Synergizing Talent Acquisition

It’s common knowledge that in today’s senior living job market, attracting and retaining top talent is very challenging. Your organization’s talent acquisition team is tasked with locating and landing the best talent and sometimes, they may need a little extra help. That’s where industry specific search firms come in.

External recruiting firms exclusive to the senior living and long-term care industry can be a significant help in finding and hiring first-rate talent. There are many benefits for in-house talent acquisition teams who partner with external recruiters.  In this blog, we’ll list the benefits as well as explore how to optimize the partnership between talent acquisition teams and external search firms for success.

What’s the Evolution of Talent Acquisition?

The senior living talent acquisition landscape has evolved over recent years.  Demographically, the senior living industry has experienced significant growth due to the ever-increasing aging population and their desire for high-quality care and enhanced quality of life. As the demand for senior living services rises, so does the necessity for attracting and retaining top talent to provide exceptional care.

Senior living organizations have typically relied on their in-house talent acquisition teams for the strategies and processes required in order to identify, attract, secure, and retain talent. However, as we all know, senior living faces many challenges including a shortage of qualified workers and high turnover rates. Plus, when it come to executive level positions such as C-Level, VP, Regional, Nursing Home Administrator, and Director of Nursing, the competition is fierce.

Furthermore, according to SHRM, as technology advances and hiring needs have become more specialized, many organizations don’t have the bandwidth or expertise to hire for complex roles or executive leadership positions. Enter the external recruiting firm. They can help organizations recruit candidates, perm and interim, with specialized skill sets and the right amount of experience.

External senior living recruitment specialists focus exclusively on finding and placing highly qualified candidates in roles that align with an organization’s specific needs and culture.

What are the Top 5 Benefits of Partnering with an External Senior Living Recruiting Firm?

-Expanded Candidate Pool. External recruiters have access to a broader network of candidates in the industry, including passive candidates who may not be actively seeking new opportunities. This expands the talent pool and increases the chances of finding the right fit for open positions.

-Time & Resource Savings. An organization’s in-house talent acquisition team can save time and resources by outsourcing time-consuming tasks such as candidate sourcing, screening, and vetting as well as conducting initial interviews. In addition, external recruiters can expedite the hiring process by quickly identifying highly qualified candidates and moving the hiring process along. This can reduce the time to fill metrics and help organizations meet their talent needs more efficiently.

-Market Insights & Trends.  Recruiting firms often have valuable insights into market trends, salary benchmarks, competitor analysis, and candidate expectations. This can lead to a more informed decision-making process.

-Flexibility. Working with an external recruiter allows for flexibility through their interim options. An organization might need a short-term hire to fill a vacancy or work on a special project without having to make a long-term commitment. In addition, interim coverage also takes the pressure away from having to immediately hire to fill a position. Rushing to hire can cause a mismatch which can be a costly mistake.  Plus, it’s a great way for companies to “try before buy”.

-Improved Candidate Experience. External recruiters can often enhance the candidate experience by providing personalized communication, timely feedback, salary negotiations, and a positive impression of the hiring process. In turn, this reflects positively on the employer brand and helps to attract the best talent.

To illustrate these benefits we spoke with Amy Stewart, Executive Search Consultant with MedBest, regarding a recent collaboration with a client’s talent acquisition team when their search for an Executive Director in St. Louis was proving elusive. According to Amy, “We immediately went to work with an understanding of the Midwest job market and leveraged our industry connections, and deployed targeted search methods. Within a month, a candidate who seamlessly fit the client’s criteria emerged. The collaboration between MedBest and the internal team demonstrated tangible results, with the client expressing satisfaction not only with the speed of the process but also the caliber of the candidate presented. They hired our candidate immediately.” Read full story.

Strategies for Collaborating with Recruiting Firms Effectively

What makes having a strategy so important when working with recruiting firms? Basically it’s to ensure you secure tailored talent for your organization.

With that in mind, here are 7 crucial components of a recruiting strategy when collaborating with external recruiters:

-Clarity of Role(s). Articulate your hiring needs. Be very specific in your job descriptions, required skills, experience level and cultural fit.

-Set Expectations.  Establish clear timelines and regular communication with recruiters.

-Teamwork. Collaborate with the recruiting firm’s team providing feedback on candidates and interviews and adjust search criteria, if needed.

-Responsiveness. Promptly respond to inquiries, provide feedback, and stay on top of candidate submissions to keep the process moving along.

-Maximize Results. Regularly review progress made, quality of candidates, and overall effectiveness of recruiting firm’s efforts.

-Transparency. Keep the recruiting firm updated on any changes in your hiring needs, timelines, and company priorities that may impact the search.

-Relationship Building. Cultivate a strong working relationship with the recruiting firm based on trust, transparency, and open communication for this and future collaborations.

Summing it up

As the senior living job market grows increasingly competitive, a strong partnership between your organization’s talent acquisition team and an external search firm can be a game-changer when it comes to the hiring process and the quality of candidates.

If your organization is looking for help to identify, recruit, secure, and retain the best talent for your senior living / long-term care executive roles, MedBest Recruiting can help. Reach out to us at 727-526-1294 / https://www.medbest.com/client/

ABOUT JULIE RUPENSKI

Julie Rupenski is the Founder & CEO of MedBest Recruiting. Since opening its doors in 2001, Julie has grown MedBest into an award winning, multimillion-dollar national firm, garnering impressive awards including Top 20 Executive Search Firm 2024, Top Interim Services Provider 2023, INC 5000 2021 and Tampa Bay Fast 50 2021!  In addition, Julie was named as one of the “Top 100 Women Leaders in Tampa 2022″ by Women We Admire.

MedBest has gained national recognition due to Julie’s industry expertise and high level of success. Julie has an in-depth knowledge of the senior living / long term care industry.  She previously worked in operations for both senior housing and senior living prior to founding MedBest. Today, Julie and her industry-savvy team of recruiters, make it their mission to place exceptional industry executives in senior living positions where they have the greatest impact. Contact Julie at jkrupenski@medbest.com.

ABOUT MEDBEST
MedBest is an award-winning national Executive Search Firm exclusive to the Senior Living / Long Term Care Industry. For more than two decades, we have connected senior living / long term care organizations with exceptional senior living executive talent for both permanent and interim roles. MedBest was named as a  Top 20 Executive Search Firm and Top 10 Interim Services Provider! In addition, we were one of American’s top companies by Inc.5000 and a Tampa Fast 50 Company in 2021! MedBest is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), National Investment Center for Senior House (NIC), and American Staffing Association (ASA). Contact MedBest at 727-526-1294.