It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is facing a hiring crisis. An aging population has increased demand for health services, while the supply of healthcare workers is in decline or leveling off. Amid these challenges, healthcare recruiters are struggling to find quality candidates.

Enter social media, which seven out of 10 Americans use, according to the Pew Research Center. Once just a way to connect with acquaintances, social media has transformed the way people follow news, consume entertainment, shop, and search for jobs. Job seekers now use a variety of social media platforms, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, to find job openings or let others know that they’re open to new opportunities.

Healthcare should be no exception when it comes to using social media for recruitment. Social platforms can be used to post and share job openings, conduct informal screenings, and search for ideal candidates. With 65% of healthcare professionals using social media for professional reasons, according to Hire Velocity, social media offers an enormous potential reach for healthcare companies looking to attract and hire top talent.

By using social media to find healthcare job candidates, recruiters and HR personnel can:

• Speed up hiring time;
• Lower the cost of job postings;
• Find more qualified candidates; and
• Share opportunities with more job seekers.

While social media has become vital for job recruiters, different industries do not need to take all the exact same approach. Instead, healthcare recruiters should use techniques better suited to their industry.

Here are four tips you should consider to boost your healthcare organization's social media recruitment efforts.

1. Pick the right platform.

Try not to commit to too many social media platforms all at once. Research which platform is likely to be most effective for finding the type of candidate you’re looking for. Facebook, as the most popular of platforms, is a good starting point. LinkedIn is great for corporate, management, and executive-level hires. Instagram may be a good option for reaching younger candidates. It can be used as an indirect recruitment tool by providing a window into your organization’s culture and work environment. For example, you can post images of special company events, announcements and employee recognition programs.

As online employment searching has grown more sophisticated, the number of industry-specific platforms for job seekers has exploded. However, these niche platforms aren’t always the best place to find your ideal candidate. PracticeMatch, the job-matching service for physicians, found that the majority of physicians that use social media for job hunting prefer Facebook or LinkedIn, rather than physician-specific sites.

2. Stay engaged.

Healthcare recruiters should think of social media like a conversation. Use it not only to ask candidates questions, but to also follow up on the responses. Join other relevant conversations and monitor what people are saying about your organization, specialty, or job openings. 

Existing employees can also help an organization look good to potential hires. Turn your current employees into brand ambassadors by asking them to share your content, including new job openings, on social media.

3. Proactively seek out candidates.

Besides posting opportunities, social media’s enormous reach and data let recruiters conduct highly specific searches to find candidates. Rather than just waiting for job applications to roll in, healthcare recruiters should be performing their own searches for quality candidates.

This may include searching LinkedIn for candidates that match specific keywords, or creating a paid Facebook ad that targets specific demographics. Recruiters can also use third-party options, such as Twiangulate for Twitter, to find ideal candidates.

4. Don’t neglect hashtags.

A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the # symbol that is included in a social media post to attach it to relevant categories and encourage a search for it. By including the right hashtags in your job posting, you can target users who are searching for that topic but may not already follow you. 

Hashtags can be customized to who you’re looking for, where, and when. You might create a hashtag around an industry, such as #CaregiverJobs. If you’re targeting candidates who may be attending a specific conference, or attending the conference yourself, use hashtags such as #ASHHRA20. You can also make your posts visible by location, such as #HoustonJobs. These are just a few ways you can expand your post’s visibility to a larger but also a more targeted audience.

Today, healthcare recruiters who avoid social media may be missing out on top talent. Additionally, organizations that ignore the benefits of social media could appear reluctant to change or innovation and lose a competitive edge. Following these tips can help healthcare recruiters and organizations leverage social media appropriately to get the most of this hiring tool.