Digital recruiting tools can keep you on top of the game.
How do nurse recruiters stay one step ahead of the competition? That depends on their tech-savvy nature and whether they like to try new things. Many new digital recruiting tools can give you the power to reach candidates like never before.
When it comes to embracing new HR technology, ultimately it boils down to organizations making the investment. We’ve rounded up a few digital tools designed to make your HR hat — one of the many you wear — sit a little easier.
What is out there among the plethora of digital tools?
“There are products that make our lives easier to recruit, like Skill Survey for electronic reference checking, or using a video interview platform to conduct one-way interviews,” said Theresa Mazzaro, RN, CHCR, senior talent acquisition specialist at Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, in Bethesda, Md.
Mazzaro also likes sourcing tools like SeekOut, a database that helps recruiters find passive candidates. Mazzaro calls it her technical sourcing buddy.
She also encourages recruiters to check into professional associations, such as the National Association of Health Care Recruiters (NAHCR).
“NAHCR allows you to not only learn best practices from industry experts in areas like sourcing, AI and candidate experience, but also network within the association with your peers when you have a question or need a technology referral, through our listserv,” said Mazzaro, who is president-elect of NAHCR.
Let’s delve into the digital toolkit:
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Applicant screening via video: Video screening is here, and recruiters using it say it’s a good way to take a peek at your candidates personality. In a 2020 recruiting report published by iCIMS, a cloud-based recruiting solutions firm based in Holmdel, N.J., said video screening eats up far less time than phone screens. Time savers like this allow recruiters more time to sift through the candidate pool.
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Make Google happy: Want to improve your Google rankings? Try publishing your salary info. “Publishing the salary range will help to attract only the right level of talent and candidates, who will appreciate your transparency,” said Susan Vitale, chief marketing officer of iCIMS. “It will also enhance your position with Google for Jobs, which is becoming an important source of candidates.”
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Text messaging: Texting your candidates directly is an almost surefire way to connect with them. That’s because job seekers are reported to open those texts 99% of the time, and with a 37% response rate, according to the iCIMS report.
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Befriend AI: AI tools help recruiters who care about SEO and want to optimize job postings, according to iCIMS, and helps job seekers find your postings more easily. Chatbots such as Olivia can help organizations engage with candidates. Another popular AI helper — Textio — is for recruiters in need of a copywriter who helps them draft clever “unbiased” job ads, which is one of its key features. Dare I mention the obvious dichotomy? While some smart tools are capable of helping recruiters attract talent, others might simultaneously annihilate jobs that require writing skills. HR experts ask recruiters to always consider the pros and cons of AI.
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Bookmark.com: Recruiters like it because the platform partners with more than 30 state hospital associations. The site attracts highly acclaimed healthcare organizations and boasts more than 250,000 registered users.
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Jobvite: A favorite among many recruiters, the site’s big draw is its annual Recruiter Nation Survey. The 2019 version, called Job Seeker Nation Survey, gave recruiters plenty of snackables to devour, such as confirmation that job boards are the No. 1 hangout for job seekers, followed by an organization’s website.
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Advertise on your website: Do not ignore the career page on your own website. It might bear more fruit than you realize. “We have noticed a trend in more and more quality candidates applying for jobs right from a company’s career site vs. other places jobs are advertised,” Vitale said.
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Have you tried Zoom?: No, it’s not a car app. If you’re not using Zoom for video conferencing interviews, why not? It even goes beyond a recruiting tool — you can even schedule a live yoga session with people in Canada. The Denver-based company keeps winning the hearts of HR folk, according to industry experts. For recruiters, it helps you connect with prospective nursing candidates similar to a live face-to-face interview. Key features you will like are it’s versatile, easy to use and inexpensive. Plus, screensharing is a plus. Here’s how you can get a free download.
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As if it needs to be said: LinkedIn attracts 575 million registered users worldwide, and its load for active monthly users weighs in around 260 million. Keep in mind that the average LinkedIn user only clocks about 17 minutes per month on the site.
Fun facts to add to your digital recruiting tools
About 75% of employees want to work for an employer with a generous heart that gives back to the community and supports charities, according to 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey. Nurse practitioner jobs are one of the hardest healthcare positions to fill. The average opening is filled in a 47-day average, according to iCIMS.