There are over 78 million baby boomers who will be older than 65 years of age by 2030. For the healthcare industry, this means that many of the current highly skilled healthcare workers will be moving toward retirement. The need for this aged population’s healthcare services will increase, creating a challenge for physical therapy and allied health providers who are already short-staffed.

Here are some tips for allied health employers to keep up with the changing healthcare trends.

What Allied Health Employers Need to Know to Hire Top Talent

High Demand/Limited Supply

Allied health professionals are critical to the achievement of institutions. They ensure that the flow of patients moves efficiently and that patients receive personalized care. Hiring managers are facing increasing difficulty in hiring and keeping these professionals. High-demand specialists such as medical assistants and medical administrative assistants are particularly highly sought after. Unfortunately, there are fewer schools today training individuals to enter these careers. If your organization has not implemented an allied health hiring strategy, now is undoubtedly the time to plan. Your healthcare practice must take a creative approach to develop allied healthcare workers to become outstanding long-term employees.

How to Hire Better Allied Health Talent

Your institution must take steps now to address the staffing challenges coming in 2021 and future years. The most challenging aspect of tackling staffing challenges is making staffing a strategic priority and acting. Here are thoughts to ponder that may help your organization get started in the right direction:

• Partner with local allied health schools to find great candidates.

  Take the time to understand how these schools prepare their graduates to enter the workforce and how these students can convey the specific needs of your practice. Try to connect with these academic institutions’ career services departments and share the learning gaps you identify in their candidates. Doing this will improve their program and help you build a candidate pipeline with skills most important to your practice.

• Offer local students hands-on experiences.

  Establish an externship, internship, or apprenticeship program. Allow students to job shadow and give opportunities to practice occupational skills and soft skills they will need for success in the workforce.

• Create a career ladder program.

  If you want to attract ambitious allied health professionals seeking a company with growth opportunities, establish a formal career development program. Want to separate your organization from the competition? Cover the cost of professional certification exams, exam prep materials, continuing education, and recertification fees.

• Let your workplace appeal to younger generations.

  These days, millennials and Generation Z make up most of the incoming allied health professionals. The expectations that come with these generations and their workplace desires are drastically different from previous generations. Try to foster a values-first culture that encourages transparency.

Implementing strategies that cater to a new workforce will help you create a workplace inviting for the latest generation of healthcare workers. Remember that taking steps today will help you find success in the future when hiring allied health talent.

Looking to Hire Allied Healthcare Talent? Look no further!

Does your organization need allied healthcare talent? If so, check out myPTsolutions for the best in allied healthcare staffing.  If you are ready to hire your next great allied health employee, physical therapist, or speech pathologist, get in touch!