Most practices look at social media only as a marketing tool. You know it’s great for attracting patients, but what about talent? Your practice culture, hiring patterns, termination decisions, and even your ex-employees’ commentary are all right there. Does it tell the right story? You can see your candidates’ posts on social media, too. What can you find out about them… legally?
If you’re new to hiring through social media, begin with the do’s and don’ts. If you’re already familiar with basic social media healthcare recruiting skills, skip ahead to learn which legal lines not to cross.
Your Next Hire Is Probably On Social Media Right Now
The vast majority of Americans use social media. About one third of them are on LinkedIn. In the US alone, there are nearly five million RNs, one million licensed physicians, over 220,000 registered dental hygienists… you see what we’re getting at, right? There’s currently a shortage of healthcare workers, yes, but if you think the talent pool is too small to find great employees for your practice, you’re not casting a wide enough net. Net being the operative word.
Every industry could benefit from turning to social media for recruiting. Social media-based healthcare recruiting opens the door to more opportunity and engagement with your potential talent. Word travels fast, especially in local talent pools, even if you’re not hiring right now. Social media is where those reputations get confirmed or contradicted. That goes for both you and your next hire.
Before you start posting, check some quick do’s and don’ts.
What Not to Post on Social Media if You’re Hoping to Hire Well
Aside from the obvious, there are more than a few things health and dental practices should avoid uploading when searching for new talent:
- Anything that could identify a patient. You already know this, but if a patient or their data appears in the background of your team photo, you just violated HIPAA.
- Staff content posted without consent. Your employees have privacy rights, too. Don’t post without permission and make sure you have a social media and likeness use policy in place. (PS: HR for Health comes with a release for use of photos and likeness documents in the new hire checklist. That helps you get consent from employees to use their photos.)
- Anything about the role that isn’t true. Every job has pros and cons, so promising the moon is probably not wise. Be realistic about the benefits and working environment. And please, don’t say you’re like a family. Everyone knows it’s a job.
- Vague or misleading compensation claims. Saying you offer competitive pay doesn’t actually say much at all, and in some states you need to provide the actual dollar amount. If you’re going to talk money, be specific or don’t bring it up yet.
Potentially discriminatory job requirements. This is where a lot of practices make mistakes without even realizing it. If the job post language makes it sound like you’re excluding (or only including) specific types of employees, that could be discriminatory. More on that in a moment.
What Candidates Wish You Would Post on Social Media
They’re already looking at your accounts, so hopefully, you’re posting regularly… not just when you need a position filled. When candidates check your practice’s profile, this is what they want to see:
- Day in the life content. Posts, videos, and pictures that show what it’s really like to work at your practice will attract more candidates than any one-off job posting. It doesn’t have to be perfectly polished.
- Employee spotlights. Let people tell their stories in their own words. This is a great way to highlight your best employees and keep them engaged.
- Milestones and culture moments. Certifications, location openings, community health events, years of service recognition — these all signal a stable workplace that values its people.
- Educational content. You know your stuff. Talk about your approach to patient care, support programs, and the kinds of professional development support you offer your team. If you have a wellness program or host employee resource groups, this is a very good time to mention them.
- Human responses. When people comment on your posts, employees don’t want to see silence or generic responses. Be yourself and be engaged.
- Fun stuff! Most people open their social apps to have a good time. If they see your employees enjoying their work, your future candidates can envision themselves enjoying it, too.
Transparent job postings. This comes last not because it’s least important, but because all the other posts matter, too. Post details about the actual role, perks and compensation, work-life balance, and other things talent will ask you about in the interviews.
Avoid Social Media Posts That Could Become Legal Issues
Your job description is technically a legal document, and your “we’re hiring” post could be supporting documentation. What you say matters. Consider this post:
“Looking for a friendly receptionist to join our family! She must be a great communicator, native English speaker, and hold a valid driver’s license. New grads welcome!”
It sounds nice, but take a closer look. Beyond the “we’re a family” thing, this post discriminates against a whole host of EEOC protected classes.
Using a feminine pronoun is clearly discriminatory based on sex. Requiring a native English speaker could be seen as discrimination against national origin. Specifically calling out new grads sounds an awful lot like age discrimination. And why does your front desk person need a driver’s license? True, the ID will streamline paperwork, but receptionists don’t actually need to be licensed drivers. All it does is raise flags that you might be screening for socioeconomic status or disability.
These aren’t new laws, but now that you’re using social media for healthcare recruiting, your job openings are a lot more visible and shareable. The internet never forgets. Make sure you’re focusing on the right employee features, like their ability to do the job, enthusiasm for the work, alignment with your practice, and desirable work-related skills. So yes, you can keep the friendliness and communication requirements!
What to Look For (and What NOT Look For) When Screening Applicants’ Social Media Profiles
First, never ever look up a candidate to find out about their protected characteristics. It’s inappropriate to search social with the express purpose of finding out about age, race, religion, disability status, national origin, pregnancy status, or genetic information. You can’t un-see that information, and if you choose not to hire a candidate you looked up, they may have grounds for a discrimination claim.
But you can use social media healthcare recruiting to find out more about your future employee. But only if it’s relevant. There are third-party tools that can keep things consistent and fair when screening. If you search candidates’ social profiles before extending an offer, you can look for:
- Professionalism. Does your candidate present themselves in an appropriate manner, or do they post a lot of questionable or NSFW content? Do they pass the vibe check?
- Professional engagement. Employees who are proud of their work talk about it out loud. If they’re active in nursing or clinical LinkedIn communities or Facebook groups, that’s a green flag.
- Alignment with your values. If your practice has a strong community focus or a health mission you need employees to approach with sensitivity, your candidates’ social presence could reflect their commitment to shared goals.
- Appropriate behavior. You’ve probably seen videos of people in the medical field talking about health topics. Lots of great content out there, but some tell stories in way too much detail. You don’t want a walking HIPAA violation risk in your practice.
Some employers tend to look too much into things or make assumptions about people during these screenings. If employees frequently post about being on vacation, employers often conclude they will request a lot of time off. Or if they have a family, they’ll jump to the conclusion that their health insurance will cost them a lot. Sometimes, they can make assumptions based on the college they attended. Not good.
Another thing employers might do is peek at arrest or background check records without going through a background check company. This can be risky in many states because of specific processes that must be followed for background checks.
If a candidate keeps their social accounts private or they appear to be offline, don’t look further into it. Keep your social screening appropriate, consistent across all candidates, and well-documented. Always.
HR for Health Helps You Find and Keep Your Best People
There are some pretty talented people on the internet these days. You can find incredible people right there on your social feed. And if you post well, they can find you there, too.
While you handle the posting part, HR for Health can help you create fantastic job descriptions, onboard with ease, keep all the paperwork straight, and track all the day-to-day people management. Ready to learn more? Get in touch with our HR experts.
