BearingPoint has taken a tour of Europe in search of best practices in hospital recruitment. Active in more than 20 countries (including Luxembourg), the management and technology consultancy has drawn up its findings in the form of eight proposals for improving processes.

Paperjam asked Olivier Schmitt,  at the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), to talk us through it.

Proposal number 1

“Define your employer promise and work on the institution’s brand image.” Such a brand image must be based on a clear employer promise that’s shared with staff, says BearingPoint. It’s done by asking simple questions: What is our hospital’s mission? What are our objectives for the region, healthcare professionals and patients? A solid brand image that promotes a patient- and staff-centred organisation--and communicates the hospital’s expertise and career development opportunities--can help to set it apart from the competition. Effective communication of this brand image involves targeted messages, via multi-channel distribution (face-to-face meetings, events, internal ambassadors, social networks, media, etc.)

The example to follow. To meet recruitment challenges, the Hospices Civils de Lyon (France) launched a campaign in 2024 called “Ici je peux” (“Here, I can”). Broadcast in the metro and on social networks, it features testimonials from seven employees about their career paths, life balance and career opportunities at the hospital. In preparing its messages, the campaign got feedback from 24,000 employees.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “It is essential to redefine the employment relationship based on the employer’s brand image. The example to follow is very telling. We can also make the choice to define the organisation’s values and deploy them through concrete facts that feature employees, which will speak more to future talent.”

Proposal number 2

“Build partnerships with training centres.” Interacting with students at forums or during training courses helps to better understand their expectations and promotes the hospital, according to BearingPoint. Offering paid assignments lasting several months is an effective recruitment lever, encouraging those who have had a positive experience to consider a career at the hospital. This approach meets immediate needs while building up a pool of talent for the future.

The example to follow. In Norway, certain posts allow nurses to combine clinical work with specialist training funded by the hospital. Employees retain their seniority and pension contributions. These posts are set up via partnerships with schools, and nurses commit to working for one to three years after their training for the hospital that has coughed up the funding.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “Investment in the initial training of nursing staff can be achieved through a system that is similar to the sandwich course, with time spent between studying and paid work at the hospital. In this way, we can open up an opportunity for students to benefit from learning in contact with the field for longer than periods of work experience--and it’s remunerative.”

Proposal number 3

“Enlarge the pool of potential candidates by supporting retraining and apprenticeship programmes.” Creating new routes into healthcare establishments broadens the pool of candidates, alleviates shortages and promotes diversity, says BearingPoint. Retraining programmes, apprenticeships and the recognition of alternative qualifications, such as online courses or international diplomas, attract diverse profiles.

The example to follow. Faced with difficulties recruiting care assistants, North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (UK) has launched a programme called “Career Confidence.” It encourages new applicants to consider this career through a redesigned apprenticeship and pathways based on health and science qualifications. The programme offers access to nursing assistant or practitioner posts in 18 months to two years.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “Be careful not to devalue the nursing profession! It would be preferable to seek to level up the requirements for professional knowledge and skills. Validation of acquired skills must follow a desire to recognise professional careers to offer opportunities for career development, and not just to consolidate an initial situation.”

Proposal number 4

“Simplify the recruitment process within the hospital.” A slow hiring process can put candidates off. Measuring timescales and improving the clarity of offers helps to optimise recruitment. Automation and AI speed up CV sorting and interview scheduling. More reactive strategies, such as on-site interviews at trade fairs, can also be put in place.

The example to follow. In France, the Nantes University Hospital organises job-dating events targeting certain profiles, enabling short, individual interviews with recruiters. This process speeds up recruitment and helps candidates project themselves through exchanges with existing staff. By October 2023, this method had helped fill around 100 positions in various fields.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “It’s an excellent process! Luxembourg has mastered this system perfectly and we, CHL, are present at these events. They encourage direct contact, break down barriers and facilitate direct communication. Above all, the direct approach at trade fairs corresponds to the desire of generation Z candidates to follow a faster and more flexible process, in line with their professional expectations.”

Proposal number 5

“Help new employees settle in and integrate.” Housing subsidies, financial support and an induction programme make it easier for new recruits to relocate and take up their new positions,” says BearingPoint. These benefits, tailored to specific local circumstances and the profiles recruited, can influence their choice and reinforce the image of an employer attentive to the needs of its employees.

The example to follow. In 2023, Norrbotten Regional Council in Sweden launched an initiative to attract nurses and dentists by funding their travel and accommodation, as well as that of their families. Aimed at 66,000 nurses and 6,000 dentists, the offer generated a large number of applications and was designed to fill vacancies, particularly during the summer, while encouraging professionals to settle down for the long term and solving the housing shortage in certain areas.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “Supporting new employees and their families as they settle in is an essential lever for attracting future talent. We can add help with school enrolment for children or even language lessons.”

Proposal number 6

“Build loyalty among interns with a targeted value proposition.” Recruiting the best interns requires an effective induction and engagement programme, including training, mentoring and specific benefits. Creating a positive working environment for all employees is also essential for encouraging interns to consider a career within the institution after their internship.

The example to follow. In France, the Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil (CHIC) has launched the InternApp mobile app to facilitate the integration of medical interns. The app offers practical tools, such as a directory of hospital services and medical calculators. It also enables management to communicate directly with interns. The app has been downloaded more than 400 times, and a survey has shown that it is considered to be very useful on a daily basis.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “The digital tool meets the lifestyle of young recruits. At CHL, we are developing integration pathways for our doctors in the process of specialising, who are in fact hospital employees for the duration of their training.”

Proposal number 7

“Welcome new recruits with an effective induction programme.” Newly qualified nurses often encounter an overload of work as they move from student to professional status. A structured induction programme--including introductory sessions, department visits, personalised training and mentoring programmes with experienced members--facilitates their integration by explaining their role, the establishment’s culture and the procedures to be followed.

The example to follow. At the beginning of each month, new employees at the Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) in Germany take part in induction days to learn about the institution, its aims and its strategy. These days include inter-professional seminars and workshops, followed by job-specific training with personalised or standard induction plans. The atmosphere is friendly and the hospital’s representatives present its missions and operations.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “The onboarding of new employees is the founding meeting of the working relationship between the hospital and the employee. The establishment’s image as much as the factual dissemination of its values requires support from the moment employees arrive to place them in the best conditions for learning or practising their profession. Celebrating new recruits also helps to bring them into the hospital family and give them a place in the teams.”

Proposal number 8

“Rely on healthcare professionals as ambassadors.” An effective recruitment strategy is to encourage current employees to promote the organisation. Their testimonial helps future recruits to better project themselves and strengthens the commitment of employees, who thus value their structure. Employees can be encouraged, for example with bonuses, to take part in recruitment events.

The opinion of Olivier Schmitt (CHL): “Be careful not to turn our employees into head hunters! Inciting our employees to promote their hospital outside working hours is a necessity, particularly through professional social networks or family and friends. But encouraging employees to monetise recruitment runs the risk of destabilising HR rules and processes, to the detriment of attractiveness.”

This article in French.