Leaders can help improve diversity within their organizations and the healthcare workforce with a strategic approach to recruiting. 

<h1>
  5 Actions Leaders Can Take to Recruit a More Diverse Healthcare Workforce
</h1>

<p>
  Leaders can help improve diversity within their organizations and the
  healthcare workforce with a strategic approach to recruiting. Here&rsquo;s a
  look at:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>Current diversity among healthcare employees</li>
  <li>The importance of increasing diversity among health workers</li>
  <li>Steps organizations can take to recruit for a more diverse workforce</li>
</ul>

<h2>
  A Lack of Diversity Among Providers and an Imbalance Within the Healthcare
  Workforce
</h2>

<p>
  Recent research shows there&rsquo;s still much work to be done to improve
  racial, ethnic and gender <strong>diversity among physicians.</strong> The
  <a
    href="https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/interactive-data/figure-18-percentage-all-active-physicians-race/ethnicity-2018"
    target="_blank"
    >Association of American Medical Colleges </a
  >(AAMC) reports that in 2018, among active physicians:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    56.2% identified as White, 17.1% as Asian, 5.8% as Hispanic, and 5.0% as
    Black or African American
  </li>
  <li>64.1% identified as male and 35.8% as female</li>
</ul>

<p>
  There is also a need to improve
  <strong>diversity within other healthcare roles.</strong> According to 2021
  <a
    href="https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr21/index.html"
    target="_blank"
    >AHRQ</a
  >
  findings, the most significant lack of racial and ethnic diversity is among:
</p>

<div class="row">
  <div class="col-sm-12 col-xs-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6">
    <ul>
      <li>Advanced practice nurses</li>
      <li>Dentists</li>
      <li>Emergency medical technicians</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="col-sm-12 col-xs-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6">
    <ul>
      <li>Physician assistants</li>
      <li>Psychologists</li>
      <li>Registered nurses</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>

<p>
  Further, there is a need to balance
  <strong>diversity between higher- and lower-paying roles</strong>. A study by
  Wilbur et al., published in the
  <a
    href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245230112030016X?via=ihub"
    target="_blank"
    >Health Professions Education</a
  >
  journal, reported that &ldquo;overall, the healthcare workforce is becoming
  more diverse however, with the majority of people of color in healthcare jobs
  remaining in entry-level and often lower paying jobs.&rdquo;
</p>

<h2>Increased Diversity Can Lead to Improved Health Outcomes</h2>

<p>
  Employing a more diverse workforce can lead to a whole host of improvements,
  among them:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <strong
      >A stronger pool of candidates and better retention of employees</strong
    >
    &ndash;
    <a
      href="https://www.aorn.org/blog/diversity-recruitment-strategies"
      target="_blank"
      >Association of periOperative Registered Nurses</a
    >
    (AORN) reports, &ldquo;Investing in diverse talent, and demonstrating your
    commitment to do so, can
    <strong> attract more candidates.</strong> Implementing diversity,
    inclusion, and equity (DEI) training can
    <strong
      >build trust and morale among staff, improving retention
      rates.&rdquo;</strong
    >
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Improved health outcomes among patients &ndash; </strong> The<a
      href="https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr21/index.html"
      target="_blank"
    >
      Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality</a
    >
    (AHRQ) 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report says,
    &ldquo;Lack of racial, ethnic, and gender concordance between providers and
    patients can lead to miscommunication, stereotyping, and stigma, and,
    ultimately, suboptimal healthcare&hellip;A racially and ethnically diverse
    health workforce has been shown to promote
    <strong>better access and healthcare for underserved populations</strong>
    and to
    <strong
      >better meet the health needs of an increasingly diverse
      population.&rdquo;
    </strong>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2>5 Ways to Recruit for Greater Diversity Within the Workforce</h2>

<ul style="list-style:none;">
  <li>
    <strong>1. Use data to inform recruiting decisions.</strong> To begin,
    leaders can assess the current diversity of their workforce and set hiring
    goals to balance underrepresented groups (<a
      href="https://www.aorn.org/blog/diversity-recruitment-strategies"
      target="_blank"
      >AORN</a
    >). Leaders can monitor and track diversity during recruitment and within
    various levels of the organization. Comparing the diversity of the community
    to that of the organization&rsquo;s workforce can help leaders identify gaps
    (<a
      href="https://trustees.aha.org/recruiting-diverse-health-care-board"
      target="_blank"
      >American Hospital Association</a
    >).
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong
      >2. Let candidates know about the organization&rsquo;s commitment to
      diversity in the job descriptions.</strong
    >
    Organizations can promote their DEI statements and diversity goals of the
    overall facility, division, department or team within job descriptions. The
    job description should also include any relevant details about opportunities
    to work with diverse, underrepresented or underserved patient populations
    (<a
      href="https://med.emory.edu/about/_files/pdfs/recruiting-and-retaining-diverse-workforce.pptx"
      target="_blank"
      >Emory Department of Medicine</a
    >).
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong
      >3. Embrace diversity within your organization and integrate diversity
      into your branding.</strong
    >
    Organizations with a culture that embraces diversity are more likely to
    attract diverse candidates. It will help applicants to see that the
    organizaiton has dedicated a portion of the website to DEI and that there is
    diversity in your marketing and social media campaigns (<a
      href="https://www.aorn.org/blog/diversity-recruitment-strategies"
      target="_blank"
      >AORN</a
    >). However, it&rsquo;s critical that organization authentically embodies
    these ideals rather than merely pays them lip service.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>4. Evaluate the work experience.</strong> Ensure the positions you
    are advertising meet the needs of and are attractive to a diverse group of
    candidates. Are salaries equitable? Are applicants and employees evaluated
    objectively? Is your work environment welcoming and safe? Are there
    opportunities for inclusion (such as mentoring and diversity within teams)?
    Do all employees have equal opportunities for recognition and career growth?
    Is there diversity among your board, executive team, management, providers,
    allied health professionals and support staff? Do you have a DEI champion,
    committee and program? (<a
      href="https://med.emory.edu/about/_files/pdfs/recruiting-and-retaining-diverse-workforce.pptx"
      target="_blank"
      >Emory</a
    >).
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>5. Seek out new recruitment avenues.</strong> Recruiters can break
    old habits, get creative, generate new contacts and branch out to find more
    diverse candidates. Partnering with diversity organizations, attending
    diversity recruiting fairs, and participating in diversity initiatives in
    the community can help (<a
      href="https://www.aorn.org/blog/diversity-recruitment-strategies"
      target="_blank"
      >AORN</a
    >). Recruiters can also list job openings with diverse professional
    organizations, expand their current network and contacts, and attend events
    sponsored by entities that serve underrepresented patients (<a
      href="https://med.emory.edu/about/_files/pdfs/recruiting-and-retaining-diverse-workforce.pptx"
      target="_blank"
      >Emory</a
    >). Further, to support the future healthcare workforce and to build a
    pipeline of diverse candidates, partner with non-profit, academic and
    government initiatives that support diversity in healthcare training and
    medical education.
  </li>
</ul>

<p>
  To see how we can support your recruiting needs,
  <a href="https://www.crosscountrylocums.com/client-services" target="_blank"
    >connect with a member of our team today.</a
  >
</p>
