3 ways video interviews make healthcare hiring easy
COVID-19 brought into focus the vital role played by the healthcare industry in society’s overall well-being. It also brought to light some startling facts regarding a shortage of healthcare workers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates a shortfall of 18 million health workers by the year 2030 (mostly in low- and lower-middle income countries). This is due to a growing population, an ageing healthcare workforce that is retiring, a steady increase in the number of chronic diseases and the limited availability of new graduates to fill open positions.
The use of video interviewing to hire people has been gaining traction amongst healthcare hiring managers over the years. It received a boost when the pandemic started, especially for international medical and nursing recruitment.
Healthcare recruitment is mostly conducted through internal (eg. interdepartmental transfers and promotions) or external sources (outsourcing agencies and campus recruitment). The recruitment process includes group discussions and personal interviews for candidates who are shortlisted. Healthcare organisations are constantly looking for processes to minimise the time and effort involved in the recruitment process, and, hence, there has been a heavier dependence on technology-based selection tools to enhance efficiency. The increase in the use of technology not only expands the pool of applicants but also enables the use of psychometric assessment tools to evaluate candidates’ soft skills.
How video interviews make healthcare hiring easy
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The numbers game
According to a recent study ‘Size, composition and distribution of health workforce in India: why, and where to invest?’ published in a leading international journal, Humans Resources for Health, the density of active health workforce in India is a little over one-fourth of the WHO recommended threshold of 44.5 skilled health workers per 10,000 persons required for achieving the Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals.
It is clear that our country needs to invest in increasing the number of active healthcare workers and requires an encouraging number of qualified health professionals to join the labour market. This makes high-volume hiring the need of the hour. Considering the large number of candidates to be evaluated, it is time to avoid traditional hiring methods that waste time, and cut down on time-to-hire. Video interviews are, no doubt, the best way forward. Video interview software enables easy interview scheduling and recording, and makes it easy to accelerate the overall recruitment process in healthcare.
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Fitting right in
Communication skills, patience, positive attitude, self-confidence and empathy are soft skills that are extremely vital for those working in the healthcare industry. While these skills might be difficult to judge on a traditional resume, it becomes much easier to evaluate most of these skills using a video interview software to speak to potential candidates. Healthcare has traditionally been an industry that has resisted change. However, with technologies such as blockchain, cybersecurity, IoT and AI (Artificial Intelligence) making inroads into healthcare these days, healthcare professionals also need to be tech-savvy in order to be eligible to work for high-tech healthcare organisations. Video interviews provide great insights about candidates and their level of comfort with technology.
A strong culture of support, community and teamwork is essential in healthcare organisations. This makes the recruitment of candidates who fit well into your organisational culture all the more critical. Virtual interviews make it easier to gauge the organisational fit of healthcare candidates.
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Geographic constraints are a thing of the past!
Arranging logistics for in-person interviews for all eligible candidates can be quite a challenge. Video interviews are a win-win for healthcare hiring managers as well as candidates. For hiring managers, video interviews facilitate expansion of the healthcare talent pool, enabling them to reach out to all eligible candidates with the right mix of skills. These interviews provide the added benefit of connecting personally and in real-time with candidates.
For candidates, one-way interviews provide the flexibility to record answers during a schedule convenient to them, thereby increasing their chances of engagement with the healthcare organisation. There is also the advantage of saving time and money spent on travel for in-person interviews.
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In the long run
It is clear from available statistics that the world urgently needs more healthcare workers. Given its tremendous benefits, video interviews help in attracting and hiring top healthcare talent for your team. They enable the recruitment of high-quality, diverse candidates, which, in turn, lead to better patient experience.
HirePro’s video interview software allows you to conduct live video interviews and one-way interviews to find the best healthcare talent for your organisation. Do reach out to us at 080 6656 6000 or write to us at sales@hirepro.in for a demo.