When I check in with our recruiters, the best insights aren’t in dashboards, they’re in the stories. AI and new sourcing tools are changing the mechanics of our work, but the tougher, real-time challenges are human: shifting employer risk tolerance, candidate expectations shaped by the pandemic, and hiring processes that either speed things forward or stall them completely.
As Director of Recruiter Training at HCRI I have the opportunity to spend time with many recruiters each week across the many areas of healthcare we serve. I recently sat down with several of our recruiters to ask: What are you seeing right now? What’s surprising you? What’s helping you succeed?
Here are three lessons that stood out:
1. Closing the Gap Between Hiring Managers and Candidates
Advice from Stephen Jacobs, senior management and executive-level searches for Medical Device, Biopharma, and Health Technology companies.
Stephen captured the swirl of external forces affecting hiring today: “Our slow recovery from the COVID pandemic, another divisive political race, concerns on the effects of tariffs, a Fed which can’t seem to align with other central banks, concerns of inflation risks ready to pounce are all playing a role on how employers approach their hiring activities.”
I hear that in client conversations every week. The effect is predictable: many employers are not expanding; they are backfilling essential roles or adding personnel incrementally. Stephen expands on a trend we’re seeing across healthcare: “We have seen an increase in contractor and consultant activity as a means of addressing critical work needs while mitigating the costs and risks of bringing on additional full-time employees.”
Where recruiters add immediate value is by narrowing the expectation gap. Stephen warns of a growing “disqualification” bias: employers increasingly ask questions aimed at uncovering faults rather than identifying positive contributions. Meanwhile, many candidates are “tire-kickers” — employed, selective, and seeking pandemic-era flexibility and compensation that often no longer exists. Our advice for hiring managers is practical:
- Challenge overreaching job requirements
- Ensure transparent compensation conversations early
- Communicate remote-work policies up front
- Streamline processes that unnecessarily lengthen time-to-fill
2. Don’t Make Matching Assumptions Based on Salary History
Advice from Michael DeRogatis, diagnostic recruiting and clinical instrument sales recruiting specialist.
Diagnostic recruiting and clinical instrument sales specialist, Michael DeRogatis’ example is a simple but powerful reminder about human nuance. He tells it plainly: “After reviewing her salary history and comparing it to what my client was offering, I initially thought we might be too far apart — about a $10K difference. I asked her for her lowest acceptable number and told her I’d circle back after speaking with HR. Once HR reviewed her assessment results and impressive background, they decided to meet her at her middle number and immediately wanted to schedule a Teams interview.”
The lesson is: salary is data, not destiny. In practice this means we need to pick up the phone more often and ask the questions that reveal motive and fit. Candidates consider culture, leadership, growth opportunity, and work-life tradeoffs — not just pay. When we present only a spreadsheet, we miss the full story. The recruiters who win today synthesize qualitative insights and quantitative data so hiring teams can make confident, holistic decisions. If your recruiter isn’t doing this for you, now might be the time to give us a call.
3. Remember You’re Not Running a Race
Advice from Stephen Jared, full healthcare spectrum – medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, home health, hospice, dental, and more.
Stephen shared a recent case that shows the pay-off of patience: “At the end of June, 2025, I reached out to a candidate regarding a new search. She was interested but she couldn’t start till late September. It would’ve been easy to agree the timing was bad. However, after considering the length of the average interview process, and a two-week notice to a current employer, I decided to submit this person with everyone’s understanding that she couldn’t start until late September.”
“Additionally, the client was very strict on their hiring requirements (education, experience in the role, management experience years). After discussions with the client that this would limit the market based on their requirements, the client agreed to look at candidates that weren’t an exact match. After a period of give and take with all parties, the candidate was hired.”
This scenario highlights a fundamental tension. Our market celebrates speed, but speed without strategy can cost long-term value. I tell our team: stay engaged, but be strategic about pacing. Of course if we can fill the position with the right fit in days, do it! We know the cost of an unfilled role is high. But, sometimes the smartest move is to slow down long enough to get the right person in front of the right stakeholders. That builds trust with your candidate and leads to better retention – a real metric that matters.
What to Do Now: Practical Guidance for Hiring Managers
Based on my recent conversations with our broad team of healthcare recruiters, here is a practical list of what hiring managers can do right now to shorten time-to-hire, improve candidate fit, and protect long-term retention. It doesn’t get any better than frontline recruiter experience:
10 Ways to Shorten Time-to-Hire & Protect Retention
- Prioritize impact over perfection
- Ask: What must this person deliver in the first 6–12 months?
- Action: Convert long wish lists into 2–3 non-negotiable outcomes; treat remaining requirements as “nice to have.”
- Simplify and accelerate the process
- Ask: Which interview steps add real decision value?
- Action: Remove redundant interviews, consolidate stakeholders into panel interviews, and set and communicate clear timeline expectations for each stage.
- Be transparent up front
- Ask: What will we actually offer in terms of pay, benefits, and flexibility?
- Action: Share compensation bands, remote/hybrid policy, and decision cadence on the first substantive recruiter-candidate call.
- Reassess rigid requirement filters
- Ask: Are strict checkboxes (years, exact degrees) excluding strong, adaptable talent?
- Action: Consider competency or outcome-based assessments instead of strict pedigree cutoffs.
- Treat salary history as context, not disqualification
- Ask: What motivates this candidate beyond pay?
- Action: Have recruiters surface career drivers and present a rounded profile rather than relying on salary as a gate.
- Use contingent staffing strategically
- Ask: Could contractors or consultants meet immediate needs while reducing risk?
- Action: Build a short-term contingent plan with a clear path to permanent hire if the fit proves right.
- Coach interviewers to evaluate potential, not just past data
- Ask: How will this candidate grow into the role and the organization?
- Action: Provide behavioral interview guides focused on learning agility, leadership, and problem-solving.
- Partner with recruiters as workforce advisors
- Ask: Are we using our recruiting partner only to fill roles or to shape hiring strategy?
- Action: Invite recruiters into workforce planning meetings—use their market intelligence on talent availability and realistic timelines.
- Balance urgency with patience
- Ask: Is speed the right priority, or will quality and retention matter more?
- Action: When appropriate, accept longer lead times to secure higher quality hires and coach stakeholders on the ROI of patience.
- Measure what matters
- Ask: Which hiring metrics reflect long-term success?
- Action: Track time to impact, retention at 12 months, and hiring manager satisfaction alongside time to fill.
Final Thought
Hiring in healthcare right now is a real-time balancing act between urgency and discernment. Technology gives us reach; judgment and relationships win the outcome. I’m grateful to Stephen, Michael, and Stephen and our broader team for sharing these front-line stories — they remind us that recruitment is at once tactical and deeply human.
If you want to discuss how HCRI can partner on a search, or to hear more field stories from our recruiters, reach out – we’re actively working through these dynamics with clients of all sizes, from Fortune 500s to start-ups to small businesses.
