What we learned at NAHCR 2018

NAS Recruitment Innovation’s Jason Weinhaus and Tracy O’Neal were in Scottsdale for the annual IMAGE Conference sponsored by NAHCR, the National Association for Health Care Recruitment. Our Dynamic Duo were busy attending educational seminars, hosting a booth and learning about current challenges and accomplishments in healthcare recruitment. We asked them for a re-cap of their experience and to share their observations. Here’s what they had to say:

Overall vibe

Jason Weinhaus | Regional Vice President
The mood of the conference was very optimistic. Healthcare continues to be a challenging industry to attract talent, as there are so many passive candidates. With so many new targeted approaches, companies are continuously looking at improving their candidate experience and NAHCR was a great place for just that. Between networking, vendors, sessions, etc., there was great opportunity to learn and grow.

Tracy O’Neal | Account Director
This was my first NAHCR conference, and I can see why this event is so important to attendees. It offered the opportunity to learn from industry experts, gain an overview of solutions/services, and connect with peers, whether from facilities, media/publishers or technology partners. 
Hot Topics

Tracy: Many publishing vendors attended, offering solutions ranging from traditional print advertising and job postings to email and text messaging. These solutions are alive and well, even in the age of technological advances. However many folks were very interested in programmatic advertising, to ensure they are reaching the right audiences and marketing their jobs as cost- and time-efficiently as possible. We were excited to share our NAS MediaPro programmatic media buying consultation and services with attendees, as well as our employment branding and creative expertise. 

Jason: Employment Branding, like most years, continues to be a strong topic of conversation. Many people I spoke with either do not have an employment brand in place or it does not resonate with the EVPs of the organization. Also, the employment brand is not consistently positioned across media outlets, especially the career site. Building clear, concise messaging that positions an organization as an employer of choice and is consistent across correct media outlets is a tactic that companies are continuously striving to deliver.

Major Concerns

Jason: With unemployment being as low as it has been in years, it is increasingly difficult to attract talent. With so many open positions, the struggle is centered around keeping a steady pipeline of quality candidates. What worked in the past doesn’t necessarily work today. Also, utilizing just one medium can’t produce great results.

Tracy: Other key factors of importance were retention, retiring nurses and reducing reliance on travelers. These are all big challenges, given the current unemployment climate. Proactive strategies around these areas are in great demand.

Key Takeaways

Tracy: Healthcare organizations are looking for solutions that increase visibility of their brand and their job openings, automate or streamline efforts, deliver on core goals and drive hires in measurable, cost-effective ways. 

Jason: Healthcare recruiting is challenging. Many companies are seeing an uptick in hiring. However, budget dollars have stayed steady or declined. Spending time learning about new media and understanding candidate behavior is vital to keeping a consistent pipeline of quality candidates.

Learn more about NAS MediaPro, our programmatic offering, and NAS MediaGo, our suite of social recruitment marketing services.

• Make your Facebook recruitment page a candidate attractor
• Recruitment marketing perennials that still get results