Best-in-Class Healthcare Hiring Report

A collage of diverse healthcare individuals

At the American Nurses Enterprise (ANE), we know that the strength of our healthcare system begins with the strength of its workforce. Attracting, supporting, and retaining this essential talent — especially nurses — remains one of the most urgent challenges facing healthcare leaders today.

The nursing shortage continues to strain hospitals and health systems across the country. Without meaningful and sustained action, this gap threatens the quality of care we can provide to the communities we serve.

That’s why American Nurses Enterprise is proud to partner with LinkedIn on this timely, data-driven report. With input from talent leaders nationwide, this research offers a clear-eyed look at the realities of today’s healthcare hiring landscape — and more importantly, it highlights actionable strategies that are working.

Inside, readers will discover how forward-thinking organizations are meeting the moment: investing in nurse well-being, creating pathways for career advancement, and building cultures where clinical talent can thrive. These steps don’t just support individual professionals — they help institutions recruit and retain the people who are vital to patient care.

“At American Nurses Enterprise, we represent the voices of more than 5 million nurses across the country — and we know that strong healthcare systems begin with a resilient, supported workforce. Workforce development remains a top priority for us. This report highlights both the urgency and the opportunity before healthcare leaders: to reimagine how we attract, support, and retain the clinical talent that is vital to delivering high-quality care for all.”

— Jackie Hilton, Chief People and Culture Officer, American Nurses Enterprise

An aging population and rising life expectancy are fueling robust demand for nurses and other clinical talent, even as the broader labor market cools. According to LinkedIn data, healthcare in the U.S. has seen one of the largest increases in labor market tightness over the last six years compared to other industries.

Relief likely won’t come anytime soon. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that healthcare jobs will grow much faster than the average for all occupations with about 1.9 million job openings per year until 2033.

The number of job posts for nurses on LinkedIn has surged in recent months, jumping 14 times between the summer and the fall of 2024. Currently, nurses are the second most in-demand job on LinkedIn.

While fewer nurses are leaving the profession than they were in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic, nursing shortages are expected to remain a problem in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, healthcare organizations are struggling to find allied health professionals — such as radiologic technologists and phlebotomists — to fill open positions, jeopardizing their ability to deliver quality care. LinkedIn InMail messages from recruiters to healthcare workers surged 33% last year, another indication that employers are facing talent shortages.

“Leaders I'm talking to are saying we should have been paying better attention to these allied roles,” says Yvette Hansen, Director of Talent Acquisition and DEIB at Baylor Scott & White Health. “We should have been recruiting for these groups, going to the high schools, and starting at that level five years ago.”

It doesn’t help that the pool of active healthcare job seekers appears to be less than robust, with nearly half (48%) of clinical workers saying that staying in their current job is their top career goal, and 38% of nurses saying the same, according to new LinkedIn survey data. Attrition rates for healthcare workers overall have fallen 32% compared with last year, LinkedIn data shows.

“We have many areas where we have less than one applicant per opening,” says Rachel Hawksworth, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at HCA Healthcare. “There probably won't ever be enough supply to meet the demand unless the educational systems start really expanding and broadening their offerings to get more clinical talent in the pipeline.”

How can healthcare organizations stand out from the crowd? What recruitment strategies are the most effective for sourcing healthcare candidates? How can healthcare employers do a better job addressing burnout and ensure that their top talent remains on board?

To get the answers, LinkedIn surveyed nearly 400 HR professionals, over 400 nurses, and over 100 allied clinical professionals at mid-to-large U.S.-based healthcare organizations. LinkedIn also gathered insights from talent executives at leading healthcare employers across the country and from leaders at the American Nurses Enterprise, which is comprised of three foundational pillars — the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the American Nurses Foundation.

Among our findings: HR pros are significantly underestimating the value of pay in attracting nurses and other clinical talent; successful healthcare recruiting teams are increasingly deploying recruitment technology that streamlines and automates the recruitment process; and nurturing nurses’ innovative side can be a valuable retention tool.

Read on to learn about the latest healthcare hiring trends and best practices for attracting, recruiting, and retaining nurses and other clinical talent.

Given the extremely tight healthcare labor market, healthcare recruiters don’t have much room for error. To rise above the competition, they’ll need a strong handle on what healthcare professionals are looking for these days — and compensation is the clear frontrunner.

Salary ranks as the No.1 most influential factor when considering a job offer for both nurses and other clinical talent, with nine out of ten of both groups citing salary in LinkedIn’s survey. In fact, compensation, as well as other types of practical workplace considerations, like work schedules, commute distance, and benefits packages, are much more important to healthcare job seekers today than less tangible factors like an employer’s workplace culture and its leadership.

Similarly, when deciding to look for a new job, seven out of ten (68%) nurses and 66% of other clinical talent cite better salary and benefits as motivation. Also ranking high on their list are desire for remote work, work-life balance, and scheduling flexibility.

Given high inflation and an uncertain economy, it makes sense that nurses and allied health professionals want a bigger paycheck. But surprisingly HR professionals significantly underestimate the importance of pay: Just 30% say that salary is key to attracting talent.

LinkedIn’s data underscores just how important it is to offer competitive salaries and bonuses. Healthcare recruiters who can’t compete with deep-pocketed rivals on the salary front should go out of their way to explain their organization’s other benefits, such as employer retirement plan contributions, health insurance, and daycare reimbursements.

“It's hard not to focus on the hourly rate, so it’s important to take the time to explain the value of your overall compensation package,” says Brenda Welch, Director of Talent Acquisition at South Shore Health.

But while dollars and cents are important, recruiters should be careful not to overemphasize compensation at the risk of turning off candidates, notes Baylor's Yvette Hansen. Nurses, she adds, might hesitate to accept a job if they believe higher pay comes with significantly heavier workloads or is meant to offset a less than desirable workplace culture.

“It’s a fine line we have to walk,” Yvette says. “While we want the talent and we want to retain the talent, we also want to be respectful and not signal that we’re trying to ‘buy’ someone.”

Also ranking high on the priority lists of nurses and other clinical talent are jobs that offer flexible work schedules and work-life balance, according to LinkedIn’s survey — and forward-thinking healthcare organizations are getting the message.

Mercy, for instance, launched a program that gives nurses the option to choose their own hours and work locations. Modeled after the system used by ride-share companies like Uber, nurses make their selections using an app that lists available shifts and pay rates. The upshot: Nurse staffing at Mercy increased by 20% in two years with a 94% fill rate.

South Shore Health is emphasizing work-life balance in its conversations with candidates. Taking a job at South Shore Health, rather than commuting to Boston to work for notable competitors, could save some nurses a significant amount of commuting time — time they could instead devote to their families and personal lives.

“It’s the value of your time and the value of your health,” Brenda says. “The value of being home to unpack backpacks, get that five-mile run in with your dog, or finish up classes towards your BSN degree. Our job as talent acquisition partners is to articulate this value to our candidates.”

In a complex field like healthcare, recruiters must go above and beyond to understand the roles they are recruiting for. To do so effectively, they should communicate frequently with hiring managers both before and after hiring decisions are made.   

“Talent acquisition partners are expected to have a deep understanding of their client groups, and frequent communication and follow-up with hiring managers,” says Brenda Welch, Director of TA at South Shore Health. “If a new hire struggles, we look back to see what could have been done differently and learn from the experience.

Employee-centric policies will have limited impact on recruiting, unless you raise awareness with powerful, authentic employer branding.

“It’s important for people to know what they’re signing up for,” says Wanda Cole-Frieman, Senior Vice President of Talent Acquisition at CommonSpirit Health. “Especially when they’re not sitting at their computers every day and they’re actually in our hospitals serving our people — we want a really clear, transparent employee value proposition.”

One way to win over nurses and clinical talent is by showcasing authentic employee stories. Baylor features its own people in its ads. In one compelling video, a team member tells the story of his journey from anesthesia tech to nurse leader and how Baylor’s tuition assistance program set him up for success.

“You won't see models in our campaigns,” Yvette says. “Our very own employees are sharing why they came here, why they call this place their home.”

Social media influencers are hardly the first thing that comes to mind when talking about healthcare recruiting. But employers like Baylor are trying it out and are seeing some promising results.

Baylor recently piloted a social media campaign using influencers — including those outside the industry — to flag several job openings. The influencers told their followers they’ve got a list of hot jobs that are worth checking out. About 250 people viewed the open roles and three applied for jobs.

“If those three applications turn into hires,” says Yvette Hansen, Director of TA and DEIB at Baylor Scott & White Health, “this may be a really nice sourcing opportunity for us.”

What are the most effective ways to recruit clinical talent when candidates know they’ve got plenty of employment options, and they aren’t necessarily eager to leave their current job?

To get the answers LinkedIn looked at the habits of highly successful healthcare recruitment teams. The upshot: They’re scaling their impact by focusing on two core areas to address today’s tight healthcare job market.

On the one hand, highly successful healthcare recruiters are building a smarter hiring infrastructure that uses upgraded recruitment technology, including AI-powered tools, to improve the recruitment process and streamline workflows. In addition, they’re using diversified sourcing strategies, such as skills-based hiring, comprehensive referral and internship programs, and internal mobility initiatives.

By improving how they hire and where they find talent, these organizations are creating more robust, inclusive, and future-ready talent pipelines.

At CommonSpirit Health, recruiters use AI tools to write job descriptions and automate other recruiting tasks so they have more time to establish human connections with candidates. “We are pretty bullish on AI,” Wanda says. “Our talent team has been among the first adopters.”

Gen AI-enabled recruitment technology is set to become even more important as the healthcare field continues to advance toward greater specialization. More than two-thirds (67%) of HR pros surveyed by LinkedIn said the nursing and critical roles they need to fill are becoming more specialized. Gen AI features such as personalized outreach and optimized job descriptions can help healthcare recruiters find the right candidates for these highly specialized roles.

LinkedIn research likewise highlights the importance of deploying diverse sourcing strategies to build healthcare talent pools. This includes promoting internal mobility, creating employee referral programs, implementing skills-based hiring initiatives, and offering internship programs.

More than two thirds (67%) of successful healthcare recruiters encourage employees to refer talent, compared to 45% of less successful recruiters.

South Shore Health has had success with an employee referral program in part because of the creative way it gets the word out. During shift changes, partners from the talent acquisition team greet nurses with sweets and swag and encourage them to recommend a friend. Nurse managers also keep the program top of mind in huddles and with frequent reminders at the unit level.

Healthcare organizations are also seeing positive results from building internal talent pipelines. In fact, 24% of successful recruiters focus on building internal talent pipelines, compared to just 10% of their less successful counterparts, LinkedIn data shows.

HCA taps its current workforce to fill open roles. The healthcare company recently launched an upskilling program that offers free training to existing employees so that they can move into new, higher-paying jobs. Patient care technicians, for instance, might train to become RNs. “We’re giving internal talent the opportunity to upskill and advance in their careers,” HCA’s Rachel Hawksworth says.

Offering internships or clinical rotations for students is another key tactic. These programs not only provide valuable experience to students, but also help organizations identify and nurture future talent. Sure enough, 41% of successful recruiters offer internships or clinical rotations, compared to only 15% of less successful recruiters.

Given the fact that nurses are often drawn to organizations that are empathetic and caring — and turned off by those that are not — first impressions are critical. Effective healthcare recruiters are going above and beyond to ensure candidates feel valued, respected, and supported during the recruiting process.

“When you engage with a CommonSpirit recruiter, or a leader, we want you to understand you are locked in with human kindness,” says CommonSpirit Health’s Wanda Cole-Frieman. “I think that’s our uniqueness.”

How are healthcare recruiters bringing kindness into candidate experience? At South Shore Health, recruiters listen closely to what nurses have to say about their current career stage and the challenges they may face juggling work and other priorities. They offer advice and guidance to candidates even if the job isn’t the right fit. Doing these things creates goodwill and a pipeline of people that can be tapped down the line.

“We invest time in speaking with our candidates and getting to hear about their priorities, their struggles,” Brenda says, “why they're leaving the job they have now, what they're looking for to be different in the next place.”

It’s also important to be transparent about job requirements, including having to work night or weekend shifts. Be respectful of candidates’ time, provide frequent updates, and share all the upfront information they need to make their decision.

“We want to make sure that no one ever feels like they’re in a black hole,” Yvette says. “We want to make sure that they feel like they're not only being considered for this job, but any other job that might be a good fit.”

One way HCA is working to fill its talent pipeline is by raising its profile at academic institutions. The goal is to be top of mind not only with nurses and allied health professionals, but also with instructors and administrators. HCA hosts gatherings for students at its hospitals and invites potential future hires to various recruitment events.

 “We’re getting some of our existing nursing talent and other leadership into the schools, colleges, and universities to have some presence and really help grow those relationships,” says Rachel Hawksworth, VP of TA at HCA Healthcare. “That's been a big win.”

The Covid-19 pandemic may have passed, but stress and burnout remain a serious problem for nurses and their colleagues, a reality captured vividly by the hit HBO Max show “The Pitt.” Over the past few years, healthcare employers have been doubling down on retention strategies. What’s working?

Not surprisingly, offering health and wellness programs and fostering a positive culture rank high among the most popular retention tactics used by highly successful healthcare organizations. But employers are also dangling more concrete benefits like performance-based bonuses, access to continuing education, and internal mobility programs.

Some healthcare employers aren’t just using standard retention tools, they’re thinking out of the box too.

Physicians are often encouraged to use their clinical work as a springboard for innovation and invention. Why not support nurses and help them be innovators too?

LinkedIn data shows that nearly 20% of healthcare workers prioritize employers that give them an opportunity to work on innovative projects.

“We know through research that if you work at an organization that allows you, even a couple of hours a pay period, to work on something that you’re passionate about,” says Oriana Beaudet, Vice President of Innovation at American Nurses Enterprise, “those individuals reported higher resilience than their peers.”

For instance, two nurses capitalized on what they learned caring for patients and created SafeSeizure, self-inflating seizure pads that attach to the bedrails of patients who have seizure precaution orders. “Nurses are brilliant — they have practical solutions to real world problems,” Oriana says. “They have amazing ideas on how to improve healthcare.”

ANE supports nursing innovation by sponsoring innovation-related events, and by offering education and aspirational content.

Healthcare employers have good reason to launch innovation programs of their own. The payoff might just be some life-saving products — and loyal nurses committed to remaining at their organization.

Critical to any healthcare employee retention plan is keeping the lines of communication open, talent leaders said.

After the pandemic hit, HCA launched multiple wellness initiatives, such as relaxation rooms where nurses can go to decompress, and access to mental health apps. HCA also instituted a policy called “colleague rounding,” where leaders regularly meet with their direct reports who use the forum to raise issues.

“We've put in a lot of these types of practices where the intent is to get awareness of what the issues might be and address them as quickly as possible,” Rachel says. “I think a lot of that has been working in our favor.”

Baylor conducts listening sessions which have led to several initiatives. After hearing from its employees, the healthcare system decided to launch a mentorship program as well as a career pathing and internal mobility tool.

Likewise, it’s hard to overstate the importance of workplace learning for boosting retention. In fact, 59% of nurses in LinkedIn’s survey say they want access to continuing education to support their career development.

The best healthcare organizations foster a culture of learning where nurses are offered the opportunity to learn at different stages of their careers, says Jennifer Graebe, Senior Director of NCPD and Joint Accreditation Programs at the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

“Learning is not a one-and-done, and it's not a one-size-fits-all,” Jennifer says.  

All too often, hospitals don’t go far enough to accommodate mid-career nurses with sufficient opportunities to pursue upskilling, and this can lead mid-career nurses to leave.  

“There’s evidence to show that mid-career nurses do not feel supported. They feel like all the support is being given to the novice nurses when they're coming in and they're seeing that support fall off after a year or two years,” says Jennifer. 

To help nurses at every stage on their learning journey, healthcare employers need to address two critical pain points, time and money. The good news: More than half (52%) of healthcare organizations already offer financial assistance for continuing education, exceeding the percentage of nurses who say they want tuition support, according to LinkedIn’s survey.

But employers are falling short when it comes to time. While 47% of nurses surveyed said time off or time during working hours was important for their career development, just 17% of organizations are accommodating them.

Can offering AI upskilling opportunities to healthcare professionals improve retention? For now, only about a third of nurses and other clinical talent said they’re actively learning or are planning to learn about AI use cases in healthcare within six months. Nonetheless, about half of both groups believe having an AI skillset will help them stand out in their careers.

That means healthcare organizations should be thinking about offering structured AI training to boost engagement and ensure that their people have the skills they’ll need to care for patients in the future.

These are no doubt challenging times for healthcare recruiters. With demand soaring and supply limited, hiring has never been harder. But with a clear understanding of the unique needs and priorities of healthcare professionals, and the right mix of recruiting strategies, these challenges can be managed effectively.

A good way to stay focused and committed is by thinking about the vital role healthcare recruiters play in the healthcare system. By filling much needed positions, recruiters are helping healthcare organizations serve their communities and ultimately save lives.

“Yes, healthcare recruitment is challenging, but what a privilege it is,” says South Shore Health's Brenda Welch. “I feel incredibly lucky to be doing this work and meeting the people that I meet every day. I think my team feels the same way. We authentically care about the people that are here and the people that are thinking of working here. And that's really what it's all about.”

Platform insights for this report were derived from the billions of data points generated by the 1 billion members in over 200 countries on LinkedIn today.

Most in-demand jobs are based on global LinkedIn data on all premium job posts from October 1, 2024, up to and including March 31, 2025. The most in-demand jobs are those with the highest number of job posts in the most recent quarter (January 1 – March 31, 2025). The jobs with the fastest-growing demand are those with the greatest growth rate, with growth rate calculated by the share of job posts in the most recent quarter relative to the previous quarter (October 1 – December 31, 2024). Roles with fewer than 1,000 job posts in either quarter and roles for which the majority of job posts come from a single company were excluded from this analysis.

To calculate year-over-year change in recruiter outreach, we compared the total InMails sent in October 2024 against October 2023 and the volume of paid job posts for recruiters on LinkedIn in September 2024 against September 2023. Job functions are determined by the role the member held at the time of receiving the recruiter-sent InMail.

Platform insights of candidate priorities are derived from LinkedIn’s Talent Drivers survey data from January 2025, and compares the responses of over 800 healthcare workers against the responses of all other candidates in the same timeframe.

We've calculated attrition rate as the Sum of L12M Departures divided by Average Headcount in the L12M (i.e. the headcount at the beginning of the given year plus the headcount at the end of the given year divided by 2) for full-time employees. We excluded companies with less than headcount of 15 or attrition rates of over 50% (small companies).

The American Nurses Enterprise champions nurses by harnessing The Power of Nurses™ to drive transformation and innovation across the healthcare landscape. As the unifying force behind three foundational pillars — the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the American Nurses Foundation — the enterprise sets the professional standards that empower nurse-led innovation, advocacy, and research. By uniting these core organizations, the enterprise advances the nursing profession and shapes a healthier future for communities nationwide and around the globe.

Oriana Beaudet at American Nurses Enterprise
Jennifer Graebe at American Nurses Credentialing Center

Anatomy of best-in-class healthcare hiring

Foreword

Addressing symptoms is at the core of what healthcare organizations do — but today, healthcare employers are facing troubling symptoms of their own.

The remedies every healthcare org needs to ease the talent shortage

Prescription for recruiting elusive healthcare candidates

A care plan for retaining healthcare employees

Final thoughts: A challenge and a privilege

Ready for more?

Read methodology & acknowledgments

Survey data

LinkedIn platform insights

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the American Nurses Enterprise

Editorial and production

Survey research

Platform insights