Before the pandemic, healthcare was an industry where the possibility of remote work seemed nonexistent. After all, healthcare is an industry that depends on person-to-person interactions. Or is it?
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, healthcare organizations turned to telehealth as a way to fill critical service gaps and maintain continuity of care. And in the midst of mass burnout and persistent staff shortages, telehealth is emerging as a promising way to recruit and retain more healthcare providers.
To ensure high-quality care and maintain patient safety, telehealth workers must possess specialized skills and adhere to rigorous ethical standards, in addition to the foundational capabilities expected of all healthcare providers. Continue reading to learn best practices to find and screen the best telehealth employees for your organization.
The Growing Demand For Telehealth Workers
With changes in payment policies and practices among major insurance providers, healthcare organizations are no longer limited to serving people who live in a close proximity to their facilities.
They can serve patients around the country and even around the world. Telehealth has made that possible, with both providers and patients discovering that they can get the same or similar quality of care remotely as they can in person, while also filling service gaps and adding convenience for patients across most specialty areas.
In fact, a national study found that telemedicine encounters increased 766% during the first three months of the pandemic,— rising from 0.3% of all private insurance claims in March-June 2019 to 23.6% during that same time period in 2020.
Interest and adoption continues to grow. By 2026, the global telehealth market is predicted to reach more than $175.5 billion — almost quadruple its value from 2019.
Best Specialities for Telehealth Workers
That rapid growth has been particularly impactful in specific geographies and practices. For instance, telehealth options provide critical access to care to people in rural and previously underserved communities, which has become even more important as rural hospitals face financial difficulties and risk of closure.
Specialties that have historically been associated with stigma — like behavioral health —have also benefited. Patients can access care confidentially from their own homes, and providers gain access to a broader and more diverse talent pool.
The AMA identifies nine specialty areas that are most commonly offered through telehealth services: cardiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, hematology, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, and pediatrics. A hybrid approach is required in some cases, but for others, all care can be delivered remotely.
Certain roles are particularly well suited to virtual care delivery. Mental health therapists represent 39% of the total number of physicians providing remote care, followed by health coaches (18%) and nurse practitioners/physician assistants (11%).
As interest and demand for these types of services grow, organizations are seeking new ways to identify and recruit individuals who can excel in remote roles.
Expanding Your Telehealth Worker Talent Pipeline: Beyond Traditional Sources
While professional associations and medical schools remain valuable recruitment sources, the most successful telehealth recruiters are embracing innovative approaches that reflect the digital nature of the work itself.
Traditional recruitment sources are equally applicable when recruiting for remote roles,such as professional networks, the AMA, ANA, and other specialty associations that remain great sources of specialty-specific talent.
Collaborating with universities and medical schools is a good way to gain access to professional talent and to keep your employer brand top of mind for these candidates. And, job-specific platforms like NurseRecruiter and Incredible Health can be used to target pre-qualified candidates.
But today’s HR professionals and recruiters also have new sources and methods for finding talent, including AI-powered recruitment. Advanced platforms like Eightfold.ai simplify the process of analyzing applicants and resumes, and they can be used to find candidates whose experience translates well to virtual care.
Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and X can also be used to target specific types of candidates based on background and interests.
The Essential KSAs: What to Look for in Telehealth Workers
In general, the professional and technical competencies required of telehealth professionals will mirror those of their colleagues who are on-site, but effective communication skills are paramount.
Remote professionals must be adept at communicating virtually and able to form the same engaging relationships that they would in face-to-face settings.
Virtual workers must be self-regulating and able to maintain their own motivation and stay on task. In addition, they need a high level of understanding and comfort with various technical applications, like remote monitoring devices.
Telehealth providers will also need to be able to help their patients navigate the digital communication environment and not all will be equally comfortable, at least initially, with screen and audio-only interactions.
Optimizing Your Telehealth Hiring Process for Success
When conducting interviews with telehealth workers it can be a good practice to use the same platforms and technology they will use when interacting with patients and colleagues. This allows you to assess their comfort level and gives them a preview of what the work environment will be like.
In addition to standard questions that you would use with on-site candidates, assess their experience and comfort level with remote interactions. For instance:
- “Describe a time you had to build trust with someone you’d never met in person.”
- “How would you handle a patient experiencing technical difficulties during a virtual consultation?”
- “Give an example of how you’ve adapted your communication style for different audiences and in virtual situations.”
Similarly, consider incorporating SMS into your outreach strategy for initial contact and follow-ups, particularly for millennial and Gen Z candidates.
To help candidates get a feel for your organization, even if they never physically visit it, virtual reality experiences and simulations offer immersive interactions to help candidates feel more connected with your organization and staff members. Create content that showcases your culture through “day-in-the-life” videos of remote workers, success stories of patient outcomes achieved through virtual care, and professional development opportunities specifically related to telehealth delivery.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Telehealth Hiring
With the majority of providers using or considering the use of telehealth, and growing interest among patients across all demographics, now is a good time to begin mastering telehealth recruiting to ensure a competitive advantage both as an employer of choice and provider of choice.
The telehealth revolution has created unprecedented opportunities for healthcare organizations willing to adapt their recruitment strategies. By understanding the unique talent landscape, expanding beyond traditional sources, and focusing on telehealth-specific competencies, you can build a virtual care team that delivers exceptional patient outcomes while thriving in the digital healthcare environment.
Ready to transform your telehealth recruiting strategy? The talent is out there—you just need to know where to look, what to look for, and how to effectively assess the skills and attributes of candidates that will thrive in telehealth roles.
How to Ensure Quality Hires: the Critical Role of Background Screening For Telehealth Workers
It’s hard enough to find top talent in healthcare. So, you can’t afford to lose them to slow or inaccurate background checks. The right background screening partner will help you expedite screening, spot the red flags that matter, and get your caregivers in the field quickly to make a positive impact.
Accurate combines a mobile-first interface with self-service options, industry-leading turnaround times and 99.9% accuracy rates, so you can speed up hiring without sacrificing accuracy. We also provide 24/7/363 customer service, so your new candidates can ask questions, no matter where they are located.
Integrations with Workday and iCIMS, dedicated healthcare experts, and a strong compliance framework also reduce the manual work required from your team. Spend less time on admin — and more time on care. Contact Accurate to learn more about our global background checks for healthcare organizations.
