Marketing for staffing companies is a difficult endeavor. Despite the fact that, according to Statista, staffing companies in the United States alone generate over $140 billion in revenue every year, the staffing market is rife with competition.
The top five staffing businesses in the United States control more than half of the overall industry market share. That makes the competition to be the best of the rest quite fierce, especially given that over 20,000 staffing companies are vying for the distinction. Simply said, there is a lot of rivalry in the staffing industry.
Many hospitals, clinics, and other medical offices use medical staffing firms to assist them recruit enough nurses, doctors, and administrative support workers.
The demand for medical professionals of all types is increasing. According to an article on allhealthcare.com, healthcare occupations are predicted to rise faster than any other industry. The healthcare business is expected to grow by roughly 22% by 2018, creating over 3.2 million new employment.
By implementing these strategies and techniques, your medical staffing business may contribute to the success of the healthcare industry.
1. Market Knowledge
Stay up-to-date on the healthcare industry. Knowing what medical professionals and what areas are in need can help you stay on top of and in front of the demand for filling medical staff and administrative support positions.
2. Network
Networking is one of the most important things any business can do. Utilize your contacts and branch out to meet others to help grow your medical staffing agency. Whether it’s an industry affiliate, a potential customer or a possible candidate, networking provides you with insight, tips and resources for your medical staffing agency.
3. Highlight Industry Expertise
If your medical staffing agency specializes in placing certain positions in the healthcare industry, make that prevalent on your website and marketing materials.
4. Payroll Funding
If you’re cautious about or hesitant to accepting new contracts that are bigger than you are used to, payroll funding can help. Many medical staffing agencies utilize payroll funding to bridge the gap of when they need to pay their employees and when their customers pay them. It’s not uncommon for medical staffing agencies to wait 90 days or more for customer payments.
With payroll funding, you’ll no longer have to wait for payment. When your medical staffing agency uses payroll funding, your invoices are paid immediately, giving you the ability to accept new and larger contracts without running into a cash-flow gap.
5. Keep Your Candidates & Customers Happy
Because there are a large number of medical staffing agencies to work with, it’s important to keep your candidates and customers happy. Open communication, added-services and benefits for both your candidates and customers can help your medical staffing agency stand out from others.
6. Utilize Internet Job Boards
Advertise the positions you’re looking to fill on internet job boards. The faster you’re able to fill positions, the happier your customers will be. Of course, make sure you’re placing good, qualified candidates.
7. Industry Associations
Join industry associations and become active in them. Attend as many events as you can that they host to take advantage of networking opportunities. Below are just a few associations that may benefit your medical staffing agency.
- American Staffing Association (ASA): In 2016, the ASA celebrated its 50th anniversary. It’s the main voice for the staffing agency world and provides resources and insights to its members.
- National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO): Founded in 2008, NATHO is a nonprofit association of travel healthcare organizations that helps to promote ethical business practices in the travel healthcare industry.
- American Healthcare Services Association (AHSA): AHSA is the largest vendor management association in the United States. It has contracts with more than 250 staffing agencies in the world. As a member, you’ll have access to a list of top healthcare systems and more.
8. Advertise
Not only is it important to advertise the jobs you’re hiring for, it’s also important to let hospitals, clinics and other medical offices aware that you’re available to aid in their hiring process. From print advertising in trade publications to online advertising on Google and LinkedIn, it’s important to get your medical staffing agency name in front of potential customers.
9. Reward Referrals
Your network of employees, candidates and customers also have a network of valuable connections. If one of them provides your medical staffing agency with a referral that turns into a customer or candidate, reward them for it.
How do You Pitch Staffing Services?
As a recruiter, you can use a recruitment pitch to quickly communicate a position to a possible candidate. A recruiting pitch can assist you in describing your firm, the vacancy, and why a candidate might be interested, which may persuade them to apply. Understanding how to write a recruitment pitch will help you design your own to use when approaching someone about a job.
Read Also: How Can I Start a Recruitment Agency?
A recruitment pitch is a succinct and clear statement that a recruiter offers to a prospective candidate in order to inform the candidate of a position, present a company and potentially capture their interest and encourage them to apply. This may be the first impression that a candidate has of a company, so a recruitment pitch can be a very important step in the application process. A recruitment pitch gives the potential applicant an introduction to a role they could apply for and may be the first time they’re able to evaluate whether the role is a good fit for them.
As a recruiter, there are some essential actions you may assume when making a pitch, including:
- Understand the position: The candidate is likely looking to you for answers to their questions and general curiosities, so have a thorough understanding of the position you’re pitching in order to appear informed and helpful.
- Recognize the candidate’s requirements: To address what the candidate might like about the job, it may help you recognize what they’re seeking in a job and whether a company can meet these criteria. One way to assess their requirements is to review their resume, experience and education level.
- Assess the industry realistically: Having a clear and realistic understanding of the industry you’re in, how competitive the market currently is and how a company measures up against its competitors can help you give an honest and straightforward representation of the role.
Use these steps to help you as you create your own recruitment pitch:
1. Open with praise
When reciting a recruitment pitch or sending it via email, you’re typically reaching out to a candidate because you’re interested in them and their professional background. Consider beginning with a statement of recognition or praise. This can show the candidate that you’re reaching out to them for a specific reason and you like what they would bring to your company. This adds a level of personalization that may capture the candidate’s attention.
2. Define what you and your company does and why
The first step in creating a recruitment script is defining what you and a company do and why. This can help give the candidate a better understanding of a company and whether it would be a good fit. If a company has a definitive purpose—for instance, connecting software engineers with companies facing technological challenges hoping to optimize their businesses—this may encourage the candidate to feel compelled to join a team.
Consider describing what makes employees stay at a company and what makes a team so successful. For example, you may mention if there is a flexible and relaxed company culture or hands-on leaders who encourage their employees in the office regularly. Highlighting what a company does, why it’s committed to its mission and what motivates current employees to stay can help address questions that a candidate may have and prompt them to apply.
3. Include your goals and milestones
Including a company’s goals and milestones in your recruitment pitch might inspire a candidate and help them decide if their long-term professional goals align with a company. Candidates might be interested in learning how a product or service fits into the lives of others and what contributions a company plans on making to its community. You can describe goals that include:
- What a company will look like in five or 10 years
- Aspirations related to revenue and profitability
- How you expect a company to grow regarding its number of employees
4. List career development opportunities
It may be beneficial to offer the candidate a clear trajectory of what career development is available to them with a company. Some candidates may be interested in learning about how a company will support their professional growth and listing career development opportunities can indicate that a company invests in its employees long term. Include any mentorship, further training or career planning opportunities available to candidates should they accept the position.
5. Identify your unique selling point
After you offer some information about a company and its career development opportunities, it may be beneficial to explain a unique selling point. Show a candidate what makes a company stand out from its competitors and why they should choose to work there rather than another business in the industry.
Highlight if a company offers unique quarterly bonuses or contributes to charitable causes every month. Identifying what makes a company different may make your pitch more memorable to a candidate and help them decide if their values or interests align with those of a company.
6. Finish with a call to action
It can be helpful to end your recruitment pitch with a call to action, which is a clear indication of the next steps a candidate can take in the application process. This is important because after reviewing the company and the position, an applicant may want to move forward and pursue the job and a call to action tells them exactly how to apply or when to schedule an interview. Consider making the ask simple, like scheduling a phone interview or sending you an email, so there is little required on their part and the task feels manageable.
7. Write it down and practice
Writing down your recruitment pitch can allow you to read it aloud and hear how it sounds, which may cause you to identify and revise any potentially complicated language or business jargon. Practicing your pitch can also give you a sense of your desired tone and rehearsing it several times may help you feel more confident when you speak with a candidate. Consider presenting your pitch to a friend or coworker to receive their feedback and adjust it accordingly.
Marketing for staffing and recruiting firms is critical and entirely based on current hiring market trends.
Many staffing and recruitment organizations begin by evaluating prior issues to determine where they need to go. It’s been challenging in recent years to identify qualified personnel to present to clients for both experienced and entry-level roles. Furthermore, changed job seeker objectives have altered the way client organizations hunt for candidates, shifting how agencies locate suitable applications as well.
Here is an example:
Consider using this recruitment pitch template as you write:
“Hello [Candidate’s name],
I’m from [company name] and I wanted to reach out because I’m impressed with your results in [recent project of theirs]. [Discuss the company you work for and the role for which you’d like the candidate to apply]. [Mention career development opportunities that a company offers and any unique selling points that may help a company be more memorable]. [Include a call to action with next steps for the candidate to follow].
Best wishes,
[Your name]”
Here is an example of a recruitment pitch to refer to when you’re creating your own:
Hello Stephen,
I’m from Newfound Marketing and I wanted to reach out to you because I’m impressed with your results on your latest project with West Marketing Firm. You delivered incredible numbers. Newfound Marketing has been around for 12 years and is a leader in the industry. We care about our employees and offer partial tuition coverage should any of our team members decide to pursue an MBA in marketing. We believe in business with a heart and are active contributors to our community. As such, we make a donation each month to charitable foundations around the country.
If this sounds like a team you’re interested in joining, call me at (555) 555-5555 to set up an initial interview with a manager.
Best wishes,
Mark Allen
