Difficulties Hiring CLIA Lab Professionals

Healthcare today is highly complex. It provides diagnosis and is also essential to the treatment and management of diseases. 

Laboratory medicine is particularly important in modern healthcare, providing vital information for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of health and diseases.  

Not surprisingly, today’s complex healthcare and innovative technology are outpacing the number of trained professionals in the United States, leading to a high number of job vacancies. It is estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website that the average job vacancy rate is 7.2% for the 17 laboratory departments identified in the 2016-2017 ASCP vacancy survey. Additionally, the increase in demand/growth rate for medical and clinical laboratory personnel is estimated to be approximately 22% between the years 2016 to 2026.

With the projected demand for medical laboratory professionals and the current high vacancy rates, the profession is suffering from a workforce shortage that is approaching crisis levels. We are seeing these changes due to four major factors:

1. Baby Boomers retiring
2. limited supply of trained professionals
3. Thriving economy
4. Innovative technology, forever changing

Hard to fill roles in today’s market:

1. Molecular Geneticists (Ph.D. Level)
2. Molecular Pathologists
3. Molecular Pathologists dual boarded in Hematopathology
4. Molecular Geneticists with a Medical Degree
5. Genetic Counselors
1. Prenatal
2. Oncology
6. Medical Science Liaisons
7. Bioinformatics Scientist (Ph.D. Level)

Our economy is thriving! We are in a candidate-driven market with record highs in economic growth. Therefore, if you are using the same process you did in 2010, during the depressive economy, you will fail miserably. In today’s economy, which favors candidates, you must adjust your processes to reflect it by prioritizing time management, proficiency, and awareness.

Our recommendations to seamlessly transition your process and hire effectively and efficiently is as follows:

1. Shorten your hiring process. In other words, drop the phone screen and go straight to a face-to-face interview.
2. Decision-makers need to be involved from start to finish. This adds significant credibility!
3. Create a scorecard (we can help you do this). If your candidate checks all the boxes, hire them on the spot!
4. Understand compensation. 
   1. Industry Standards - Be careful because if your ideal candidate is making more than the average, they are not going to make a change for less money or make a lateral move. Identify this early on.
   2. Local companies can anticipate a ^10% increase in salary and ^20% if relocation is necessary.
5. If all else fails, have a “Plan B” in place. Don’t lose sight of your #2 candidate. You never know what might happen.
6. Don’t tie up HR! Let your department heads and hiring managers build relationships with candidates throughout your process. Again, this adds tremendous credibility.
7. Lastly, partner with a reputable recruiter. The right recruiting firm can play a critical role in finding the best candidate in a tight labor market.

Contact us by visiting our website or calling 864-528-5025 to learn more about our process and service offering.