A large percentage of our recruitment clients end up running to us in a panic when they need advertising. Why you ask? They are tearing their hair out every day because they operate in a reactionary way.
The typical hospital human resources associate or recruiter has multiple searches (and that is putting it lightly) on their plate along with a myriad of other tasks and by the time a department comes to them with an urgent search, panic sets in.
OH. MY. GOODNESS! How long is it going to take to fill the position? How many dollars are we going to lose during the interim? Where is the best place to source qualified candidates? How can I find locum tenens in the meantime? How in the world do I get them to relocate to my area?!
Here’s the deal. Whether hospitals and healthcare networks want to acknowledge it or not, they are brands. Customers and potential employees will not come forward if they see that a company doesn’t have strong brand recognition. The best option for hospitals is to place two types of advertising simultaneously and those are branding and recruitment ads.
Recruitment ads consist of anything from your typical tombstone in the local paper or a web posting to a full-color masterpiece showcasing your company’s best attributes. Branding ads on the other hand don’t ask anything of the viewer. They are purely based in the element of experience and culture. For instance, a hospital located near hiking routes above a scenic river might show a majestic picture of mountains in order to draw physicians and nurses with a sense of adventure while a healthcare network in Florida would market their warm weather and beautiful sunsets as a reason to relocate.
Branding ads are important because over time, candidates will begin associating your hospital with your area and your culture so when it is time to fill that empty slot in neurology, you can do it faster. Branding and recruitment advertising are an excellent partnership so make sure to always be running both in order to keep your candidate pipeline flowing with ease.
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Now what? How do I advertise my hospital’s brand most effectively?!
Don’t worry! We’re glad you asked! Check out our list of helpful ways to build your brand below.
