The healthcare industry is at a crossroads. Soaring costs, coupled with a persistent shortage of specialized healthcare professionals, are straining healthcare institutions and agencies alike. From rising wages to expensive benefits packages, staffing budgets are under immense pressure.
The current economic downturn has only amplified these challenges. Concurrently, the demand for specialized healthcare professionals is outpacing supply, particularly in the US.
The healthcare staffing sector, which surged in 2021 and 2022, experienced a sharp downturn last year, plummeting 24% due to significant declines in both the Travel Nurse (40%) and Per Diem Nurse (22%) segments. Filling critical roles with qualified local talent on a budget has become increasingly difficult and costly, giving rise to a perfect storm of economic pressure and talent shortage.
In this context, offshore staffing emerges as a compelling option to optimize costs, and tap into a global talent pool. This approach not only helps to mitigate rising staffing costs, but also ensures a steady supply of skilled professionals.
However, it’s crucial to enter the offshoring landscape with knowledge and expertize, prioritizing security and compliance.
Benefits of Offshore Healthcare Staffing
Offshore staffing offers a multitude of benefits that can change and improve the way you recruit healthcare professionals for your clients.
Cost Savings: Offshore staffing can significantly reduce labor costs. By leveraging lower wage rates in other countries, you can optimize your expenditure on hiring costs.
Access to a Larger Talent Pool: Offshore recruitment opens up a vast pool of qualified healthcare professionals. This can be particularly beneficial when hiring for specialized roles or in regions with limited talent availability.
Focus on Core Competencies: By offshoring non-core functions of staffing to an expert partner, healthcare staffing agencies can concentrate on their primary business goals.
Improved Efficiency: Offshore staffing teams often specialize in niche staffing roles, allowing them to streamline the hiring process and reduce time-to-fill. This can improve your firm’s overall hiring efficiency.
Scalability: An offshore staffing partner allows you to upscale and downscale your staffing processes based on fluctuating needs and seasonal demands.
Key Considerations for Successful Offshore Staffing
Offshoring can be a goldmine of success for any staffing agency looking to streamline their processes, but, before you hop onto the offshoring wagon, it is advisable to conduct customary research on important things, such as:
Partner Selection: Choosing the right offshore staffing partner is crucial. Look for a partner with a proven track record in healthcare staffing, a deep understanding of industry regulations, and a commitment to quality.
Regulatory Adherence: Stay up-to-date with all the healthcare regulations, and ensure that all staffing and employment practices (yours and your prospective staffing partner’s) comply with local and international laws.
Licensing and Credentialing: Verify the licenses and credentials of your offshore healthcare staffing partner to ensure they meet the required standards of practice.
Data Security and Compliance: Healthcare data is highly sensitive. For instance, HIPAA violations can incur fines of up to $50,000 per incident. So, make sure you select a partner with robust data security measures in place to comply with regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA.
Leverage Technology: Does your prospective offshore partner use advanced technology tools for candidate sourcing, screening, onboarding, and other crucial staffing services? Partner with an agency that makes the best out of the technological advancements in the staffing industry and gives you an edge!
Offshore Staffing: Post-onboarding Best Practices
So, you have onboarded an offshore staffing partner after much research and consideration – now what? Merely onboarding an offshore partner isn’t the end of your role.
To ensure optimum results from this partnership, invest time in training your offshore and onshore teams for a fruitful business partnership.
Here’s where you can start:
Cultural Compatibility: Effective communication and collaboration are essential for successful offshore partnerships. Ensure that cultural differences are considered and addressed to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.
Talent Acquisition Strategy: Develop a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy that outlines the specific roles, required qualifications, and desired skill sets of your extended offshore team.
Onboarding and Training: Invest in a thorough onboarding and training program to ensure that the offshore team is equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed.
Performance Management: Establish clear performance expectations and metrics to monitor the performance of offshore staff. Regular performance reviews and feedback are essential.
Quality Assurance: Implement quality assurance measures, regular team catch-ups, and feedback sessions to monitor the performance of your offshore team, and ensure clear communication. Reach an agreement with your offshore partner over these standards before onboarding them.
Continuous Improvement: Make sure your offshore staffing team is open to regular assessment programs and necessary adjustments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your partnership and staffing goals.
IMS People Possible: Your Partner in Offshore Healthcare Staffing
While the healthcare industry faces a critical shortage of specialized professionals, offshore recruitment offers a strategic solution by expanding the talent pool and reducing costs.
IMS People Possible has a proven track record of 18+ years of successfully recruiting specialized healthcare professionals from around the world. Our deep understanding of the industry and extensive global network enables us to identify and attract top talent for even the most challenging roles.
A cornerstone of our service is our unwavering commitment to security and compliance. We understand the sensitive nature of healthcare data, and have implemented rigorous protocols to protect patient information.
Our adherence to regulations like GDPR and HIPAA ensures that your offshore staffing process is conducted with the utmost integrity. Our ISO 27001 certification underscores our commitment to robust information security management systems, ensuring the utmost protection for sensitive data in offshore healthcare recruitment.
Partner with IMS People Possible to unlock the full potential of offshore recruitment, and transform your healthcare workforce.
