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How do you attract new staff in a tight labor market?

Stéphanie van Rosmalen ·
Verpleegkundige in scrubs staat bedachtzaam in een lichte ziekenhuisgang, met collega's op de achtergrond.

Attracting new staff during a staffing shortage starts with taking an honest look at what sets your organization apart as an employer. Care organizations that succeed in recruiting new employees typically combine a strong employer brand with concrete improvements in workload and job satisfaction. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about recruiting, retaining, and smartly managing staffing shortages in healthcare.

Why is recruiting in healthcare so difficult?

Recruiting in healthcare is so difficult because demand for care staff is structurally growing faster than supply. An aging population is driving healthcare demand up by approximately 6% each year, while training programs cannot produce enough new professionals to close that gap. The result is a market where care organizations compete not only with other sectors, but also with one another.

On top of that, the healthcare sector struggles with an image problem. High workloads, irregular hours, and emotionally demanding work deter potential candidates. Many people who have completed their training deliberately choose a different sector or work as freelancers to have more control over their schedules. This keeps the available pool of active job seekers in healthcare relatively small.

Additionally, the administrative burden in healthcare is substantial. Staff already working in the sector cite this as one of the main reasons they consider leaving. This further compounds the staffing shortage, because every employee who leaves places more pressure on those who remain.

Which recruitment strategies still work during a staffing shortage?

During a staffing shortage, recruitment strategies work best when they focus on passive candidates, career changers, and employees’ own networks. Actively posting on job boards alone is not enough. Organizations that recruit successfully combine multiple channels and ensure that the employer’s first impression holds up.

The following approaches deliver real results in practice:

  • Employee referral programs: Current employees are the best ambassadors. A simple bonus or reward for recommending a new colleague motivates people to actively search their networks.
  • Partnerships with healthcare training programs: Internships and work-study arrangements create a direct pipeline to new talent. Investing early in students increases the likelihood that they will stay after graduating.
  • Actively reaching out to career changers: People from related fields such as social work, education, or the service industry can be valuable to healthcare with targeted retraining.
  • Strengthening the employer brand: Authentic employee stories on social media and your own website carry more weight than a standard job posting. Show what life on the floor is really like.
  • Offering flexible contract arrangements: Candidates who are weighing permanent employment against freelance work can be won over with hybrid contracts or greater control over their own schedules.

How do you ensure new staff stay longer?

New staff stay longer when they feel valued, receive adequate support, and are not overwhelmed with tasks unrelated to care. Retention starts with a strong onboarding process: employees who receive proper guidance in their first weeks are significantly less likely to leave within a year.

Beyond onboarding, three factors consistently contribute to retention:

  • Reducing workload: Employees who constantly feel like they are falling short will burn out. Organizations that invest in smarter workflows and better task distribution see satisfaction levels rise.
  • Development opportunities: People want to grow. Clear career pathways, training, and internal mobility give employees a reason to stay.
  • Recognition and autonomy: Healthcare professionals want to feel that their work truly matters. Regular feedback, involvement in decisions, and appreciation for their efforts are low-cost but powerful retention tools.

Can technology solve staffing shortages in healthcare?

Technology cannot fully solve staffing shortages in healthcare, but it can significantly reduce their impact. By automating routine monitoring and administrative tasks, existing staff can direct their time and attention toward what truly requires a human presence. This makes available capacity more effective without the need for additional personnel.

AI applications, sensor technology, and digital monitoring are the most concrete examples of how technology contributes. They take over tasks that previously required continuous human presence — such as checking whether a client is safely in bed or has fallen. As a result, staff no longer need to make preventive checks; instead, they can respond purposefully based on an alert.

It is important, however, that technology is deployed as a complement to people, not a replacement. Care organizations that communicate this distinction clearly to their staff encounter less resistance during implementation and find that employees genuinely embrace the technology.

What are the benefits of AI monitoring for care teams?

AI monitoring gives care teams fewer unnecessary nighttime rounds, fewer false alarms, and a calmer working environment. Staff are only alerted when something is actually wrong, which means fewer interruptions and better concentration. This reduces workload and improves the quality of care.

Concrete benefits for care teams include:

  • Less physical strain from unnecessary rounds during the night
  • Faster response in emergencies because alerts arrive immediately
  • Greater confidence in client safety, even when fewer staff are present
  • Less stress due to a lower number of false alarms compared to traditional systems
  • More time for direct care delivery instead of preventive checks

For employees considering leaving healthcare due to workload, visible technological support can also be a reason to stay. It demonstrates that the organization is investing in their working conditions.

Where should care organizations start when addressing staffing shortages?

Care organizations are best served by starting with an honest analysis of why employees are leaving and why potential candidates are not applying. Without these insights, recruitment campaigns and retention measures amount to shooting in the dark. Employee surveys, exit interviews, and data on absenteeism and turnover provide a clear starting point.

From that analysis, three priorities tend to have the greatest impact:

  1. Reducing workload: Identify which tasks can be automated or reorganized so that staff have more time for direct care delivery.
  2. Building an employer brand: Invest in an authentic story about what it is like to work at your organization and make it visible on the channels where potential candidates are active.
  3. Deploying technology strategically: Evaluate which processes can be carried out more efficiently with AI or digital monitoring, so that existing capacity is used to its full potential.

Staffing shortages cannot be solved with a single measure. But organizations that work step by step on workload, job satisfaction, and smart support will find that both recruitment and retention improve in a lasting way.

How Kepler Vision Technologies helps with staffing shortages in healthcare

At Kepler Vision Technologies, we understand the enormous pressure facing care organizations dealing with staffing shortages. Our AI software Kepler Night Nurse and Kepler NurseAssist are specifically designed to support care teams without compromising client privacy. Footage is never viewed by people: our software analyzes everything automatically and only sends alerts when necessary.

What our solution offers in practice:

  • 24/7 automatic monitoring of clients in elderly care facilities and hospitals
  • Immediate detection of fall incidents, with a notification sent to care staff within seconds
  • Only one false alarm every 92 days, significantly reducing workload on the floor
  • Full privacy protection and compliance with ISO 27001 and NEN 7510
  • Easy installation via a plug-and-play concept, with no complex IT implementation required

This allows care staff to focus on what truly matters: personal care and attention for the client. Want to know what our technology can do for your organization? Contact us and discover how we can tackle staffing shortages together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take before recruitment measures produce noticeable results?

Most recruitment measures, such as strengthening your employer brand or setting up an employee referral program, typically take three to six months before results become visible. Structural improvements in retention take even longer, because trust and job satisfaction build gradually. It is therefore wise to combine long-term strategies with short-term solutions, such as making better use of existing capacity through technology.

What are the most common mistakes when recruiting healthcare staff?

A common mistake is focusing on filling vacancies rather than building an attractive employer brand for the long term. Organizations that only respond to immediate shortages without addressing the underlying causes risk getting stuck in a perpetual recruitment cycle. Other frequent mistakes include a slow application process, unclear expectations in job postings, and neglecting onboarding after someone has been hired.

How do you handle employee resistance when introducing AI monitoring?

Resistance often stems from uncertainty about privacy, job security, or changes to work routines. The key is to communicate early and transparently: explain what the technology does, what it does not do, and how it will concretely make employees' work easier. Actively involve staff in the implementation — for example through a pilot group or feedback sessions — so they feel ownership over the change rather than feeling like the subject of it.

Is AI monitoring technology also suitable for smaller care organizations?

Yes, AI monitoring solutions such as Kepler Night Nurse are also suitable for smaller care organizations, thanks to the plug-and-play concept, which requires no heavy IT infrastructure or extensive technical expertise. For smaller teams in particular, the impact can be significant, as one or two fewer unnecessary rounds per employee already makes a meaningful difference in workload and job satisfaction. It is advisable to map out in advance which departments or shifts experience the most pressure, so the technology can be deployed where it matters most.

How can a care organization build an attractive employer brand without a large marketing budget?

A strong employer brand does not start with a large budget — it starts with authentic stories from your own employees. Short videos and posts on LinkedIn or Instagram in which staff share why they chose your organization are more credible and more cost-effective than professional advertising campaigns. Combine this with a well-maintained and honest careers page on your website, and make sure the candidate experience during the application process matches the image you project externally.

What is the difference between career changers and returning professionals, and how do you approach each group?

Career changers come from a different sector and have no healthcare background, while returning professionals do have a healthcare qualification but have temporarily left the sector — for example, for family responsibilities or a different career path. Returning professionals can often be brought up to speed quickly with a short refresher course and a warm onboarding process, while career changers require a more structured retraining program. Both groups respond well to a personal approach and clear information about what making the move to your organization will actually mean for them.

How do you measure whether retention measures are actually working?

The most direct indicators are staff turnover (the percentage of employees who leave within a year), absenteeism rates, and scores from employee satisfaction surveys. Compare these figures before and after implementing measures, and also track how long new employees stay on average. In addition, exit interviews provide qualitative insights into the reasons for leaving, so you can adjust your approach if certain measures are not having sufficient effect.

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