Every healthcare organization struggles to secure talent. The culprits are increased demand, limited supply, and lack of efficient resource allocation. For example, the Association of American Medical Colleges projects the unmet need for talent to grow to 55,200 primary care physicians and 86,700 specialists by 2033, thanks in large part to retirements. In addition, the proverbial Great Resignation is adding pressure, with more than 500,000 healthcare quits in August 2021 alone.
Organizations increasingly rely on temporary labor to fill the gap, and staffing companies are overloaded with demand. A significant and lasting shortage will require healthcare organizations to lean on their staffing partners for access to flexible workers beyond the channels they rely on today. One approach that is breaking new ground is the use of crowdsourcing.
A crowdsource recruiting model reaches beyond the firm’s in-house recruiting staff and offers independent 1099 recruiters access to open jobs. This extended access can bring the skills and networks of a much larger pool to help fill challenging or in-demand roles. The basic concept is simple, but bringing that model to life requires innovations in technology, processes and governance.
For organizations considering the crowdsourcing approach, it is critical to look at the technology, the value to recruiters, and the value to hiring organizations. All three are essential to the success of a crowdsourcing model.
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Technology. A crowdsourcing model must easily bring together a virtual community of recruiters to be effective. The potential to do this today is within reach, as different technologies can provide access to opportunities and the tools to submit candidates.
A user-friendly platform would enable independent healthcare recruiters to log in and view active job openings in a personalized portal, submit candidates for open jobs, and be eligible for compensation based on submittals and placements. The staffing partner may even have the networks and services to support additional options, such as offering both locum tenens and permanent placement jobs posted on one platform. In essence, transparency and ease of use should make it easy to bring 1099 recruiters into the community.
On the client or staffing organization side, the technology should enable an easy experience navigating submittals and making decisions.
Our Fulfil platform, launched in December 2021, is one such tool. It was designed to give clients and recruiters alternative avenues to hard-to-find talent in physician and specialist fields. The model is gaining traction among clients and independent 1099 recruiters as a new connection between talent and opportunity.
Deliver opportunities. The successful crowdsourcing model must also deliver on its promise of providing consistent opportunities. A well-established model will offer a compelling work option for talent acquisition professionals who are reconsidering their current permanent roles during this time of high turnover. It can also provide an excellent career bridge as recruiters look for the next employer or supplements their income. Remember, a virtual model aligns to remote work, total connectivity, and access to talent across any geography.
Reliable new path to talent. In the hands of an experienced staffing provider, crowdsourcing can deliver talent through an established intake and vetting process while expanding the organization’s reach beyond the limitations of its internal recruiting team and networks.
For Medicus, crowdsourcing with Fulfil is proving to be a valuable addition to our internal recruiting teams’ delivery approach. It allows the internal recruiter to focus on known job openings without being pulled into searches outside their
network or comfort zone. In today’s market, talent acquisition professionals are not fighting to find jobs; they are fighting to fill them. Every recruiter wins when the hiring healthcare organization is happy and has a fully staffed facility.
A Model for the Future of High-Skilled Healthcare Talent
Supported by the right technology platform, crowdsourcing models such as the one that drives Fulfil can start to bridge the gap between supply and demand imbalance within our healthcare industry. The virtual sourcing model is likely to be one that staffing organizations and clients embrace across a growing array of industries.
Crowdsourcing is expected to become a crucial part of healthcare staffing. In the hands of today’s most innovative staffing partners, it will deliver expanded recruiting reach to identify needed provider talent for our healthcare facilities.