Top 5 Strategies to Attract Healthcare Talent in a Competitive Market

Hiring in healthcare sometimes feels like running a marathon at sprinter speed. Open roles pile up, and every other organization in town is chasing the same small pool of candidates. All the while, patients keep coming in, and your hiring team feels overwhelmed in an endless loop of job postings and interviews.

In 2024, healthcare employers filled only 56% of their hiring goals, up significantly from 46% in 2023.¹ That means nearly half of the open positions still went unfilled. The challenge is only expected to intensify.

For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for medical assistants will grow 12% between 2024 and 2034, adding about 112,300 new job openings.²

More openings and rising demand simply mean stiffer competition for the same talent pool.

So, how do you become the employer of choice — especially for critical front-office and administrative roles? Here are five must-use strategies to gain an edge in the healthcare talent race.

1. Make Your Employer Brand Stand Out

Candidates today want more than a paycheck. They want to know what your organization stands for. Do you support employee growth? Do you deliver on promises of flexibility and culture? Do your values align with the communities you serve?

A strong employer brand makes you stand out from competitors and builds trust with job seekers before they apply. In fact, a 2024 survey found that 82% of healthcare executives rank recruiting and retaining talent as a top business risk — a percentage well above many other industries.³ That means your ability to tell a compelling story about why people should join your team is more critical than ever.

Here are a few ways to strengthen your employer brand:

• Highlight employee growth stories: Showcase individuals who advanced from entry-level roles into leadership or specialized positions to prove long-term opportunity.
• Share authentic employee experiences: Use testimonials, spotlights, or “day-in-the-life” content to give candidates a genuine look inside your workplace.
• Showcase community impact: Promote how your team contributes to local health initiatives, volunteer programs, or patient-centered outreach.

Be transparent and consistent: Post clear pay ranges, schedules, and benefits while maintaining a consistent tone across job ads, websites, and social media.

2. Simplify Your Hiring Process

Hiring shouldn’t feel like an obstacle course. Yet, too often, candidates are asked to complete lengthy applications, wait weeks for feedback, and juggle multiple interviews. In a market this competitive, every extra step is a chance for talent to become more engaged — or to walk away.

A cleaner hiring journey isn’t just nicer — it helps you hire faster and more effectively. A faster, more straightforward hiring process improves the candidate’s experience and helps you fill roles more reliably. Below are several examples of quick improvements you can make:

• Streamline and shorten applications — especially for entry-level roles.
• Send confirmation messages so candidates know you’ve received their application.
• Condense multiple interview rounds into fewer, more focused conversations.
• Use skills-based assessments in place of lengthy resume screening. 54% of organizations now do this, and 78% say it improves hire quality.⁴

Simplifying applications and streamlining interviews can go a long way in reducing candidate drop-off. Another area of the hiring process to consider is attracting the right applicants through the job posting itself. Clear, compelling job descriptions not only bring in more candidates but also the right ones.

>3. Tap Talent at the Source

Relying only on crowded job boards leaves you competing against every other healthcare employer. Instead, partnering directly with schools and training programs gives you access to candidates who are trained, focused, and ready for the exact roles you need to fill.

At Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA), graduates complete coursework that equips them with healthcare knowledge, power skills like communication and adaptability, and in many cases, hands-on externship experience. Best of all, hiring talent support from UMA comes at no cost, with a dedicated account team to match candidates to your needs.

Here are a few advantages of partnering with organizations like UMA:

• Efficient, targeted sourcing that delivers faster, better outcomes.
• Access to candidates already trained for front-office healthcare roles.
• Graduates are prepared with technical knowledge, professional soft skills, and power skills.
• Reduced recruitment costs and faster time-to-hire.

4. Sell a Future, Not Just a Paycheck

People don’t leave healthcare because they hate the job — they leave because they don’t see a future. For more than a decade, the Work Institute’s Annual Retention Report has named limited career development the top reason people quit.⁵

If you want to attract strong candidates, show them opportunities to grow from the start. Here are some effective ways to highlight career development during recruitment:

• Share career ladders or growth paths for entry-level roles.
• Promote internal advancement opportunities to make growth options visible.
• Offer continuing education support, like tuition reimbursement.
• Pair new hires with mentors to encourage development.

Candidates want a future, not a stopgap. And when they can see a promising future with an organization, they are generally more willing to stay.

5. Go Beyond Salary in Your Offer

Pay will always matter to candidates. But, salary alone rarely seals the deal. In today’s market, benefits, flexibility, and recognition can be the deciding factors.

Research in healthcare consistently shows that flexible working conditions — such as schedule control, task flexibility, and professional autonomy — reduce burnout and improve retention. For example, a 2022 study published in The Journal of Nursing Research confirmed this link between flexibility and lower emotional exhaustion in healthcare roles.⁶

Additionally, a 2023 survey of experienced allied health professionals found that flexible scheduling was an important retention priority, as were economic incentives.⁷

This data truly underscores how much weight workplace culture holds for candidates. Other benefits and facets of workplace culture can include recognition programs, mental health support, floating holidays, or childcare and assistance programs. These types of initiatives signal that you see employees as people, not cogs in a machine.

Consider adding meaningful options like these to strengthen your offer and stand out as an employer of choice:

• Self-scheduling or shift-swapping flexibility
• Recognition programs that celebrate employee contributions
• Low-cost wellness perks like mental health days or floating holidays
• Childcare support or employee assistance programs

Beyond formal benefits, small touches that support overall well-being can make a big impact. Simple initiatives like encouraging breaks, promoting movement, or building connection opportunities help employees feel cared for in multiple ways. For more ideas, check out 5 Ways to Promote Employee Wellness Outside of a Wellness Program.

Remember, when the wage range is similar, these extras tip the balance — especially for entry-level talent balancing life’s demands.

The UMA Advantage: Stay Ahead in the Race for Talent

If hiring has felt like a marathon at sprinter speed, UMA gives you a partner to help set the right pace so that you don’t have to run it alone.

Unlike traditional recruiting firms, UMA’s solutions come at no cost to your organization. Instead, you’ll gain a long-term partner dedicated to helping you fill essential allied health roles.

Here’s how UMA helps you stay ahead in today’s hiring race:

• A steady pipeline of talent: With more than 100,000 alumni nationwide and thousands of active learners, you will get access to career-ready graduates prepared for roles like Medical Administrative Assistant, Billing & Coding, Health Information Management, Pharmacy Technician, and more.
• Tailored placement support: A dedicated account team works with you to understand your hiring requirements and connect you with the right candidates.
• Candidates equipped for the real world: UMA graduates complete coursework that combines technical skills with power skills like communication, adaptability, and leadership. Many programs also include externships or practicums for hands-on experience.
• Faster, cost-effective hiring: Reduce recruiting spend and shorten time-to-hire by tapping directly into a pool of job-ready talent.
• A partner invested in long-term success: UMA focuses on workforce development that benefits both employers and graduates over time.
• When the race for healthcare talent keeps accelerating, UMA helps you stay in stride — so you can focus on building stronger teams, not chasing candidates. Learn more about UMA’s no-cost hiring support at HireUMA.com.