The escalating war for talent is pressuring healthcare organizations to ferret out candidates at every level and lure them away from competitors. This intense job market demands optimal efficiency and effectiveness, but hiring processes are not measuring up. Dissatisfaction abounds, both internally as human resource specialists and hiring managers struggle to fill open positions, and externally as candidates pick their way through cumbersome and insensitive processes. Everyone, it seems, is feeling the pain of the healthcare war for talent.

In order to bring attention to this important issue and to introduce and validate our perspective on the Human Dynamic, we will be referring to a study (the Selection Forecast 2006–2007) conducted by Ann Howard, Ph.D., Debra D. Walker, Scott Erker, Ph.D., and Neal Bruce, and co-sponsored by Development Dimensions International (DDI) and Monster. The report was based on the responses of staffing directors and hiring managers in healthcare delivery organizations and job seekers (individual contributors and professionals) considering positions in the healthcare industry.


Competition is fierce for executives.

The toughest competition was for executives, with 70 percent of healthcare staffing directors rating the competition “strong”. Some healthcare organizations claim that recruiters call their executives every week.

Competition was nearly as intense for mid-level managers and professionals. This pattern was similar to that in other industries, although a little more intense in healthcare.

However, slightly less than one-fifth (19 percent) of the healthcare staffing directors reported strong competition for individual contributors (e.g., administrative and support workers) compared to more than one-third (36 percent) of their counterparts in other industries.

The fierce contest for executives and mid-level leaders likely reflects demographic shifts, as the baby boom generation nears retirement. However, the precariousness of healthcare organizations’ bottom line also raises the stakes for highly qualified leaders; the demand for up-to-date professionals gathers steam from the acute shortage of nurses and technicians.

Fewer qualified applicants are available.

Both healthcare and other types of organizations reported that fewer available qualified applicants are the primary barriers to hiring. Compared to their counterparts in other industries, healthcare staffing directors were more concerned about competition for talent and less concerned about finding and identifying appropriate applicants. Consistent with this lessened concern for identifying applicants, healthcare staffing directors reviewed fewer resumes than did their counterparts to find one qualified candidate for each open professional, first-level management, or mid-level management position.

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Contact Jim Schneider, Senior Partner at 773.338.1389 or Click here to request more information.