3 Tips to Improve Healthcare Employer Branding

Many times, we think of branding purely in terms of marketing medical products and services.
But branding is also a critical aspect of healthcare recruitment. Establishing your workplace as a
brand to work for can go a long way in attracting and retaining high-value employees.

Gone are the days when healthcare professionals simply consider pay and benefits when
looking for a workplace.

Research shows that branding plays a vital role in recruitment. One study revealed 86% of job
seekers research company reviews and ratings when deciding if they want to apply for a
position.

However, many healthcare recruitment and HR teams neglect employer branding as a key tool
to address the healthcare worker shortage. Here are some ways to improve your employer
branding today to get more interest from top talent.

Create a Candidate Persona
Your branding should be focused on the type of employee you want to attract. A candidate
persona, or fictional representation of your model candidate, is a great way to understand who
you want on your healthcare team. Then you can use these insights to structure your overall
recruitment branding strategy.

To create a persona, ask yourself or your team a few questions:
• What soft and hard skills do you want in an employee? Identify what experience, skills,
personality, and values this person should have. Also, think about what goals they might
have and about their ideal career advancement path.
•Where will you find these candidates? Determine where they might seek employment.
Potential sources include job boards, their preferred, or industry-preferred, social media
platforms or through professional organizations of which they are a member.
• What is your ideal candidate looking for in your open position? Identify their personal
values and the corporate culture they would prefer. Some may be looking for flexibility
to make decisions and be independent, while others may favor a more collaborative
work culture?

Create multiple personas for each of the various positions you want to fill. This can lend itself to
more targeted efforts, thus optimizing your recruiting efforts.

Define Your Value Proposition
Identify the critical differentiators that you can offer candidates. Your value proposition should be a summation of your strengths as an employer. For example, your value proposition might highlight the HR benefits you offer or the leading-edge technology utilized within your practice or provide pro bono services to the underserved or volunteer opportunities within the local community. Make these qualities enticing.

Enhance Your Online Presence
You need to make your workplace appealing to candidates. If applicants cannot clearly see your mission, vision, culture, values, and employment benefits, they will likely move on to apply with another organization. Ensure you capture their attention by making yourself visible online.

Have a candidate portal on your website where they can experience what a typical day looks like. You can provide current employee perspectives with photos or a virtual tour of the facility. It is the perfect opportunity for you to articulate your values and mission as well as your outstanding differentiating factors.

Beyond your website, establish a virtual presence on the social media channels that your candidate persona might visit. Post information about your employees and culture and highlight the unique strengths of your healthcare organization. Employer branding is a critical chance to set yourself apart from other organizations and competition vying for top talent. When you start with a clear vision of your ideal candidate then create your unique value proposition, your hiring strategy is more focused – and, typically more successful.

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