Healthcare staffing shortages are a hot topic nationwide. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects shortages of 63,720 registered nurses (RNs), 141,580 licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) by 2035. As healthcare organizations and recruitment teams look to address this looming labor crisis, employer branding is key.
Employer branding is positioning your organization as a desirable place to work. A strong employer brand should highlight tangible examples of your company’s values and culture. Your employer brand is crucial to attracting and retaining talented nurses who are a great fit for your organization.
Understanding Healthcare Employer Branding
Building a strong employer brand is more than stating your mission, vision, and values. Your employer brand is your company’s internal and external reputation. So, it’s not about what your human resources team, recruiters, or executive leaders say about your organization. It’s about how employees and prospective applicants view you.
To that end, you need to create the workplace environment employees are looking for, which means providing:
- Adequate staffing and flexible scheduling to promote work-life balance
- Career development and training opportunities
- Competitive, performance-based pay
- Team-building activities that foster interpersonal relationships
What Do Nurses Look for in an Employer Brand?
Our 2024 Job Seeker Report highlights how much nurses and other healthcare professionals value tangible benefits when choosing a job. Respondents who shared they were likely to leave their job in the upcoming year cited several reasons, such as wanting:
- Better working hours
- Higher compensation
- Work-life balance
Those in nursing professions noted a few top priorities when assessing workplace benefits. RNs, LPNs, and LVNs are looking for:
- 401(k) plans
- Mentoring opportunities
- More vacation days
- Student loan forgiveness
Offering nurses these benefits helps your employer brand in a couple of ways. First, it improves morale, engagement, and retention among your current employees. Second, the satisfaction of your current employees will be evident to prospective employees. Thus, keeping your current workforce happy has a direct boost to your recruitment efforts.
How to Strengthen Your Employer Brand
How do you make sure you are highlighting your employer brand throughout recruitment and retention efforts? There are several strategies you can use to attract new talent and keep current employees on board:
1. Get Specific About Your Culture
Every company boasts a strong workplace culture. You need to back up this claim with details and examples of what sets you apart. You may:
- Communicate benefits and perks, such as flexible scheduling platforms, additional days off, or continuing education opportunities
- Connect nurse applicants with nurse employees to ask questions about the job and work environment
- Describe an average day for one of your nurses
- Share what specific skills and qualifications make your nurses most successful
2. Engage Employees in Online Efforts
Candidates are often most interested in hearing directly from employees about what it’s like to work at an organization. Ask some of your most engaged nurses to help craft stories about their experiences. You may create:
- Blog posts that highlight a nurse’s favorite memories or patient interactions
- Social media content that shows your commitment to diversity, career development, and employee appreciation
- Videos where nurses share their favorite parts of working at your organization
3. Review Your Benefits
Most nurses can find a job anywhere they’d like. With that in mind, it’s natural that benefits are top-of-mind for these professionals. Consider how you can make hiring packages more competitive with perks like:
- Ample paid time off
- Flexible shift scheduling
- Loan repayment assistance or forgiveness plans
- Opportunities for career development and promotion
- Retirement packages with 401(k) matches
- Sign-on bonuses and competitive pay ranges
- Wellness offerings, such as discounted therapy or fitness stipends
Amping up your benefits helps your retention efforts as well. Nurses who appreciate the “perks of the job” are more likely to stay long-term.
4. Ask for Feedback
Create a culture of constructive feedback by encouraging employees to share their experiences. You can use tools such as stay interviews to find out what keeps your nurses happy and what they’d like to change.
Ask candidates for feedback as well. Throughout the hiring process, ask prospective nurses about their hesitations and impressions of your company. Listening closely to this feedback can provide insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your employer brand and organizational culture.
Building a Stronger Workplace Culture
You can’t control every person’s perception of your organization. But an intentional, strategic plan can help you build a stronger workplace culture. This positive culture will spill over into your employer brand, helping you find your best nurses and keep them within your organization.
