evaluating organizational worthiness. Candidates will walk away from an opportunity because of bad interview experience.