Presently, nurses are in high demand within the job market. To keep up with the demand, hospitals and clinics need to be more active in the talent pipeline and address generational differences in the workforce. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss our six tips to attract millennial nurses as this generation will be the largest in the workforce.
As time goes on, millennials will soon replace previous generations in almost every profession. Through their huge numbers, millennials put a tremendous amount of pressure on healthcare institutions to determine their new workforce’s needs. The U.S. Census Bureau data shows that more than one-third of U.S. workers are millennials, and that number will only grow as the years go on. Thus, it is of high importance that the healthcare industry understands what it needs to do to appeal to the younger generations of nurses. Here are five crucial aspects that millennial nurses consider during their job search.
Take advantage of technology
As a younger generation, millennial nurses have long since adapted to the internet, smartphones, and other new forms of technology. In fact, they tend to depend on technology as a method for gathering information as well as communicating. Therefore, it is extremely beneficial for employers to build strong social media pages for their company as well as reach out to candidates using technology, especially when trying to fill a job vacancy.
Posts featuring inspiring stories, fun activities, and encouraging quotes will have the most appeal to millennial nurses, and hospitals should definitely work on visually appealing images in order to encourage applications. Furthermore, studies have shown that millennials tend to do well in smart rooms, catheter labs, hybrid operating rooms, and other high-tech areas.
Include great employee benefits
A great majority of nurses are laden with student debt, which makes hospitals that offer debt forgiveness programs, bonuses, or tuition reimbursement seem more appealing. Furthermore, most young nurses are looking not just to further their careers, but also to keep up with fulfilling family life.
Thus, health insurance and childcare programs will also offer another layer of appeal. Above all, employers need to understand that flexibility will be the key to drawing in the younger generations. Instead of desiring more hours at the job, most younger nurses will want ample time with their family responsibilities as well.
Incorporate residency programs
Experts have agreed that millennial nurses desire residency programs after finishing their degree. As most of the new nurses are coming straight out of college, they tend to want mentoring and reassurance on their first job. In fact, many hospitals have already established programs with classroom education as well as hands-on experiences to ensure a smooth transition from college into the healthcare workforce.
Specifically, Johns Hopkins offers a two-year residency program that provides education on how to interact with healthcare teams as well as patients and their families.
Encourage collaboration
Most millennials value teamwork and collaboration in addition to a certain level of autonomy. They want a safe environment to share their ideas and opinions in order to contribute to the team. In order to incorporate an atmosphere of collaboration, it is smart to take advantage of both the older and younger generations. For example, older nurses should be encouraged to share their wisdom and help newcomers adjust to life after college, while the younger generation should be encouraged to share the new research and ideas that they learned in college in order to incorporate innovation and positive growth in the workplace.
In addition to the collaborative culture, younger nurses are also more interested in outpatient or home health settings, as that tends to foster a stronger sense of community and growth. Furthermore, research projects in a team setting will also attract millennial nurses.
Offer careers with the opportunity for growth
Millennials have the mindset of seeking jobs that will bring them growth in the future, jobs that they can expand and add to their skill sets, and this information is crucial for employers who desire to target millennials during the hiring process. Studies have found that millennials are more attracted to Magnet-designated hospitals, for reasons of more opportunity to grow, more flexibility, as well as more autonomy. Typically, these institutions also offer career ladders.
Specifically, millennial nurses often seek higher education as well as opportunities for expansion of their careers. Hospitals offering tuition reimbursement as well as continued opportunities for nurses with a higher degree will be more successful in attracting millennial nurses. Furthermore, most millennials will also seek leadership opportunities and appreciate organizations that value upward mobility as well as high levels of education.
Create or enhance your referral program
Referrals may seem like an old-fashioned tip that might not appeal to the upcoming workforce, but just like we stated in our Top 13 Recruiting Trends of 2019 we believe that using a referral program to recruit top talent is very effective. What to remember is that nurses have connections with other nurses and creating a bonus system to reward referrals will open the floodgates for hiring talented nurses.
Schedule a demo with SkillGigs to see how your hiring team can use this innovative job marketplace to discover your next millennial nurse.