Introduction

Human resource managers are the lifeblood of recruitment and engagement for any industry which holds true even for establishing connections for Healthcare Technology Managers (HTM). While the HTM profession relies heavily on referrals from other colleagues it is paramount for human resource managers to understand the needs of these technicians and facilitate opportunities for applicants that benefit the technician and foster retention within the organization. Human resource management (HRM) is the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees, and of attending to their labor relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns (Dessler, 2017). The metrics of recruitment associated with the HTM profession will be appraised and discussed to ascertain the best solutions for engaging this community.

Selection Requirements

Every profession has its own set of criteria that enact minimal credentials, records, and capabilities of applicants. Requirements such as education, background, and experience are crucial for discerning what level of technician you are engaging with, and if they fit into the spectrum of the position you are looking to fill. The realm of the HTM profession is riddled with multiple degree variances and certifications. It is necessary for an HRM to understand what these credentials bring to the table and if they fit into the overall needs of the organization position. There are two avenues that technicians arise from when it comes to training. You can obtain a two-year associate’s degree in biomedical equipment technology or go through the one-year joint-service training within the military. Each of these paths fosters new technicians into the workforce to which human resource management can engage applicants.

It is primarily focused on within the industry for a technician to have those minimum credentials mentioned, however, the experience is sought after above all. Depending on the level of experience and education will determine compensation. There is an array of certifications available to technicians such as the CBET, CHTM, CRES, CLES, and even network ones as well. Depending on the position to be filled along with which of these certifications the technician has will need to be considered to what level position they should be hired. Typically positions are described within tech 1 through tech 4 with tech 1 positions usually being intern or recent graduate in nature. Tech 4 hires yield self-supervised lead technicians or being specialized in imaging or anesthesia devices for instance. Knowing what the applicants’ knowledge base is everything in making an astute selection for your organization.

Online Engagement

In today’s professional landscape it is quintessential for an HRM to utilize social media platforms to locate, engage, and entice potential hires. HTM applicants look for opportunities via word of mouth through Facebook groups or colleagues giving a heads up. Otherwise platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor allow human resource managers to post ads for applicants to apply directly too. Companies well known within the industry such as General Electric, Stryker, Philips, Siemens, and many others post jobs directly on their sites because it is stressed within the profession to seek opportunities within these organizations. They don’t have to look hard for applicants simply due to brand recognition and industry reputation. This makes recruitment of an HTM more difficult in achieving placing the burden on an organization to provide supple incentives. It has been industry practice for HRM teams to implement the use of headhunters to network with companies and individuals to find applicants needed for a position. 

Tools For Hiring

The access of social media today is of benefit to organizations looking to hire. Using social media as a means to conduct background checks is a quick insight into the applicant you are gauging. You can gain more insight into their lives, personalities, and their aesthetic -- an organic and true resume (Nhaissi, 2018). As an HRM you can provide incentives to current employees through referral bonuses and marketing. Many HTM applicants come from the military and having a veteran who has access to soldiers looking for opportunities is an effective tool for finding qualified and vetted applicants. Establishing a bonus per hire that is brought on by a current employee not only provides access to hiring pools but increases retention. 

Encouraging employees to post about success within the company and completed projects on social media sites can also bring forth the eyes of potential applicants down the line. The reputation of the work environment and benefits is crucial for finding qualified and eager technicians. Another available option is to reach out to schools and use their alumni networks to find interested parties that will place you with many tech 1 applicants (Nhaissi, 2018). Lastly, the use of resume filtering technology such as Zip Recruiter. The benefit of utilizing online searches is that it streamlines the process for the HRM to locate a candidate that fits their profile. This method saves time and money as a simple search can sift through thousands of applications and resumes to narrow down the list of potential recruits (LaMarco, 2019).  

HTM Staffing Shortages

There is a looming understanding that HTM workforce numbers are not congruent with the needs of the industry. It is estimated that 5,000 new BMETs will be needed in the next few years alone (Stephens, 2018). There isn’t one absolute cause for this occurrence but actually several exist. The HTM workforce is aging and a large portion of them are set to retire in the coming years leaving large gaps in positions that HRM teams must address swiftly. the average age of a level 3 Biomed tech is 52, up three years from 2017 (Stephens, 2018). 

Another component of this issue is that the HTM profession is so adversely behind the scenes that a majority of people aren’t aware it even exists. Educational programs offering the opportunity to become an HTM have dwindled in recent years adding to the lack of staffing the workforce. Compounding the BMET shortage is the recent closing of 33 schools with HTM-related programs, leaving only 22 colleges nationwide graduating 400 BMETs annually, according to AAMI (Stephens, 2018). Human resource management needs to take the lack of talent seriously and develop internships with college programs and incentivize HTM applicants through signing bonuses, training opportunities, and fair compensation. Leadership must devise strategies to locate sources for trained technicians, as well as retain existing talent and provide career opportunities (Douglas, 2019).

 Location is everything and it works both ways in finding qualified technicians. Many HTM applicants come from military backgrounds or college programs. Proximity to a source of Biomed talent seems to be a determining factor in a health system’s ability to locate replacement HTM professionals (Douglas, 2019). Within San Antonio lies the joint-service training center for HTM hopefuls. Compiled alongside them are several college programs that yield graduates each year as well. You are likely to locate an applicant within San Antonio or other bases such as Fort Hood which home multiple units containing Biomed technicians. An effective HRM must consider location as a determining factor for an applicant. A mass amount of the HTM field is centered within Texas, California, or northern states such as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.  This is primarily due to massive medical systems and manufacturers being based within those quadrants. Recruitment needs to facilitate programs that entice applicants to journey to their organization otherwise they will find work elsewhere.

Hiring Incentives

With the limited talent pool that is aggregated with retirement, retention issues, and credentialing needs the profession is highly competitive. Working in conjunction with third-party talent acquisition might be the route necessary for a medical system or field service organization to take if back channels and social media aren’t cutting it. Offering a sign-on bonus, relocation coverage, manufacturing training, retirement plans, and career advancement, and competitive pay are paramount to building an effective recruitment plan. One of the biggest decisions that tailor a decision to join a company is compensation. 

No one wants to work for less than what they are worth and each of us strives to attain the most we can. Fair compensation provides pay that accurately reflects the quality of their work. The perception of fair compensation depends on skills, responsibilities required for the job, the time and effort put in, and how they pay and benefits compare to what others receive for similar work (Karim, 2019). The workforce is shrinking and along with that shortage, the knowledge and experience fostered through decades leaves with it. If you're able to locate a technician with the applicable credentials required then that is great, but as an HRM you cannot forgo the desire of lower-level applicants that are looking to start a career and build a home within your organization. 

Retention

Our number one focus is first to retain talented staff to reduce turnover, and then to have a program in place that offers technical and leadership training to prepare staff for future openings (Douglas, 2019). Whether an HRM is looking to keep or fill an HTM position is absolutely critical to foster job satisfaction. The HTM profession is well known for having a high percentage of turnover. Usually one out of every two hires will leave the organization for other opportunities within the span of six months. Usually, the cause of this phenomenon is compensation, workload, opportunity, and fulfillment related. 

The entire profession is volatile in nature due to the demand in manpower vs compensation. An HTM burdened with intense workloads cannot adjust to strenuous circumstances usually will seek employment elsewhere if incentivized with higher pay or a promise of greater work/life balance. Often a technician sitting with no chance to move into management will look for companies with those vacancies. Having an active succession plan in place will alleviate the need to find replacements for the technician you lost due to not having a career development strategy. 

The workforce today is younger and the needs of Millennials within the HTM profession have to be noticed. Millennials value meaning, opportunities for growth and development, reputation, on-site training, well-balanced work schedule, and employee wellbeing (Earhart, 2019). In order for a company to be successful, a plan must be set into place that takes into account the internal strengths and weaknesses. Understanding employee credentials, department structure, talents, and shortcomings within each facet of the company will yield a strategy that allows the company to be it’s most competitive externally while satisfying the needs of its employees. Breaking down weaknesses and shortcomings that employees can voice is often rewarding with respect to keeping retention numbers high. Make known to employees what makes your organization special whether that be whom the company serves, what products or services it provides, how it provides service, and, how it makes money (Dessler, 2017).

Conclusion

Recruitment is always a daunting task within any industry and especially dealing with the HTM profession. The workforce is compiled of soon to retire, college graduates, military-experienced applicants, and every facet in between. The talent pool is highly competitive with no room for error and the requirement to engage with HTM’s across every platform and the need to foster partnerships with headhunters, educational programs, and use word of mouth communication. The time is coming where hospital systems, manufacturers, and field service organizations will be left with a diminished workforce requiring even greater competitive incentives to bring an HTM to your team. An effective HRM must engage, use communicative tools, incentivize hires, appraise employees, and retain them to battle the looming shortage brimming on the horizon.

References

Dessler, G. (2017). Human Resource Management. Pearson Education, Inc.

Douglas, R. (2019). Shrinking Pool: Recruit and Retain Amid Retirements. Retrieved from https://1technation.com/shrinking-pool-recruit-and-retain-amid-retirements/

Earhart, K. (2019). Recruiting Millennials: 7 Strategies To Attract and Engage Millennial Talent. Retrieved from https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/279/recruiting-millennials-7-strategies-to-attract-and-engage-millennial-talent

Karim N. (2019) Compensation Fairness: 4 Salary Tools To Understand Your Worth. Retrieved from https://www.gqrgm.com/salary-tools-help-know-worth/

LaMarco, N. (2019). Advantages & Disadvantages of Using the Internet for Employee Recruitment. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-using-internet-employee-recruitment-19049.html

Nhaissi, E. (2018). Using Social Media For Recruitment And Retention. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2018/09/04/using-social-media-for-recruitment-and-retention/#6343feb951ab

Stephens, K. (2018). Confronting the BMET Staffing Shortage. Retrieved from https://www.24x7mag.com/professional-development/department-management/succession-planning/confronting-bmet-staffing-shortage/

Stephens, K. (2018). Overcoming the Biomed Tech Shortage. Retrieved from https://www.24x7mag.com/management/overcoming-biomed-tech-shortage/