Recorded November 17th, 2021
NewYork-Presbyterian’s Vice President of Talent Acquisition, David Crawford, sat down with Incredible Health Co-Founder and CEO Iman Abuzeid to share how he hires permanent nurses, including:
- The nurse hiring market today
- Building a compelling employer brand
- Creating a strong talent acquisition team
- NYP’s hiring process and tips to improve yours
While David works for NewYork-Presbyterian, the views expressed are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.
Nurse hiring market
Demand for healthcare keeps going up, and supply of workers has not kept up.
The pandemic has accelerated the existing nursing shortage, with the US on track to be one million nurses short by 2023, with:
- 22% annual turnover in 2021
- 48% of healthcare system revenue spent on labor
- 82 days to hire a permanent nurse on average in acute care
Employer brand
When David joined, NYP had a strong consumer or patient brand, but did not have a strong employer brand.
David made it a priority to get NYP on best places to work lists like those in Forbes, Fortune, and others.
He also worked to make the employer brand content more personal and specific, something all hospitals can emulate.
Now, the career site videos highlight personal stories of NYP employees who are passionate about the mission, their colleagues, and patient care.
David’s advice is, “don’t use stock photos, showcase the people who really work there.”
Talent Acquisition teams
David’s Talent Acquisition team leverages those with traditional recruiting backgrounds as well as former caregivers.
Several retired nurses are now NYP recruiters, one of which has been with the organization for nearly 40 years.
Recruiters with non-traditional, caregiver backgrounds add a special set of skills to any Recruiting team.
For example, former nurses bring a deep understanding of hiring managers’ needs, which can help move candidates through the process faster.
Hiring process
David refers to the shift in employment over the past 18 months as The Great Reflection.
What most people considered ‘normal’ completely changed, and many took the opportunity to reassess their careers.
NYP is also adjusting their hiring process to reflect new realities.
Interviews now focus on competencies like agility, responsiveness, and resourcefulness.
Recruiters are also leveraging virtual interviewing and video.
For example, candidates now answer the same five questions, so hiring managers across the organization can get to know them faster.
NYP is also leveraging highly targeted, invite-only virtual career events.
For example, Labor and Delivery will host an event with only L&D nurses, where candidates can hear from their future peers about career trajectory and experiences within that department.
NYP also has a strict two round interview process to ensure candidates move through the funnel quickly and “feel NYP is excited to hire them.”
Technology for speed
68% of nurses accept their first job offer, and 61% accept their first offer even if subsequent offers have higher pay.
Speed is critical to nurse hiring success. With Incredible Health, 500+ hospitals and health systems hire permanent nurses in 20 days or less.
Interested in hiring permanent nurses faster? Let’s talk.
