Only two lab companies in the United States currently tap social networking to meet their med tech staffing needs

Everyone in the clinical laboratory testing industry knows that there is an acute shortage of medical technologists (MTs) and clinical laboratory scientists (CLSs). But laboratory professionals may be astonished to learn that their MT recruiting programs consistently fail to hire adequate numbers of MTs and CLSs because they nearly always advertise and recruit in the wrong places!

This is one of the best-kept secrets in med tech recruiting. That’s the opinion of Peggy McKee, CEO and Recruiter of PHC Consulting in Celina, Texas. She’s got surprising advice for clinical lab managers who struggle to recruit and retain enough med techs to keep their lab fully staffed at authorized levels.

Peggy McKee, CEO and Recruiter, PHC Consulting

Each Month, Lots of Med Techs Go Looking For a New Job

“Every month, a large number of med techs are looking for new employment opportunities—even if they currently have a job,” said McKee. “Your problem is that they never learn about your lab’s job openings. Your lab can’t hire them if they don’t know your lab is looking for help!”

There is an obvious communication disconnect between labs in the hiring mode and med techs looking for new job opportunities. McKee blames this disconnect to outmoded thinking by human resource departments. “Let me guess,” declared McKee. “I’ll bet that every month—like clockwork—your laboratory does a mix of three things to advertise job openings.

“First, it runs classified ads in the local newspaper,” she noted. “It may also use www.craigslist.com to reach med techs in your community.

“Second, your human resource department may advertise in the lab industry magazines. Every issue of Advance, CLN, CLP, CAP Today, MLO, and other well-read magazines contains help wanted ads on the back pages,” explained McKee.

“Third, your lab may pay recruiters or use temporary employment agency services to locate med techs looking for work,” she continued. “Of course, these are the most expensive ways to recruit and hire med techs.”

Labs Recruit Med Techs with 1990s-Era Help Wanted Advertisements

“Now, back in 1990, these were tried-and-true med tech recruiting approaches,” explained McKee. “Your long-serving human resource managers did quite well with these advertising and recruiting methods.

“But it’s now 20 years later and—guess what! In 2010, the med techs you want to recruit are surfing Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and similar social networking sites,” explained McKee. “They are bookmarking favorite sites and sharing them with their friends and colleagues at work.

“Are they in the lunch room reading the lab magazines where your lab’s help wanted advertisement is printed? Probably not, because they are texting each other in real time with trade gossip and the latest news about other labs in their community,” she stated.

“Your lab would be much more successful at recruiting, hiring, and retaining medical technologists if it started placing its message in the digital social networking websites where today’s med techs look for information and communicate with their peers,” advised McKee.

ARUP Laboratories Uses Social Networking to Recruit Med Techs

“Don’t feel bad about missing this major trend,” she added. “Today, if you were to google search terms like ‘medical laboratory + facebook,” you’ll probably get a listing for ARUP Laboratories of Salt Lake City, as well as a listing for Abbott Laboratories’ Labs Are Vital page. But that’s about it! Just two laboratory organizations have put their med tech recruitment messages into the social networking mix where search engines like Google can find them.

“Now you can understand why the 1990s-era med tech recruiting program used by your human resources department is not robust enough to recruit all the top med tech talent required by your laboratory in 2010,” she noted. “It’s time for your lab to begin using social networking websites to publicize its med tech job openings.

For clinical laboratory managers and HR directors interested to learn more about the most effective medical technologist recruitment, hiring, and retention strategies, Peggy McKee will conduct a special 90-minute audio conference on Tuesday, November 16 at 1 p.m. Eastern. It is titled “Solve Your Lab’s Med Tech Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention Problem Now!”.

There is still time to register and participate in this information-packed audio conference on medical technologist recruitment, presented by The Dark Report. You can check out the topics and full agenda.

Use this audio conference to get everything you need to achieve 100% staffing in your hospital laboratory. And don’t forget the question-and-answer session that allows you and your colleagues to pose your specific questions to this experienced med tech recruiter. This direct access will help you get advice and insight that’s tailored to the unique needs of your laboratory. You can register here.

Seize this opportunity to turbo-charge your lab’s medical technologist recruiting program. Learn how to get your lab front and center in the social networking sites visited most often by med techs ready to change labs and looking for the best employment offerings. So don’t wait! Reserve your “seat” today for this very special program.

Related Information:

PS: In the October issue of CAP Today, Peggy McKee is featured on a front page story. The story is based on McKee’s high-energy workshop at the 15th Annual Executive War College on Lab and Pathology Management last May in New Orleans!    She’s featured on the front page in a story about her med-tech recruiting strategies titled “Social media in labs—hook, line, and sinker.” After reading this story, be sure to register to hear her at the November 16 Dark Report audio conference.