It’s no secret the pendulum swings both ways when it comes to recruiting new nurse grads because as the job market changes, so do hiring practices.
As you move through budget preparation and recruitment program planning this year, you need to know which way the pendulum is swinging regarding hiring new grads.
Are you tuned into the current group think from HR and talent acquisition experts on the topic and ready to move into 2019 with the latest and best facts?
Pros and cons of hiring new grads
The conundrum new graduates always have faced is a familiar one — they can’t get jobs because they have no experience, and they have no experience because they can’t get jobs.
I don’t know if everyone in nurse hiring roles will agree, but I always thought it was sort of sad to hear HR, recruitment or administration say, “No, we’re not hiring new grads. We’re looking for experienced nurses only.”
What if that had been the hiring practice at all organizations? How would any of us have gotten our starts in nursing? If no one ever hired new grads it’s not likely we’d have the seasoned, talented, experienced nurses we have now, many of whom have had long careers and soon will be retiring and creating vacancies that might well be filled by new grads.
According to an American Mobile article, “the current economic climate has kept more experienced nurses in the workforce and made securing a nursing job a little more competitive, so new nurse graduates need to be prepared, poised and in position when beginning the job search.”
The Undercover Recruiter also has some good advice on the great things new grads can bring to an organization, describing them as “blank canvasses” who are enthusiastic, flexible, tech-savvy and able to provide a fresh perspective and reduce salary costs.
Creativity is key to combating recruitment problems even during a nursing shortage, according to a Lorman article offering 15 tips for recruiting nursing staff. Several of the tips cover how to get new nurse grads by:
- Working with colleges and universities
- Attending student job fairs
- Holding career classes
- Promoting your facilities as great places to work
An important takeaway from these articles is too many organizations are facing care quality issues because of nurse shortages, but the new nurse grad can help.
Shortages are cyclical and geographic. They don’t happen at the same time or in the same places, and we can deal with them not only by finding new and better ways to hire and engage new nurses, but also by ensuring we hold onto these new nurses as the older generation leaves the profession.
Authors of the January 2018 Journal of Nursing Regulation article, “Advancing New Nurse Graduate Education Through Implementation of Statewide, Standardized Nurse Residency Programs,” agree.
“Contributing to the shortages is the excessive loss by hospitals of newly licensed RNs,” the authors of the January 2018 Journal of Nursing Regulation article wrote. “Almost one in five [newly licensed RNs] leave their place of employment during their first year of practice, and one in three leave within two years.”
Go beyond the hiring
Recruiters are a very important part of a new grad’s journey to landing that first all-important job and staying with the organization.
If you’re part of a facility that will include new nurse grads in your hiring goals, here are some things you may want to explore as you conduct new grad interviews:
- Explore the research they did before the interview, such as what they know about your organization.
- Listen carefully to the questions they ask about the facility, jobs available and career path.
- Ask questions or present scenarios to see how they think on their feet.
- See if they prefer working solo or in a group to determine if they will add value to their teams.
- Find out about their work ethic by asking how they worked through any difficulties they encountered in their nursing program.
- Counsel them on the value of a first job for gaining experience, even if it’s not their dream job.
New grads bring value to the profession
Remember new grads can be savvy job seekers. Many have done their homework on the job market and are more than willing to work less desired shifts and patient units. They may know what positions they can be offered and are ready to accept them.
If you’re not able to offer them a position right now, you can be a mentor to them.
Use your time with them to show they can learn from a first job, whatever that job may be. Let them know it doesn’t need to be their forever career path, but just a first step.
Remind them to stay forward-looking and focused on lifelong learning, be it with continuing education or an advanced degree. They have long careers ahead of them.
And, don’t forget to welcome them warmly to our wonderful profession!