As the Associate Director of Healthcare Recruitment and Marketing (HRMO), I like to calibrate our communication efforts every so often to enhance the health care job seeker’s chances of landing that job with VA. As I access where we’ve been in 2014 in providing advice, guidance and career opportunities for health care providers, I can tell you that it’s hard for me to control my enthusiasm regarding the job search assistance VA has in store for you in 2015.
The overall objective of VA Careers is to provide marketing and advertising services to create a greater awareness and knowledge of VHA and to drive qualified candidates to VACareers.va.gov. Our target audience includes:
• Top Critical Occupations (outlined in VHA Workforce Succession Strategic Plan)
• Professional doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other medical specialists
• Nurse Executives
• College students and recent graduates
• Veterans and transitioning military
• Diverse groups including: Hispanic, African American, Asian-American, Native
American, Disabled, Women, Multi-generational, LGBT
• Rural markets
To reach these audiences, VA Careers will increase its social media, direct contact and presence at national events.
Social Media: VHA Healthcare Recruitment and Marketing (HRM) social media marketing is creating a positive “buzz” among health care job seekers in 2014. Utilizing both proven and emerging social media technology and strategic messaging in all social media content, HRM continues to attract new and repeat visitors to VA Careers web site. Top achievements in social media marketing and branding include:
• Overall website traffic up 31%
• (emails) traffic up 26% (TACLVA)
• USAjobs.com (Job Board) traffic up 59%
• Nurse. (Job Board) traffic up 13%
• (Job Board) traffic up 34%
• (Banners) traffic up 2200% with an increase in direct traffic of 12% (tied directly to www.VAcareers.va.gov) and search traffic up 3% (from Search Engines like google, yahoo, etc.)
• Email (Job Alerts) traffic increased by 25%
- Twitter traffic increased by 48%
• LinkedIn traffic increased by 189%
HMO’s FY15 social media plan will explore mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which health care job seekers, current employees and health care communities. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, VA Careers will increase engagement, reach and followers using other social media platforms, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Google + and TweetMyJobs. VHA Recruitment Twitter Chats are now scheduled monthly.
Direct Contact:
Email Outreach: In 2014, targeted emails reached over 155,000 nurse executives and managers and 9,000 pharmacists. In 2015, networking and stakeholder relationship building efforts with health care associations will increase our reach to over 200,000 nurse executives and managers and over 1,200 pharmacists.
Take A Closer Look: The Take a Closer Look at VA (TACLVA) Program is having a positive impact on VHA health care recruitment efforts. Since its implementation TACLVA has generated 455 employment leads (includes 123 Doctors of Medicine (MDs) and 286 other healthcare providers). These are new leads, never before messaged. Future TACLVA best practices in health care recruitment include continued outreach via quarterly e-mails, blogs & social media; Take A Closer Look VA Twitter Chat scheduled for 4/16/15 & 9/17/15; updating of VHA HPT list at GovDelivery every 6 months to capture new trainees coming into the system.
Events: National health care conferences and events are prime opportunities for potential health care candidates to touch base with VA representatives. Whether interested health care providers are attending the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress or the in March 2015 or the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2015 Annual Meeting in May, they can touch base with VA Careers either through Twitter or by direct contact with a VHA National Recruitment Consultant to learn about vacancies in VA and how to apply. The VA Careers calendar of events can be found at http://www.vacareers.va.gov/events/index.asp
HRMO is committed to providing qualified health care candidates with the information and guidance they need to find employment at VA. From the application process to onboarding, HRMO is here to help. Be sure to visit our National Healthcare Recruiters or Veterans Regional Reps for further information and assistance.
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