Updated July 2024
Gain a Competitive Edge in Nurse Advertising
Nurse advertising takes more than a good job post – but it’s a great place to start because strong nurse advertisements attract more qualified nursing candidates faster.
But it’s a vicious job market given the pervasive nursing shortage, according to Tammy Pennington, product manager for Nurse.com.
“This creates a highly competitive environment for nurse recruiters to find the best candidates,” she said.
Most organizations have a lot of open positions, so it can be easy for some recruiters to take shortcuts when writing job advertisements, Pennington said.
“Even though one has a busy schedule, it behooves nurse recruiters to take the time to create a well-written job posting,” Pennington said. “A good job title can make or break you in terms of capturing enough qualified candidates to fill open positions.”
Nurse.com helps recruiters cut through the noise and land top candidates with the Talent Marketplace – a job board with access to 80% of working nurses in the U.S. and proprietary skills-based talent matching technology.
By leveraging Nurse.com’s deep understanding of nurse behavior and skills, healthcare organizations can ensure that their job advertisements attract the right nurses.
How To Write Effective Nurse Advertisements
Follow these six easy steps to create impactful nurse advertisements:
Step 1. Add keywords and descriptive phrases to job advertisements
When a nurse searches for a new position, many jobs will pop up during the search, Pennington said.
“If a great job title has not been written with the appropriate keywords, it can prevent many nurses from clicking to open the posting to read further,” she said.
Pennington said recruiters can capture more candidates who are qualified for the position they want to fill by including a short, descriptive phrase to describe the type of person they seek.
Say, for example, you’re recruiting RNs for a busy emergency department. “The job title could state that the organization is looking for ‘energetic RNs’ or ‘patient champions,’ to describe the type of nurse they seek for the role,” Pennington said.
Another important step for recruiters is to include the degrees and certifications they are seeking in candidates directly in the job title, Pennington said.
“If you have any deal breakers — for instance, if you only want to hire a BSN, MSN or board-certified nurse — place that right in the job title,” she said. “This can help reduce the number of unqualified candidates from applying for that position, which can save recruiters time.”
Further, using the acronyms in job titles for the level of education and certifications you require for the position is also a wise approach, as search engines also use these, Pennington said.
“Nurses will typically conduct their job search using acronyms, such as when looking for a position as an ICU nurse,” she said.
Step 2: Incorporate company culture into the description
If company culture is important to the hiring manager and recruiter, find a word that reflects the company culture and use it in the job title to filter candidates who might be more likely to embrace that culture, Pennington. “This can be a time-saver,” she added.
Because of a lack of time, some recruiters cut and paste from other job advertisements when writing job postings, Pennington said. Avoid this job posting pitfall. It does not work and is the least effective strategy.
Another strategy to write effective job titles is to ask your best talent to tell you what they love about their jobs, Pennington said.
“If you have rock stars, engage them in the process,” she said. “You can tap into their insights about the positions you’re trying to fill and include their comments in your job posting and description.”
There is one additional benefit to using the comments of valued employees who are already working in the same position you are trying to fill.
“Many times, they can encapsulate some of the best features about a job that a recruiter may not even be aware of,” Pennington said. “Current employees can also fill in the blanks on special skills that are needed for the position.”
Step 4. Effectively use of applicant tracking systems (ATS)
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) can be helpful throughout the hiring process. However, some of the filters recruiters use can sometimes block out good candidates.
“Many nurses generally don’t update their resumes as often as other professions with regards to certifications and experience,” Pennington said. “Because of this, it’s wise to conduct random checks of the rejected resumes in your ATS, to determine if the system and filters are working the way you intended it. You don’t want to miss out on qualified candidates.”
Nurse.com’s nurse job board integrates with most major applicant tracking systems (ATS) and we are happy to discuss custom integrations.
Step 5. Include competitive salary ranges
Some recruiters and healthcare organizations are hesitant to include a salary range in their job postings. However, listing a salary in your nurse job advertisements can get more clicks from nurses and more applications, Pennington said.
“The more up front you are about the salary being offered, the more applications you’ll get,” she said.
To make it an easy decision for a candidate to click and apply, Pennington said it’s imperative to include these key items in your nurse job posting:
- Salary (at the top of the posting is most important)
- Perks (especially those other organizations don’t offer)
- Benefits (health insurance, child care, tuition reimbursement, bonuses, etc.)
- Job duties
- Organizational culture
- Unique features of the job
- Patient population served
Read the 2024 Nurse Salary and Job Satisfaction Report from Nurse.com to help inform your organization’s nurse compensation plan.
Step 6. Post your nurse job advertisements in the right places
For job advertisements to reach a lot of nurses, you have to post them multiple places. Recruiters need to bear in mind that one post on one board or listing the nurse job only on their organization’s website isn’t enough to get the word out, Pennington said.
“For nurses to see and hear your message, you’ll need to post the position at least six times,” she said. “This is where utilizing multiple channels to advertise the position can be very effective, such as Nurse.com, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media platforms.”
Targeted marketing for direct emailing of qualified candidates for open positions using robust, relevant databases like Nurse.com’s can also be helpful, Pennington said.
Also, if recruiters are having a hard time filling a position, they’ll want to consider having their advertising partners and vendors take a look at their posting for a possible revision.
“It may need to be rewritten to capture a wider audience,” Pennington said.
Maximize your reach by posting your nurse jobs on the Nurse.com talent marketplace and actively advertise your organization to an audience of engaged nurses.
How Nurse.com Can Help Your Organization Hire the Right Nurses
Crafting the perfect job advertisement is just the first step in attracting top nursing talent. To maximize reach and effectiveness, it’s essential to utilize a multifaceted approach to job postings.
Nurse.com’s Talent Marketplace not only provides access to a vast pool of qualified nurses but also offers additional digital advertising solutions such as Employer Profiles, Sponsored Continuing Education, and NurseDot Podcast sponsorships. These tools can significantly enhance your recruitment efforts, ensuring your open roles are seen by the right candidates at the right time.
By partnering with Nurse.com, healthcare organizations can navigate the competitive job market with confidence, knowing they have the resources and expertise to attract and retain the best nursing talent available. Contact us today to learn how we can help your organization hire the right nurses for the job.
