Europe's Healthcare Staffing Crisis is Growing. What Can Recruiters Do?
It’s no secret that healthcare workforces worldwide have struggled since the pandemic began. Shortages of doctors, nurses, and primary care workers are making headlines around the world — but what can recruiters do to solve the problem?
Europe has more health and primary care professionals than ever before. But the increase in staff is falling short as the need for healthcare rises — the region is currently lacking approximately 1.8 million health workers, a figure that is on track to climb to 4 million by 2030.
What’s Behind the Shortage of Health Workers?
Medical and care facilities around the globe are turning to overseas recruitment campaigns in an effort to fill the ever-growing gap between available staff and the need for services. But what’s driving the healthcare staffing crisis in Europe?
There are several factors at play.
- The pandemic took a toll on the industry. Thousands of European frontline healthcare providers lost their lives to COVID-19, and many more took their own lives. Those who survived are grappling with grief and loss on top of increased pressure to fill the gaps.
- Mental health issues are rising. Reports of healthcare worker burnout, anxiety and depression have spiked since the pandemic began — a trend driving many to retire or seek other employment opportunities.
- Europe’s population is ageing. More than a fifth of Europe’s population is over 65, and half are 44 or older. The increased average age means chronic diseases and conditions, which disproportionately affect older people, are more prevalent, and the need for care is higher. Healthcare workers are also ageing out of the profession, exacerbating the problem.
Image Source: Eurohealth, Volume 29, Number 1, 2023, https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/372883/Eurohealth-29-1-2023-eng.pdf?sequence=1
- Digitalization is leaving workers behind. Healthcare institutions are embracing digital solutions in pursuit of greater efficiency, but a lack of digital skills in the workforce is slowing progress or pushing experienced workers out of the field.
- Workforce diversity is low. The majority of Europe’s health workers are women, who are more likely to face poor working conditions and struggle to balance their jobs with unpaid responsibilities at home.
How to Close the Gap in Healthcare Staffing
The pandemic didn’t cause the healthcare staffing crisis in Europe — it merely exacerbated the problem. And the issue will not disappear as the pandemic eases unless healthcare recruitment teams and executives take concrete action to address the challenges faced by healthcare workers.
1. Invest in Worker Well-Being
Europe’s healthcare industry must invest in the physical and mental health of doctors, nurses, and other care professionals to stem the tide of workers leaving the field and make healthcare work more appealing to potential recruits. This can include:
- Mental health supports to help frontline workers cope with trauma and stress
- Paid time off for family responsibilities to encourage work-life balance
- Physical well-being programs to ensure workers’ health does not suffer as a result of their heavy workload
2. Address the Skills Gap
Digital tools should not only increase efficiency and service levels at healthcare facilities but also ease the load of health workers. Invest thoughtfully in tools that will make employees’ jobs easier, as well as training to empower your team to leverage those tools for maximum benefit.
3. Increase Workforce Diversity and Equity
Appealing to a broader, more diverse pool of potential applicants can help increase the diversity of your workforce, easing the load on employees facing intersectional challenges. Building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace culture that workers are excited to be a part of can also improve retention.
4. Improve Recruitment Processes
Manual job advertisement posting processes are inefficient and ineffective, increasing recruitment teams’ workload without boosting reach among applicants. Programmatic recruitment tools can help reduce the cost per applicant while allowing healthcare facilities to reach a larger pool of qualified applicants.
Hirematic Helps Address the Healthcare Staffing Crisis
The team at Hirematic is committed to helping Europe’s medical and care facilities solve healthcare recruitment challenges. Our programmatic job ad platform can help you reduce costs, shorten recruitment timelines, and reach a broader, more diverse pool of qualified candidates. Request a free demo to learn how we helped Amazon save nearly $1 million in recruitment costs while attracting over 16,000 new applicants. Contact us today.
