With retirements, growing demand, and pipeline bottlenecks, health systems must rethink how they attract and grow clinical talent. The challenge isn’t only hiring fast, it’s creating sustainable pipelines that reflect community diversity and operational needs. National projections show robust employment growth across healthcare occupations, underscoring both opportunity and competition.

Three high-leverage strategies
1. Bring hiring closer to education.
2. Design returnships and re-entry programs.
3. Advertise the whole offer, not just the role.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion operationalized
Remove exclusionary language, use structured interviews, and ensure panels include diverse perspectives. An equitable recruitment process is both an EEOC best practice and a competitive advantage: diverse teams deliver better patient outcomes and innovation.

Measurement & governance
Track conversion rates from educational partnerships, time-to-competency for new hires, and retention at 12 months. Those metrics reveal what pipeline investments actually deliver.

Closing thought
Creative recruitment combined with real development pathways turns hiring from a scramble into a system-level investment. In tight labor markets, organizations that build long-term pipelines and center equity will be the ones who keep care teams stable and patient outcomes strong.