Option 1: Train and Hire Talent for your Organization
Locate Quality Candidates
The first step is to get the attention of potential candidates who would be interested in the positions available in allied health. To do this, MedCerts creates local advertising campaigns targeting high school and college students in the area, as well as incumbent workers in the labor market. MedCerts advertises the fact that preparation for roles requires only short-term, affordable online training and support.
When career opportunities are paired with manageable training, students respond.
Select Ideal Candidates
As students express interest, MedCerts tracks and shares information about potential candidates with you so that we can begin to screen candidates. For example, let’s say a campaign is created for five pharmacy tech openings. Over two weeks, 65 local students responded to the ad campaign. We then work with you to screen and pick five (or more) ideal candidates for the next step: enrolling in the appropriate MedCerts program, in this case, pharmacy technician specialist training.
MedCerts wide range of allied health and health IT programs covers nearly all entry-level healthcare careers. The programs generally take a mere three to six months to complete and cost an average of $4,000. (In our current example, the pharmacy tech training is four months and only costs $2,700.) Partnering organizations often pay for this training, spending far less than they would have had they recruited ideal candidates away from their existing jobs.
As students go through the programs, they receive excellent online, theory-based instruction. MedCerts both prepares students for the national exams they must take to get their certifications, and helps those students gain the hands-on experience they need to get ready for the work.
Hire Certified Graduates
The final step in the process is the clinical work, if it is required as part of the certification. Our numerous partners rely on MedCerts for classroom instruction and then offer candidates an array of work and learning experiences. In the clinical experience, the healthcare employer provides students with a practice manager or proctor who helps the student through the various tasks, onboarding processes, and unique ways the business operates.
The combination of online instruction and real-world, hands-on experience helps healthcare providers build talent in a way that is sustainable, cost-effective, and timely. Further, each time a healthcare provider engages a student using the train-and-hire method, they are building trust and loyalty between them and the student, as well as—most importantly helping the student succeed in their career.
This is the beauty of short-term programs that expand allied health labor pools. To date, more than 100 organizations have relied on MedCerts’ train-and-hire partnership. Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the U.S., reports that 86% of the candidates hired through MedCerts are still with the company after two years.
Benefits of the Train and Hire Strategy
- Fill vacancies faster – Candidates can complete the program in just a few months. Many are ready even earlier.
- Build better talent pipelines – Use our programs and certificates to build a cost-effective, strategic talent pipeline that fits your exact needs.
- Connect with talent earlier – Demand is high, which means that it is important to connect with potential candidates earlier than ever.
- Spend wisely – MedCerts’ programs are highly affordable, costing considerably less than tuition for a 2-year college training, or the development of a brand new in-house program.
- Get ahead of the competition – Get to talent early (before your competitors do) with an evergreen talent solution that’s more innovative than merely spending more money on recruiting and relying on large signing bonuses.
Option 2: Upskilling – Your current workforce might be your best future workforce
When it comes to closing talent gaps, one of the first and best things healthcare providers can do is to upskill the existing labor force. The benefits are numerous, the risks are low, and it provides yet another valuable avenue for untapped talent.
Imagine that one of your administrative assistants has worked at your office for the past year and a half. She has gotten to know the people, culture, and business well. She sees that the business has a lot of open positions, so she asks how she might pursue one of the many opportunities to do more. Specifically, she would love to develop her skills as a medical records specialist.
Chances are your business would love to have her fill this new role because she is already a known entity. Hiring an outsider is riskier; they might not be the best cultural fit and could be prone to job-hopping. Upskilling the administrative assistant could add a lot of value at a relatively low risk.
But here’s the challenge. Your business doesn’t have any systems or programs in place to take her through the necessary training. l. You’re already operating at max capacity, and nobody can train or support her through that process.
In this case, a partnership with MedCerts is exactly what the doctor ordered. The candidate can enroll in MedCerts’ medical records specialist program to receive the education and training she needs to become qualified for the open position. She can either study on her own time or be granted time to complete the course during work hours.
Ultimately, the upskilling approach allows your business to develop talent with confidence, instead of going to the open market to find people who may or may not be a good fit. Since 2018, MedCerts has worked with over 100 healthcare providers to train, develop, and prepare existing talent for the in-demand roles in allied health.
Upskilling FAQs:
Q: If I train my staff, won’t they just find new opportunities?
A: There’s always a chance that could happen. However, studies have shown that offering employees learning and development options is one of the best ways to retain employees. By enrolling existing staff in MedCerts’ programs, you will help them develop marketable skills that will bring them higher pay and grow their career within your business.
Q: Can short-term programs really help me find and develop new talent fast enough? I have a bachelor’s degree and it doesn’t seem like people can develop these skills that quickly.
A: In short, MedCerts’ programs do not take the place of a four-year degree, because they do not have to. They equip students with the in-demand skills needed to fill the numerous entry-level jobs so desperately needed within healthcare. MedCerts’ programs also provide a healthy mix of technical skills and human (or soft) skills that are essential in healthcare settings. The beauty of the focused, short-term programs is that they don’t require students to go into debt, they jumpstart students’ careers with valuable work, and if the graduates want to go back to school later to get more advanced degrees, they have a solid foundation thanks to MedCerts’ programs.
Q: It seems like it’s best to hire more experienced talent from within other businesses. Can my staff really become qualified to fill these roles?
A: Yes, MedCerts’ programs have proven to upskill organizations’ existing talent and prepare them for more demanding roles. Recruiting new employees away from other healthcare settings is increasingly expensive and risky. It is far better to select employees who already understand your company culture so they can stick with you and help your organization grow.
The benefits of upskilling existing talent with MedCerts programs.
- Comprehensive training – MedCerts offers over 50 cost-effective, short-term programs that you can enroll your employees in today. Each program is up to date and will prepare your employees to take the exams required by national certification organizations.
- Self-paced and online – All programs are online and self-paced, making them ideal for people in the workforce.
- Developed by experienced healthcare professionals – Programs have been developed by healthcare professionals with many years of experience working in healthcare settings.
- Interactive and engaging – Each MedCerts program features highly interactive and engaging learning environments to ensure that your staff makes it through the program and isn’t bombarded with PDFs and slideshows.
- Student advising – MedCerts offers student success advisors to help your employees while they are enrolled.
- Timely and cost-effective – The programs typically take 10-20 weeks to complete and are very affordable. MedCerts can also offer special discounts and pricing based on the number of people you want to train.
Option 3: Hire from MedCerts’ large and growing pool of graduates
The third and final solution for healthcare providers and staffing companies that need to build a better-allied healthcare workforce is to partner with MedCerts to hire the many students currently enrolled in our programs. Each year, MedCerts enrolls over 25,000 students, and we’ve helped over 70,000 people complete their training and enter the world of allied health and health IT. Graduates are now working in 51 states and territories, and all of these students enrolled for the promise of a better career and life. students.
By partnering with MedCerts, you can tap into a consistent, reliable, and well-prepared pool of talent. MedCerts also offers a career center that allows you to browse resumes, post open positions, and directly recruit from our growing talent pool.
Next Steps
As the labor shortage continues, using a short-term build strategy will be an enormous benefit to a new generation of talent seeking good work, to healthcare providers who want to provide better care, and ultimately to the patients who rely on your services to stay healthy.
If you would like to partner with MedCerts, please contact us to learn more.
