Meeting the Challenges of Health Care Hiring with Forage

The US health care industry is at an inflection point. There are too many patients requiring treatment and too few practitioners to help them. To keep up, health care talent acquisition (TA) teams must stay ahead of emerging workforce trends and adapt to a challenging talent landscape.

Forage virtual experiences help health care organizations stay ahead by creating a modern candidate experience that attracts and identifies right-fit talent. Candidates gain hands-on exposure to key health care skills, preparing them for real-world roles, and enable recruiters to streamline hiring and build a more qualified talent pipeline.

Demographic Shifts Define Health Care Hiring Trends

The baby boomer generation is reshaping health care hiring, both as patients and as practitioners. As the population ages, demand for specialized care is rising, while an increasing number of experienced health care professionals are retiring. These shifts are creating a growing care gap, straining a complex industry in the process.

This workforce strain is already evident. In 2021, Americans 65 and older made up less than 20% of the population but accounted for 40% of US health care spending. What’s more, approximately 75 million people live in a designated primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). And while new practitioners enter the workforce every year, the United States is still on track for a physician shortage of up to 86,000 by 2036.

Forage helps health care system recruiters build a sustainable talent pipeline by reaching the next generation of professionals early. Forage Virtual Tours and Role Match introduce candidates to the world of work and determine their best-fit position through an interactive quiz, helping them explore career paths and gain real-world exposure before they even apply.

Preparing for the Jobs of the Future, Now

Emerging roles in telehealth and health data analysis are already critical, and they are paving the way for future jobs that have yet to be defined. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are driving health care’s digital transformation, and to keep pace, recruiting teams must engage talent now—filling today’s high-demand roles while proactively building a pipeline for the jobs of the future.

Forage virtual experiences ensure that talent teams are continuously building a pipeline of candidates from schools and communities across the country, widening their search beyond traditional methods such as career fairs and personal networks. Through Forage, TA teams are able to tap into the next generation of talent who are more knowledgeable and better prepared to work for their organization.

Improving Role Awareness for Better Hiring Outcomes

When most people think of working in the health care industry, they think of roles as care providers: doctors, nurses, and other specialists and practitioners. This industry requires many different types of work to thrive and grow, such as information technology, cybersecurity, and administration roles. These types of roles do not require the same training and skill set as a medical practitioner, but they do require knowledge and expertise in the health care field around topics such as HIPAA compliance and medical billing.

Companies can use Forage to promote open roles that may not always be top of mind in the health care field, guide the right-fit candidates into their talent funnels, and keep them engaged with an immersive candidate journey at every step.

Transforming Health Care Hiring

Attracting top health care talent takes more than traditional recruiting methods. By incorporating Forage virtual experiences into their hiring strategy, organizations can:

• Highlight their commitment to talent development by actively investing in the growth and success of future health care professionals.
• Elevate their hiring approach with innovative, immersive virtual experiences that engage candidates and set them up for success.
• Build a strong, diverse talent pipeline by connecting with candidates who reflect the communities they serve and the evolving needs of the industry.

Staying on top of health care hiring trends requires a proactive and innovative approach. By leveraging Forage, health care organizations can hire the right-fit talent when and where they’re needed most, prepare candidates for the jobs of the future, and improve role awareness, all while building a diverse talent pipeline.