It’s no surprise that there are a lot of healthcare startups out there. After all, it’s a great industry to get into. However, a lot of healthcare businesses are having a tough time right now because there is a severe skills gap in the sector. Despite the increasing demand for skilled healthcare professionals, the skills gap is growing and healthcare businesses are finding it hard to fill their open positions. 

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This is a big issue because healthcare relies on people. Without the right people in your team, you cannot provide a good level of care to your patients and that ultimately means that the business is likely to fail. But don’t worry, there’s no need to start thinking about selling your business just yet because there are ways around it. These are some of the best ways to fill the healthcare skills gap. 

Medical Recruitment Companies 

When you have a position that you are trying to fill and there doesn’t seem to be many qualified candidates around, you should seek help from a recruitment company. There are some great medical recruitment companies out there (like this one at cmr.com.au) who have access to a large talent pool. If anybody can find the employees that you need, they can. Get in touch with them and give them some details about your business and the position that you are trying to fill. The more information you can give them, the more likely they are to find the perfect candidate. 

Employee Referral Programs 

So many businesses spend time and resources posting jobs on any available website but they don’t look to one of their biggest assets; their existing employees. If people have worked in the healthcare industry for a long time, it’s likely that they know a lot of other healthcare professionals. That’s why employee referral programs are one of the best ways to get around the skills gap in the healthcare industry. If a trusted employee refers a candidate, that gives you some level of protection because, in most cases, you can be sure that they are reliable. In fact, most referred candidates outperform candidates sourced in other ways. Visit fitsmallbusiness.com for a quick guide on setting up a referral program. 

Improve On-The-Job Training 

Do you really need to hire a new employee to fill a role or could one of your existing employees step up to the plate? It’s important to ask yourself this question because, in many cases, you already have suitable candidates that just need a bit of training. If you focus on developing candidates and giving them the skills that they need to move into senior positions, you can then focus on filling the junior jobs. It’s far easier to find candidates for an entry level job, than it is for a senior role. The other big benefit of improved training is that you are investing in your existing employees. This will boost morale throughout the business and give you access to better qualified employees when you need them. 

Although the healthcare skills gap can make things difficult for your business, these are all effective ways that you can work around it.