Employee referral programs are a valuable asset, and every healthcare organization should be tapping into them right now. With the competitive market for nurses and the shallow pool of candidates to choose from, tapping into the power of nursing candidate referrals among your staff offers more than you may even begin to realize. 

When your employees are involved in the hiring process through the referral program, there’s a certain amount of investment on their part. They want someone who is a good fit with the rest of the team and, in turn, the candidate is familiar with the needs of the healthcare organization as well as the workplace culture. The result is a strong candidate pool and streamlined hiring process with a higher possibility of retention. That sounds like a win-win, right?

As healthcare organizations face difficulties in finding qualified RNs, LPNs, and CNAs, recruiters must get creative. But, there’s a great resource in your current staff, and it’s right there under your nose. Let’s take a look at the ways your healthcare organization can tap into the power of nursing candidate referrals and get the most out of this strong and effective tool.

If your healthcare organization already has an employee referral program in place, congratulations. Are you tapping into the power of your nursing candidate referrals through your program? If not, here are some overall statistics about these programs and how beneficial they are for recruiting and retaining staff. Keep in mind these statistics are overall and not healthcare-specific.

• New hires from employee referral programs, on average, start sooner than other hires. The average turnaround time for career site new hires is 55 days, job boards’ hires begin around 39 days after the initial interview, but employee referral hires begin their job roughly 29 days after the initial interview. 
• Staff who’ve come to you through employee referrals typically move much faster through the training and onboarding process. 
• Candidates who come to you through referral programs tend to be hired 3-4 times more often than other candidates.
• Employees hired through the referral program have a retention rate of nearly 50%, while those who are hired through other means have a 33% retention rate.
• Referral programs are cost-effective in so many ways. From the recruiting process all the way to onboarding and training, along with the fact these hires are more likely to stay, employee referral programs save healthcare organizations a good bit of the recruiting budget.

Because the healthcare organizations’ employee referral program involves the entire nursing team, there’s a great understanding of the qualifications and skills, both hard and soft, necessary for the job. There’s also a better understanding of the culture and mission of the healthcare facility. And your nursing team has a vested interest in who you hire so you can trust their nursing candidate referrals. 

The nursing candidate referrals that come through your staff are already familiar with your culture, warts, and all. They get the type of patient care you undertake and expect, the shift requirements, and any other tidbits their friends may pass on. There’s a ready-made support and mentorship structure. Because of their intimate, first-hand knowledge of your day-to-day operations, the candidate who comes to you via referral is more likely to fit in and stay. 

To sum up the benefits of an employee nursing candidate referral program:

• Add quality candidates to your pool
• Improve morale through nursing staff engagement
• Speed up the hiring process
• Improve onboarding and training time
• More cost-efficient
• Result in better-qualified nursing candidates

Because your healthcare organization is improving the overall morale of your nursing staff through the employee referral program, it creates an atmosphere of job satisfaction. That translates into excellence in patient care. It also makes current nursing staff more likely to stay. 

Now that you understand the power of nursing candidate referrals that come through your nursing staff, you need to delve into what makes a successful employee referral program. As we mentioned, nursing candidate referral programs are more crucial now than ever before. The current nursing shortage and high patient census and care requirements mean tapping into the power of nursing candidate referrals by optimizing your employee referral program. 

A quality referral program must be streamlined and transparent to attract your current nurses’ involvement. Nurses would be able to easily embrace the program, refer their nursing candidates without difficulty, and track the referral’s status as they move through the process. 

Moreover, HR and the recruiting office need to ensure the referring nurse is kept apprised of the process through open communication and regular updates. This motivates other staff members to get involved with the referral program and ensures ongoing participation. Employee interest and ease of the process are key to the success of your nursing candidate referral program. 

So why do employee nursing candidate referral programs, when implemented correctly, work so well? Because your current nursing staff has existing peer networks already in place, and they refer qualified potential new hires. That leads to a better fit, improved patient care and job performance, and longevity. 

Creating an effective program and tapping into the power of nursing candidate referrals requires strategizing and careful planning. There are a few areas that demand special attention in order to implement or grow your current program. Here we break down the keys to a successful nursing candidate referral program.

Set Clear Guidelines for Your Program

A successful program begins with clear guidelines, communicated effectively so everyone understands. Define who qualifies for the program, what those qualifications entail, and what bonuses and awards are to be expected. 

• Define Eligible Employees: Define which employees are eligible to refer nursing candidates as part of your program. You’ll likely get more referrals if you open the eligibility to the entire organization. However, you’ll get more qualified referrals if you keep nursing referrals to just your RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. 
• Communicate Your Instructions Clearly and Concisely: Be specific when setting out the guidelines for the nursing candidate referral program. Make the process as straightforward as possible and include necessary forms. 
• Create an Outline for Expectations: List your expectations for the nursing candidate as well as the referring staff member.

Offer Enticing and Creative Bonuses

Not all employees engage when you offer a pittance of a bonus. That’s not to say all bonuses must be monetary. There are other perks you can offer to incentivize employees to participate in your referral program. These include:

• Cash Bonus: Monetary rewards are still the most effective way to bring referrals from your nursing staff. However, make it worth their while. 
• Additional Rewards: You can also encourage your staff through PTO, gift cards, and even professional development rewards. 
• Tiered Bonuses: Gage your rewards to the position you wish to fill. The more difficult the position, or the higher up the ‘food chain,’ the bigger the bonus. You may also reward the referring employee when their nursing candidate achieves a certain milestone for performance. 

These are simply some of the examples of referral bonus structures. You can get creative specific to your organization or area in which you are located. For example, you could offer tickets to local sporting events, museums, family fun venues, local entertainment venues, spa days, weekend trips, and so on. 

Be Sure to Promote Your Nursing Candidate Referrals Program

Tout your program, making sure your nursing staff knows about this exciting opportunity. Start a campaign that promotes the program’s many benefits to the referring nurse and the overall healthcare organization. Here are some ways you can create a buzz.

• Team Meetings: Set aside time to explain your nursing candidate referrals program to your nursing staff. Call a special team meeting just for that purpose and leave time for Q&A. That way you know how well your staff understands the program and its benefits.
• Banners, Flyers, QR Codes, Badges: Depending on the size of your facility or organization, you can put up banners announcing the kick-off of your program, flyers with QR codes that take your staff to the website explaining the nursing candidate referral program in more detail, and ask your senior staff to don a button or badge that creates interest such as  “Ask Me About The Referral Program.”
• Email Campaigns and Newsletters: Send out reminders via email and include the program in your organization’s newsletters. 

Forge Community Among Your Nursing Staff

You can utilize your nursing candidate referrals program to forge community and build a positive workplace culture. Sometimes, a candidate’s decision comes down to just that; “is this a workplace culture in which I can thrive?” A supportive and collaborative community offers support to new nursing hires, especially when they are one of “their own.” How do you do that? Here are some ideas.

• Communication: Open communication is essential to establish a positive workplace culture. Encourage engagement and feedback to create a sense of belonging to the community.
• Be Inclusive: Promote your inclusivity so that all staff members feel respected and seen.
• Planned Activities: Get the team together outside of the workplace so they can relax and get to know one another. The healthcare workplace is often stressful and fast-paced. There usually isn’t much time to build friendships among staff. Plan monthly or quarterly dinners or get-togethers. These events go a long way toward forging community and creating a supportive workplace culture.

After The Hire

Keep the ball rolling with recent hires. Those employees who came to you through nursing candidate referrals and have had a positive onboarding experience are typically pretty enthusiastic about it. Plug into their enthusiasm and let them know they are a valuable asset to your healthcare organization. They’re likely to get involved in your employee referral program and share their positive experience with others. Here are some ways you can make their onboarding experience a positive one.

• Mentorship Programs: If your healthcare organization doesn’t already have an established mentorship program for nurses, implement one. By pairing your newest hires with established nurses, you create a relationship of support and guidance. And your new nurse adapts better. 
• Check-In Regularly with Your Newest Member of The Team: Schedule regular meetings with your newest hires to find out how they are adapting. Encourage their immediate supervisors to do the same. Especially in the first 90 days. 
• Listen: Listening to your nursing staff is crucial not only for new hires but for established staff as well. You can’t get in front of problems that you don’t see coming. Be sure to encourage feedback and address any issues as promptly as possible. 

Implementing an employee referral program is a tremendous way to attract qualified nursing staff. When you leverage the in-place networks maintained by your current nursing staff, you have a trusted pool of potential new hires. Your program helps streamline your hiring process, speed up your onboarding, and improve retention rates. 

Involving your current staff in the recruiting process also helps them feel invested in the workplace, which helps to build a workplace of supportive nurses. 

Make sure to follow our suggestions for a successful program for nursing candidate referrals. Structure an attractive bonus plan, promote your program to nursing staff, and be clear and intentional when communicating the program’s guidelines. 

For more on how you can begin tapping into the power of nursing candidate referrals please reach out to BOS Medical Staffing.