Challenges and Strategies in Clinical Talent Acquisition

In the competitive field of clinical recruitment, finding and securing the right talent is crucial to ensuring high-quality healthcare delivery. To gain deeper insights into this process, we are pleased to interview Caitlin Vazquez, Founder and Principal Recruiter at Virtu Talent Solutions. Caitlin shares her valuable perspectives on the unique challenges of recruiting for advanced healthcare roles, strategies for attracting highly qualified candidates, and the importance of fostering strong relationships within the healthcare community. Her experiences and strategies provide a comprehensive look at the dynamic world of clinical recruitment.

ABRS: Could you share a memorable experience in your career as a talent acquisition professional in the healthcare sector, particularly in clinical recruitment?

Caitlin Vazquez: When I was working with an agency, I had the opportunity to attend a client’s hiring event. It was a nursing hiring event for community health nurses providing care for underserved patients in New York. I was privileged to speak with the nurses and nurse leaders already working with the client. I learned more about their everyday responsibilities and challenges, their concerns, and what they loved about their jobs. There is a true difference between recruiting off a job description and recruiting with an informed perspective, and this experience really stuck with me. The importance of clinical trial management services in supporting the recruitment process cannot be overstated, especially in ensuring that all operational aspects align with the healthcare industry’s unique demands.

ABRS: As a specialist in clinical recruitment, what are the unique challenges you face when seeking candidates for advanced healthcare roles, nursing staff, and other allied health professionals?

Caitlin Vazquez: The availability of these candidates is the main challenge. There is a higher demand than supply for these positions—this is particularly true of providers. On top of that, just having a license doesn’t ensure that a candidate and a company will be a good fit. One has to find a specific individual with a specialized skillset and the right character fit.

Healthcare worker burnout is real. Healthcare professionals are generally looking for work they are passionate about—being able to truly impact patients—but that shouldn’t come at the cost of their personal well-being. There is a nationwide conversation around employee well-being and the mental and physical cost of prioritizing “productivity” above all. You can’t pour from an empty cup; that’s especially true for healthcare professionals who, by definition, care for others. So the mass exit of clinicians and providers is a challenge unique to this moment in time. Additionally, the integration of clinical trial management software has played a significant role in streamlining the recruitment process by managing the complexities of these advanced healthcare roles.

ABRS: What strategies do you use to identify and attract highly qualified talent in the healthcare field, especially those committed to community-based and accessible healthcare solutions?

Caitlin Vazquez: Differentiating oneself is part of networking; a recruiter can and should cultivate a specific online presence. “Niche down” is the mantra you’ll hear from independent recruiters. Aside from building this network, a recruiter needs to understand how to perform a targeted search. More and more, a recruiter needs to have an assertive and confident command of available tech, including software for clinical trials, to enhance the precision of the search process.

Apart from that, doing my research and being able to communicate accurately about a role is big in attracting candidates to a specific job. This means actively listening to hiring managers and leaders about their hiring needs and allowing those leaders to fill gaps in my own knowledge so I can communicate effectively with candidates.

ABRS: Can you share a story about how your work in recruitment has directly contributed to improving healthcare delivery in a specific community or implementing innovative solutions in the healthcare sector?

Caitlin Vazquez: I would hesitate to say that my work has directly contributed to improved patient care because that credit belongs to those professionals rendering care. I see my work as an indirect contribution. I was proud of my involvement with one particular client—a nonprofit healthcare system with a struggling and severely understaffed mental health crisis program. My team was able to fully staff this program pretty quickly. In doing so, we played a role in keeping the grant funding for the program and continuing care for patients experiencing emergent mental health crises in New York. That credit also belongs to my team as a whole. The role of a Functional Service Provider in these efforts was crucial, as it ensured that all aspects of the staffing and operational processes were aligned to support the healthcare system’s goals.

ABRS: What is your approach to establishing and maintaining strong relationships with healthcare professionals and organizations in the sector to foster a steady flow of talent and promote success in community healthcare?

Caitlin Vazquez: Building a specific brand and recruiting for a specific “niche” is where fostering a steady flow of candidates starts. That is why I work independently. I’m able to network as an individual and maximize my own connections.

Being transparent and approachable is important because a good recruiter can serve as a middle space between employers and candidates; this allows candidates to explore opportunities without pressure, which in turn gives the recruiter the ability to rightly assess their candidacy and really see if a job is a good fit for both the candidate and the employer. The collaboration between clinical trial management services and recruitment efforts also plays a pivotal role in fostering these strong relationships and ensuring a steady flow of qualified professionals.

ABRS: Lastly, what would be your top piece of advice for someone looking to stand out in the field of talent acquisition in the healthcare sector and ensure they land in a prominent position?

Caitlin Vazquez: I would advise anyone interested in working in recruiting in the healthcare field to listen. Really listening is where learning starts, and when you learn, eventually you understand, which makes everybody’s life a lot easier. Understand the objectives of leadership, understand the particular concerns and trends of the candidate pool—and from there, find a way to make those meet in the middle. That’s really the basis of working in recruitment.

Thank you, Caitlin Vazquez, for taking the time to share your valuable insights and experiences in the field of clinical talent acquisition. Your expertise in navigating the challenges of recruiting for advanced healthcare roles and your strategies for fostering strong relationships within the healthcare community have provided us with a comprehensive understanding of the industry. Your contributions are greatly appreciated.