As we begin 2022, it’s evident that a lot has changed over the past year. Some industries more than others have taken a bigger hit. As a recruitment company for healthcare specialists, we understand exactly how privileged we have been to be able to continue the work we do throughout such an unpredictable time.
With that being said, we know that traditional methods of recruitment are long gone!
We would like to share our summary of the healthcare recruitment trends for 2021.
Home Care is on the rise and will continue to increase in popularity as the year proceeds. Whilst this may be an obvious one, we couldn’t highlight the trends for 2021 without mentioning home care.
The Coronavirus has brought about an increased concern for infection rates and for bed capacity in care homes and nursing homes. Domiciliary care eliminates both of those concerns, hence when we are expecting to see this rise throughout the rest of this year.
Domiciliary care also offers a lot more roles to suit remote workers, another popular outcome of The Coronavirus.
Internal recruitment will be at an all-time high. COVID-19 has affected hiring techniques in more ways than one. Hiring internally means that home managers/hospital managers are more likely to retain talent they already have within the organisation. It also allows managers to remove and upload job posts much quicker than before, so this is not only more time efficient, it’s also cost-saving. Upskilling of already existing staff members also provides an increase in employee loyalty, equalling to a lot less new- starters.
Virtual recruiting is here to stay! This is something that many companies will have previously dabbled with as a last resort. Thanks to COVID-19, this has been the only way, for many, to keep recruitment moving. That doesn’t mean to say no more face – to – face interviews though, we think that more 1st stage interviews may be done via telephone/video chat, and if successful, moving on to a 2nd stage in person. Virtual care home tours have been introduced and have actually proven to be very efficient, cutting out travel time and costs, again, we expect these will continue for most.
Improved Candidate experience is another big trend throughout 2021. Recruitment agencies have had a full year to exercise different means of recruiting, candidates are automatically expecting a much smoother experience when applying online. As a result, companies are investing a lot more time into their hiring processes, particularly those that can be improved using technology.
Increase in jobs. Now more than ever, people have been searching for career changes. Especially within the health and social care sector. During the difficulties that COVID-19 brought about it’s not surprising that many in the industry decided it was time for a new start thus, a new role. It’s also not surprising that as a result of the vaccine hundreds of thousands of new jobs were created e.g., track and trace, vaccinators etc. Backlog of appointments through the NHS, GP’s and also nurse visits to care homes means that there is a LOT of work to catch up on, increase in jobs = increase in recruitment.
This unfortunate time has highlighted the value of the health and social care sector and has highlighted the inspiring roles these professionals play in society. We see a huge shift in not only the recruitment process in this sector, but also in people’s behaviour towards those working in healthcare, who have managed to maintain their excellent level of service, despite all odds.
Healthcare recruitment will, of course, remain a vital part of the sector.
