It seems doctors and clinical organizations are still adjusting to the new era of healthcare consumerism. Today, your patients are more likely than ever to research your facility, comment on their experience, and make decisions based on online reviews — even over clinical performance.
But those online reviews can do more than attract or repel a patient. They can have a strong impact on your ability to recruit top talent. Here’s what you need to know about online reviews and their impact on your recruiting efforts.
Who Looks at Online Reviews?
The latest statistics show that online reviews of your healthcare organization matter greatly when attracting patients. It’s a huge concern for doctors, with websites like HealthGrades posting details about clinical performance to the general public. Today, nearly 75% of patients look at these scores before selecting a healthcare provider. What can we learn about this scrutiny and its impact not only on our bottom line but also on our ability to attract top clinical and operational talent?
First, is the fact that the studies show nearly 70% of the public says that the online reputation of an organization matters when selecting a healthcare provider. Nearly 80% of job applicants suggest that they use online reviews before deciding to apply for a job.
Why Online Reviews Matter
It’s a candidate-driven market, particularly in healthcare, where shortages in clinical and operational teams are not expected to lessen anytime soon. These candidates understand that they have choices when selecting their next role. The perception of healthcare patients is just one indicator of the quality of the work-life an employee will have. It’s easy to read between the lines of a negative patient review and assume the healthcare provider is unorganized, the staff is overtaxed, or perhaps the doctors are frustrated. That’s exactly why online reviews matter; they reflect poorly on the individual provider but also the healthcare organization as a whole.
Online reviews matter for three primary reasons:
- Candidates have many options when choosing a healthcare job these days.
- Organizations that have a bad reputation with patients may also have a poor working environment for their employees.
- There is an implication that healthcare providers failing to attract patients may also fail in other ways, whether through a stressful culture or perhaps in their ability to reward employees with top pay and benefits.
Job seekers today are interested in your reputation and negative reviews can create a red flag in so many areas. Organizations may list an attractive set of values on their website, but if they fail to back it up with a good corporate culture, it will impact your ability to attract top talent. One study showed 50% of workers would turn down a job offer from a company they perceive as having a bad reputation.
Today, healthcare providers can offer candidates perks, benefits, and pay that can be highly attractive to skilled workers. But if your online reputation creates doubt in the mind of a candidate that the environment is positive for patients and staff, it will have a negative effect on your ability to attract, hire, and retain top talent.
If your healthcare organization is struggling to fill the seats on your bus, talk to the UHC Solutions team. We can help you reach your hiring goals.
