If you have vacant nursing roles to fill, they simply won’t wait. Under-pressure healthcare organisations need to find the right staff as quickly as possible, but this can be much easier said than done.
Even before the Covid-19 crisis, there was a shortage of around 50,000 nurses in the UK. A lack of qualified candidates makes direct recruitment difficult, time-consuming and expensive, but there is an alternative.
Specialist nursing recruitment agencies can help to make it quicker and cheaper to source qualified candidates, but this isn’t the only benefit. Let’s take a look at a few of the many other reasons why organisations are increasingly choosing to use recruitment agencies…
Find the right person, first time
Generally speaking, the average cost of recruitment in the UK is around £3,000 per role.
But the cost of replacing a bad hire is anywhere between £12,000 and £40,000 depending on the seniority of the role. This is why getting it right, first time, really matters.
A specialist agency can eliminate this wasted time and money, by only passing on qualified candidates with the skill set and profile you’re looking for. If a role is particularly niche or difficult to fill, an agency is the best way to source and target candidates who fit the bill. They know exactly where to look for the people you need, with direct access to national jobs boards and other network.
Crucially, many agencies are already in touch with a pool of qualified general practice nurses, district nurses, health visitors, theatre nurses, children’s nurses and other nursing processionals. These candidates are often pre-screened and ready to go, which speeds up the recruitment process and gets nurses in post faster.
A significant time saving
Healthcare organisations simply don’t have time to spare for extensive recruitment, especially if the first round of marketing doesn’t yield results. Having to keep going back out to market can be time and cost-intensive, even for dedicated healthcare recruitment departments.
There’s also the admin and paperwork related to recruitment to consider. An agency takes all this work off your plate, from advertising roles and sifting CVs to pre-screening candidates and arranging interviews. This leaves more time free for the important day-to-day work of running a practice, hospital or other healthcare organisations, where in all cases every minute is precious.
Sector-specific knowledge
When it comes to choosing a recruitment agency to work with, this is the most crucial thing to look for. You need an agency that specialises in your sector, whether public or private.
A specialist will understand the role, help you set industry-competitive salaries, and know how to find the candidates you’re looking for. They’ll also be able to ensure a near-perfect match for your ideal candidate profile, which means a more efficient search and better quality results.
Have a nursing role to fill, or looking for a new opportunity in nursing? Get in touch with Health Recruit Network, and let our experts do the rest.