Every industry thrives on having a network that is the basis of collaboration and career advancement to better opportunities. Building a healthcare professional network is vital whether you are an administrator, clinician, or recent graduate. Learning new names in local healthcare organizations can lead to better promotions and enhanced career development training you never thought possible.
Keeping your options open and socializing with healthcare colleagues can advance you further. Here are 5 tips on how to get there!
1. Attend Industry Events
Industry events are the first and foremost way to build a network in the healthcare industry. Conduct an online search to see if any local or statewide health organizations are hosting local and statewide workshops, seminars, or networking events.
Plan for your career development budget to include costs related to attending these events. If your company finds the discussion topics useful to its team members, the investment will be fruitful as your employees all take something away from the experience.
For example, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is hosting a conference in December 2024. Topics of discussion at various workshops will include patient safety, climate-smart healthcare initiatives, and leadership topics in the industry.
The livestream fee is cheaper than the general attendance fee for the in-person experience. Especially if your company lives far away from Florida and/or does not have the money for the general attendance fee for all your members, paying the livestream fee can be a substantial savings so all your team members can tune in virtually.
2. Utilize Social Media Platforms
About 80% of individuals on social media use these platforms to research doctors, healthcare organizations, and medical news. The outreach for healthcare consumers is mind-boggling. Hence, why not try to use social media to create your healthcare network?
The most popular social media platforms for building a strong professional network in healthcare include LinkedIn and Twitter. LinkedIn is a professional employment-based social media platform where you can find healthcare professionals across different professions around the world. As you build connections on LinkedIn, you will get recommendations for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd connections which are like mutual friend suggestions you see on Facebook.
When your company has open requisitions, you can invite these LinkedIn connections to apply. While many of them may be passive job seekers, it doesn’t hurt to reach out with an offer for them to join your company. After all, it’s best to keep your options open when seeking career advancement opportunities.
3. Join Professional Organizations
Part of your healthcare hiring solution plan should be to join professional organizations. While this is not a virtual solution like upgrading your healthcare ATS software, it’s vital to gain connections in professional organizations to expand your talent access.
These professional organizations will host networking events, offer certification programs to advance professionals’ know-how, and provide access to important industry resources. Active participation in these organizations will help all your employees to build strong relationships with other healthcare professionals. You can all share industry know-how for newbies and pointers for daily operations if you are all in the same healthcare segment.
Over time, these relationships can lead to referrals for career advancement opportunities if professionals are looking to transfer to a different part of the healthcare industry. Some professional healthcare organizations may even offer mentorship programs for entry-level employees to guide their success in transitioning into the industry.
Ultimately, developing connections in healthcare can help your company learn new recruitment and retention tips from other talent acquisition professionals in the field. You may learn a new angle to onboarding new talent that your company has never tried before, but it has worked for another healthcare organization.
4. Volunteer for Projects and Initiatives
Despite healthcare being a demanding industry, take a little time each week to volunteer for relevant projects and initiatives in your organization. There are many ways you can volunteer your time to meet new healthcare professionals while helping those in need in your community.
Health fairs and screenings benefit individuals who may need a check-up or type of vaccination but do not have access to health insurance. Professionals of different specialties usually assist at these events where you can connect with them and learn their story while they can discover yours, too.
Volunteering at nonprofit organizations, such as helping at a local Red Cross Blood Drive, could be beneficial in meeting healthcare professionals across multiple segments. In the case of a Red Cross Blood Drive, if you are looking to become a phlebotomist, you may want to help with registration procedures and talk to the professionals during your downtime for networking purposes.
5. Follow Up and Stay Connected
As you meet new connections, don’t let these relationships fade away. It takes two to make any type of relationship work, even a professional one. Shoot your connection a text or an email to check on how they are doing. If it is their work anniversary on LinkedIn, congratulate them on that post. Maybe they share an insightful post about the healthcare industry on LinkedIn. Respond with an in-depth comment about your opinion on the information discussed.
Bonus: Healthcare Networking Tips
Here’s a bonus for you! Consider these tips as you are building a professional network in healthcare industry.
Be Genuine
Authenticity during networking discussions is important. Even if you are talking to a healthcare professional outside of your field segment, show an interest in their field. Ask them questions and show your curiosity to learn more.
Leverage Informational Interviews
If you are interested in learning more about your field or transitioning to a new one, reach out to a professional for an interview. Usually, professionals are more than happy to share their expertise with interested individuals.
Create Value
Don’t forget to create value as you are networking. You can introduce professionals at local conferences, offer advice to people who ask questions about your field, and share known resources with others.
Stay Informed
Always read up on the latest healthcare news and trends. They make for great icebreaker discussions when sitting at a table during conferences and webinars with professionals you don’t know. Keep a list of articles at your disposal to share with your connections.
Follow Up Regularly
Again, always follow up regularly. Even if you only have time to reach out monthly to each of your connections, it keeps the professional relationships alive.
Read more about- How Advanced Technologies Streamline the Healthcare Recruitment Process
