11/30/2015
A LOOK AT HEALTHCARE TALENT TODAY
HEALTHCARE TALENT IN 2015
The Recruiting Division makes it a habit to stay on top of the latest hiring trends in major industries, including Healthcare, which continues to be an in-demand career path in 2015. The U.S. News Best Jobs list this year has seven healthcare jobs in the top ten: dentist, nurse practitioner, physician, dental hygienist, physical therapist, registered nurse, and physician assistant top this list.
The Affordable Care Act means more patients who need more doctors, nurses, and hospitals. The mandated implementation of electronic health records in 2015 and rapid advances in mobile technology with health applications means more people to maintain systems and security for the tidal wave of confidential data in play.
Monster.com reports that aging baby boomers and a population that’s living longer than ever are driving the continuing boom in healthcare hiring. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts 19 to 25 percent growth in healthcare jobs in the next seven years, especially licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, and registered nurses.
Hot Jobs in Healthcare 2015
With healthcare skills in demand in 2015 and predicted to grow even more through 2022, all areas of healthcare have an excellent employment outlook. Some healthcare specialties will see even faster growth though, especially preventive care specialties such as physical therapist and dieticians.
Here are the top 10 jobs for this year in the healthcare field with BLS growth for each projected by 2022:
Audiologist: These hearing specialists test for range and degree of hearing. This profession will see a 34 percent growth in their field and average nearly $70,000 annually.
Dental Hygienist: Annual salary for this dental professional is over $70,000 with projected growth of 33 percent.
Dietitian: These diet and nutrition specialists teach people how and what to eat for optimal health and nutrition. Salaries are around $55,000, and job growth is expected around 21 percent.
Medical Laboratory Technician: The average salary is around $34,000 for these lab test specialists.
Medical Technologist: These specialists perform lab analysis with average salaries around $48,000. Job growth is expected to be 22 percent.
Optician: This specialist fills lens prescriptions and fits for glasses with an average salary of around $33,000. Job growth is expected to be around 23 percent.
Pharmacist: Pharmacists fill prescriptions and teach patients how to use their medications. They can expect salaries of around $117,000 and job growth of 14 percent through 2022.
Physical Therapist: Physical therapists help patients recover from injury and surgery. Their average salary is $80,000 and job growth is predicted at 36 percent.
Physiologist: Physiologists help people with fitness plans to improve physical performance through better cardiorespiratory function, flexibility and muscular endurance. Average salary is around $43,000 with job growth of around 19 percent.
Podiatrist:This profession that treats and diagnoses foot-specific issues will see a 23 percent job growth rate and an average $116,000 annual salary.
Healthcare Recruiting Trends
Career Builder surveyed hiring managers and human resource professionals in the healthcare industry about recruiting and hiring trends in healthcare for 2015. With almost 50 percent of them planning to raise salaries for current employees, healthcare employers will find a competitive job market in 2015.
The top 5 healthcare recruiting trends for 2015 that Career Builder found include:
HiringTemporary or Contract Workers– As in other industries, almost half of the healthcare employers said they plan to hiretemporary or contract workers in 2015. Many said they planned on using a temp-to-hire solution. With many employers 2015 plans including hiring additional staff, a temporary or contract worker hiring plan lets employers save money and be able to see if the candidate is a successful fit for the role.
Raising Salaries– 47% of employers plan to raise the salaries of current employees as well as the minimum wage at their organization.
More On-The-Job Training– 52% of healthcare employers told Career Builder they plan to hire employees without industry experience and train them on the job to build their talent pool.
Recruiting Recent Graduates-Healthcare employers plan to hire recent college graduates, increase the number of hired recent graduates compared to previous years, and hire interns.
Hiring Recent Retirees-47% of employers said they are “likely” or “very likely” to seek recent retirees as employees.
Healthcare employers also told CareerBuilder they have had and expect to have difficulty in finding qualified employees to fill their vacancies. 54% of the employers cited a significant gap between the skills needed at their organization and the skills job candidates have. Many said they cannot find qualified candidates for their vacant positions, and almost half said their job vacancies stay open for 12 weeks or longer.
