Hiring Mental Health Therapist and Counselors in today’s competitive market requires strategies that stand out to attract and retain top talent. You need top talent to make your business run well and deliver the patient outcomes that matter. But you may not be able to afford the top pay rates other businesses can offer. We hear this every day from good businesses, and luckily, salary is not the only deciding factor.
I’ve put together some effective ways employers can enhance their job offer appeal to secure the best Mental Health talent. They are things I advise my clients on regularly. I hope you’ll enjoy them and let me know what you think. Some clients can use all seven of them – others find just a handful make all the difference.
- Competitive Compensation – Beyond a Salary
Yes, of course the pay rate or salary does matter. You need to be competitive with the local market. With the tools we subscribe to at Healthcare Recruiters International, our team can help you research to see exactly what others are paying in your area and find your sweet spot. Beyond a salary, hiring managers can look at sign-on bonuses. Often, one-time payouts are more palatable for leadership than a higher base salary that hits their P&L monthly. You can also consider tuition reimbursement. LMFT, LPC, LCSW, and LP often have significant student debt, so offering loan repayment assistance or tuition reimbursement can be a huge draw.
- Think Outside the Box for Growth Opportunities
Providing growth opportunities is a must for an enticing employer. Growth opportunity support could look like reimbursement or stipends for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or funding for training like new clinical skills and evidence-based modalities (think EMDR or DBT); crisis and risk management; Or care for specialized populations. An employee who is excited to learn and grow alongside your business is more likely to stay and more likely to bring more value to your business as well. You can also consider leadership or managerial training to help them grow as a people leader. These can be within healthcare context or broader professional development training like emotional intelligence.
- Enhance Traditional Benefits
Scheduling flexibility and wellness are benefits that have been growing over time across many organizations. You can make your organization stand out with documented policies to empower a healthy work life balance – and include it in your job description! This could look like allowing part time or flexible schedules and a robust health insurance and wellness package. Also consider even relocation assistance: If you find the right long-term talent you don’t want to lose them just because they can’t afford the move.
- Offer Creative Perks
Benefits include more than top end at health insurance and 401Ks. If you don’t offer health benefits, a health benefit stipend is a great option. We find a lot of our clients differentiate themselves by leaning into something that their leaders or team really care about that will add value for their employees. For example, pet insurance, childcare assistance or paid sabbaticals can make your job offer stand out. Is telehealth an option? Consider incorporating X hours per week of remote work as a benefit where it’s possible. Community building can also be key: Some employers will take team time away from the office at a set cadence to give back to the community or cause that matters to them. Don’t forget to include all of these creative perks in your job offer conversation and paperwork.
- Improve Your BH Team Work Environment
This might be the toughest one to talk about because everyone is out there doing their best every day. But its important and can’t be swept under the rug. You can feature your work environment in your job description but if it’s not genuinely a great place to work, you’ll find out fast with employee attrition. Things you can consider examining include:
- Caseloads: Ensure a reasonable patient-to-therapist ratio to avoid burnout.
- Collaborative Culture: Build a supportive and collegial atmosphere where therapists feel valued.
- If you have a Supervisor on your team, offering clinical supervision to Associate staff is a valuable perk.
- Showcase your Mission and Values
You began working in healthcare for a reason. So did your future PT hire. If you have formally documented mission, values and a why we’re here story – fantastic. Start there. If not, share your story! Talk about how your new Mental Health Therapist will be able to make a different in lives of their patients. And showcase your organization’s involvement in meaningful community outreach or charity programs.
- Streamline the Hiring Process
60% of candidates across industries report having a bad experience during the hiring process. Wow! At Healthcare Recruiter International, we make sure are candidates don’t ever feel that way – but we need you to help us! Be responsive. Fast track the interview and job offer process. At the end of the day, you’ll be pleased that you snagged that new hire before your competitor!
Incorporating What Will Make You Stand Out
If you’re like my clients, you probably had several great ideas come to mind after reading this list. You know innately what makes your business different. Now, it’s time to share that story. Work with a specialized behavioral health recruiter to craft the job description that will represent your role both in the specific job requirements and also what your business stands for and the benefits of working for you.
If you’d like to talk about how to differentiate your organization in today’s competitive market, please complete our contact form or reach out to me directly on LinkedIn.
