Top talent is scarce and competition is fierce, posing an unexpected challenge for healthcare sales recruiters. You would hardly know the world just went through a global pandemic if it wasn’t for the shift in the workforce. While many companies closed their doors and many more furloughed employees, the most agile companies maintained their talent by adjusting for hybrid or remote roles.
This means those top candidates you’re looking for are hunkered down and hanging on to their jobs. Granted, the many uncertainties over the last year may have them more reluctant than usual to entertain the idea of big career changes. However, passive talent is not off-limits when recruiting for healthcare sales jobs.
Here are just a few of the ways you can connect with passive talent coming out of the recent crisis:
1. Leverage connections on social media
Having been cut off from most in-person contact for much of 2020, many people immersed themselves in social media to stay connected. Because talent is more active than ever on social media, you’re likely to engage with passive candidates. If you’re not already sharing industry knowledge and interacting with professionals in the healthcare industry on LinkedIn or Facebook, it’s time to jump in.
A search for “medical sales,” “pharmaceutical sales,” or “medical device sales,” for example, returns over 1,000 pages and groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. Join up with active groups, follow members who share content, and contribute to discussions.
These potential candidates are passionate about the healthcare industry and are most likely to be interested in making an impact in medical sales. Healthcare sales recruiters who show similar interests and values will land on their radar.
2. Lean on your referral program
Top talent your company supported through the global pandemic is even more likely to tout what your company has to offer. This is a great time to lean into your referral program and let satisfied employees work as ambassadors to bring the passive talent to you.
Open up the recruitment process to your whole team. Discuss with current employees what makes for a successful sales rep at your company; get their feedback on what skills or qualities the team would benefit from acquiring. Then determine a referral strategy to bring in qualified candidates. This could include a paid bonus for quality hires, a gift card, or a paid half-day off work.
Your team needs to know that sourcing and securing great talent isn’t reserved for healthcare sales recruiters. Their experience and professional connections are valuable assets when growing your team.
3. Explore your niche job board database
Just because passive talent is not looking for new jobs at the moment, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t hear you out. Take a look at the kinds of jobs they were applying for when they accepted their current position. It’s possible a role has opened up they wished to have landed months or even years ago, and they are perfectly qualified now.
This recruiting strategy is why it’s beneficial for healthcare sales recruiters to keep a detailed candidate library. When the talent market wears thin, you can turn to your notes, video interviews, and contacts to identify qualified passive candidates. After that, look into current candidate profiles to identify when they last updated their resume or personal information. It’s possible they are open to offers even though they are not actively applying.
4. Promote company culture
Company culture, especially as many companies have shifted to hybrid and more remote roles, is highly important to talent. If your company managed to make it all make sense and keep employees happy through a crisis, there is a good chance passive talent wants to know about it.
This is a great time to update your branding online. Share team successes over the last year on social media, and show your gratitude for everyone who contributed to your accomplishments in and outside the company. Craft a blog post that highlights the agility of your team and how they’ve grown together. Send out a newsletter with exciting updates to the company culture, such as fun ways your hybrid or remote team is staying connected.
5. Highlight growth potential
Coming out of a period of uncertainty and loss for millions globally has been exhausting. Still, top talent holds out hope the economy will improve, and with it, jobs and their offerings will grow. Give passive candidates an idea of what that growth potential looks like with your company.
Share how your positions are changing and what that means for talent in terms of travel, meeting with clients, and setting and reaching new sales targets. Detail how your company plans to set up talent for success and reward their hard work as you navigate obstacles together.
