In an effort to enhance recruitment within the competitive health-care industry, London’s top two hospitals are introducing a $1,500 incentive program for employees who refer candidates to fill vacant positions. The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) will provide this one-time incentive to its staff members who recommend external candidates for open roles. To be eligible for the reward, the referred candidate must secure the position and remain employed for a continuous period of 10 months. The initiative excludes executives, leaders, and recruitment personnel within the hospital.
Julia Marchesan, the vice president of human resources at the hospital, pointed out that 16 other health-care organizations in Ontario have similar employee recruitment incentives. She explained that certain specialized and technical roles have been particularly challenging to fill, such as anesthesia assistants, nurse practitioners, lab technologists, cardiac sonographers, radiation technologists, neurophysiologists, and psychologists. Additionally, non-medical positions like plumbers, millwrights, and building engineers have also posed recruitment difficulties.
Marchesan highlighted various factors contributing to the recruitment challenges in health care, including an aging population increasing the demand for health-care services. Despite these challenges, LHSC has managed to reduce its vacancy rate from 8% in January to 3.5% by August, which is significantly lower than the provincial average. Marchesan attributed this success to the hospital’s strong reputation as an employer and the competitive cost of living in London compared to larger urban centers.
The employee referral program is just one component of LHSC’s comprehensive recruitment strategy. Marchesan emphasized the importance of leveraging social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn, to engage with potential candidates effectively. Maria Mathews, a professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, praised the recruitment incentive as a cost-effective solution to address the ongoing recruitment challenges in the health-care sector. She emphasized the importance of tapping into personal networks and connections to attract candidates to specialized health-care roles that are often overlooked by individuals considering careers in the industry.