Is Your Candidate Pipeline Running Dry? 10 Strategies to Fill it!

Prior to COVIS-19, filling Senior Living leadership positions was already challenging. The pandemic just made it that much harder.  Leadership and staff are stretched to the max and are frustrated that their candidate pipelines are running dry.

Our best recommendation is to look at a holistic approach to executive recruiting.  That means, it’s necessary to recruit active, passive, and interim executive candidates from a number of sources and channels in order to replenish your candidate pipeline.

Here’s 10 channels that will help:

Post on Social Media

According to a study by Lippincott Solutions, Forty-one percent of nurses use social media to follow healthcare topics. In addition, nurses along with other healthcare professionals have a number of LinkedIn and Facebook Groups dedicated to helping them find their next opportunity, whether perm or interim. Frequent job postings on social media can significantly reduce the time-to-hire.

Go Mobile

According to Inc.com, 45% of job seekers use their mobile devices to search for jobs at least once per day. That means you need to optimize your website career page or job board across all types of devices, including laptops, smartphones, and tablets. You need to also make sure you have a one-click apply features. One-click apply allows candidates to apply with ease, speed and with the click of a button.

Search Online Job Boards

60% of job seekers begin their job hunt via online job boards! Post your job opportunity to the most popular boards such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and Monster but don’t forget the niche job boards specific to our industry such as the Argentum Career Center and LeadingAge Job Board.

Re-Target Those Who’ve Shown Interest

Prior to the pandemic, perhaps you attended industry events, conferences, or meetings and were introduced and interacted with senior care leaders and executives. If they showed interest in you and your organization, it’s time to re-engage them.  Contact them and discuss your talent need and their career goals.

Consider Furloughed Hospitality Workers

Hospitality and senior living totally align since both require a caring heart, compassion for people, and the desire to serve. Furloughed hospitality professionals in culinary, sales, marketing, and management could make an easy transition. The skills are transferable.  According to a Senior Housing News article, “Senior living providers will no doubt need more workers as Covid-19 continues and since many operators already hire from the hospitality talent pool, why not try to help those laid-off workers get back to work?”

Ask for Employee Referrals

Notify all your employees of a current or upcoming talent need or job opening that you are looking to fill. Post opening on your Intranet, website, or in-house bulletin board. Offer a reward for any employee referrals that get hired.

Reach Out to Past Employees

Past employees represent one of your most promising pipelines. As former employees, they are known quantities and can hit the ground running. Plus, you already know what to expect in terms of their on-the-job performance and cultural fit.  However, if your previous employee is unavailable, ask for referrals. They are probably connected to some of the best talent in the industry.

Contact Warm Candidates in Database

Filling your database with top notch resumes is essential but building a rapport is really the goal here. Ultimacalltoy, the purpose of a candidate pipeline is to have contacts you could reach out to when a key position arises.  That means building relationships by staying in touch. Be on their radar through monthly emails, messages on social media, or brief texts. Relationships matter when it comes to recruiting.

Consider Interim Executives

Hiring interim talent is skyrocketing. It’s a popular, viable, and quick solution for vacant positions, surges in patient/resident care, and short-term talent gaps especially when it comes to leadership roles such as Executive Director, Nursing Home Administrator, Director of Nursing, Resident Care Director/Wellness Director, and MDS Coordinator. Interim placements enable your organization to minimize business disruptions, avoid being shorthanded, and remain productive while you search for that permanent hire.

Hire Reputable Search Firms

Professional Senior Living Search Firms have access to a network of high quality and in-demand talent.  They already have an existing pool of talent, understand the skill sets needed, acumen to evaluate CV’s and resumes, and the ability to identify and secure the right fit.  They work in an expedient manner and in the strictest of confidence.

ABOUT JULIE RUPENSKI

Julie Rupenski is the Founder, President & CEO of MedBest, opening the doors in 2001. Since then, Julie has gained national recognition for providing top talent solutions exclusively for the Senior Living Industry. Her specialties include filling C-Suite, Vice President, Regional, and Property level positions.

Julie has an in-depth knowledge of the Senior Living Industry.  She previously worked in operations for both Senior Housing and Senior Living prior to founding MedBest. Today, Julie makes it her personal and professional mission to place qualified people in health care positions where they have the greatest impact.

Julie earned her degree in Gerontology at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida and continues to cultivate her career through senior living conferences, forums, trade shows, and expos.

(Julie’s industry articles and interviews have been published in Provider Magazine, Argentum Quarterly, LeadingAge Magazine, Florida Health Care Association, Florida Assisted Living Association, Florida Senior Living Association, LeadingAge Florida, LeadingAge Indiana, Pennsylvania Health Care Association, Oregon Health Care Association, and Virginia Assisted Living Association.)

Contact Julie Rupenski at jrupenski@www.medbest.com / 727-526-1294.

 ABOUT MEDBEST

MedBest is a national Executive Search Firm exclusive to the Senior Living Industry established in 2001.  We recruit and acquire exceptional senior care talent, permanent and interim executives, for all types of Senior Living Organizations and Communities across the US including Assisted Living, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Independent Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Contact us at 727-526-1294 / info@www.medbest.com.