A recent report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states, “Healthcare occupations and industries are expected to have the fastest employment growth and to add the most jobs between 2014 and 2024 …”

Here’s what the BLS knows. As the boomers continue to head into retirement, the population continues to age, more people have access to care through the Affordable Care Act, and community healthcare becomes more popular, the need for qualified healthcare staff will increase.

Checkster culled the literature to discover these and other healthcare recruiting trends for 2016. What follows are the top 9 we noticed in our findings.

1. Increased Reliance on Technology

Healthecareers.com, predicts the need for healthcare talent, especially nurses and physicians, will cause recruiters to embrace technology like never before. Digital marketing efforts and social media will top the list, but use of interviewing software will increase as well.

Technological advances will also affect the talent needs of the healthcare industry. For example, as facilities adopt more technological advances, more technologists will be needed to operate and maintain the equipment.

2. Specialists Will Grow Their Ranks

When Monster.com surveyed healthcare executives, they predicted a coming increase in the number of physical therapists (and other allied health professionals) to accomodate an aging population as well as genetic counselors.

3. More Physicians Will Eschew Private Practice for Hospital Work

Health Career Center (formerly AHACareerCenter.org), the career board for the American Hospital Association, predicts more physicians will continue to seek work in hospitals, versus going into private practice. The nonprofit attributes this trend to several factors, including changes in lifestyle, lack of interest in starting/maintaining a business, and increased regulation. According to an AHA health forum, physician employment in hospitals has increased by more than 54% since 2000.

4. Turnover Will Rise in the C-Suite

Health Career Center also predicts continued turnover in the C-Suite as hospital administrators succumb to pressures to provide greater access to healthcare for more competitive costs.

5. Physicians Will Assume More Leadership Positions

Hospitals will seek more physicians, versus traditional “business people,” for senior leadership positions. As Health Career Center put it,“it’s critical that hospitals develop a new wave of physician leaders as business partners on the journey to becoming a successful accountable care organization.”

6. RNs Will Remain in Demand

Award-winning healthcare publisher HealthLeaders Media predicts RNs will continue to be in demand. Older nurses are retiring, and physicians are working fewer hours, whether by choice or by state mandate or as hospitals attempt to control costs.

7. Population Health Will Continue to Have an Impact

HealthLeaders Media predicts that as population health (also called community or public health) becomes more of a priority, healthcare organizations will hire more and different types of workers, such as data analysts, case managers, and patient advocates.

8. Patient Satisfaction Will Be Paramount

The consumerism movement will cause healthcare providers to focus more strongly on patient satisfaction. In an article for HealthLeaders Media, Susan Salka of AMN Healthcare Services, Inc., a healthcare staffing and recruitment firm, was quoted as saying that clinicians with excellent soft skills will be hired first.  

9. The Number of HR Opportunities Will Expand

HealthLeaders Media has one more final prediction. As healthcare positions increase overall, more HR professionals will be needed to help hire and manage the new employees.

Do you have any trends to add to this list?