What Causes Candidate Drop-Off in Healthcare? Overview and FAQ
In healthcare, vacant positions are both financially and operationally straining. That burden is exacerbated by hiring obstacles like candidate drop-off — when a candidate voluntarily drops out of the hiring process. This may look like an interview no-show or a declined job offer. Regardless of when the candidate drops out, it can contribute to the costs of an open position by prolonging the hiring process.
By addressing this healthcare recruitment headache head-on, you can begin mitigating its impacts sooner. In this article, we’ll examine some of the key challenges and solutions with a brief overview and answers to common questions about the issue.
Candidate Drop-Off Rate as a Math Equation
Calculating the drop-off rate in your talent acquisition process is important because it provides more data to help guide evidence-based hiring protocols. Using this research-based approach, employers have a better chance of reaching quality candidates and partnering with the best fit for their healthcare team. Here’s how your hiring professionals can begin calculating drop-off rate today.
Number of drop-off candidates divided by number of total candidates, multiplied by 100.
Example:
If there were 22 candidates who dropped out of your latest nurse job opening with 65 total candidates who started the process, the attrition rate for that particular hiring event would be:
- 22 divided by 65 then multiplied by 100, which equals a 34% drop-off rate.
A high drop-off rate is a warning flag for issues within the hiring program that need to be addressed. Some of those lost candidates could be the ideal hire for your interdisciplinary team.
Understanding Healthcare Candidate Attrition: FAQ
Don’t get stuck with the wrong candidates and avoid bad hires by keeping your candidate pool robust throughout the hiring process. Here, we’ll investigate more of the causes and mitigating tactics for healthcare recruitment losses by answering some frequently asked questions.
Is candidate drop-off the same as candidate ghosting?
They’re interrelated but not the same. Candidate ghosting is an aggressive form of hiring drop-off. It’s when the drop-off happens with no notice, no warning, and no communication.
How often does drop-off happen in hiring?
Healthcare workers know their worth. In a field where nursing shortages mean the demand often outstrips supply, many candidates aren’t willing to continue with a hiring process that doesn’t appear to suit their needs. Let’s look at some of the statistical data that reflects the frequency of hiring drop-offs.
- 73% of applicants don’t finish a job application if it takes longer than 15 minutes to complete.
- 27% of healthcare job seekers expect a callback within 48-hours of applying. If that communication window goes unmet, 44% of that group claim that would be grounds for ceasing communications with the employer.
- Another poll (across industries) indicates that nearly 1 in 5 employers have had new hires no call, no show on the first day of work, dropping off even after accepting the job.
- Other avenues of research show that total candidate abandonment rates may be as high as 65% across hiring boards.
Why do hiring drop-offs happen in healthcare?
Recruitment process abandonment can happen for a number of different reasons. Some of the potential causes are summarized in the table below.
| Misleading job descriptions | Job descriptions that don’t match the actual requirements of the position may entice a candidate initially, but when reality hits, they’re likely to leave. |
| Untimely communication | Poor communication can erode candidate trust and damage perceptions of the organization, contributing to the likelihood of drop-off. |
| Bad hiring experiences | Experiences that are impersonal may disengage the candidate and cause concern about organizational fit. |
| Multiple job options | Having many job offers can empower candidates but may make the hiring process more challenging for organizations that have to compete for great nursing staff. |
| Long time-to-hire | A prolonged hiring process can dissuade quality candidates, causing them to lose interest (or worse, feel disrespected) and accept other offers. |
What are the costs of nursing applicant drop-offs?
The true cost of a high drop-off rate is vacant positions that remain open. In healthcare, a vacant RN position can cost the organization anywhere from $24,772 to $46,729 (starting costs alone). That number only increases with time and can be much higher for more specialty positions or advanced practice nurse vacancies.
High drop-off rates are cause for concern beyond the fiscal considerations. Quality candidates walking away from the hiring process risks staffing compliance issues, increased turnover, misaligned teams, and suboptimal patient outcomes.
What metrics can help hiring teams track drop-off rates?
Healthcare is known for championing continuous quality improvement (CQI) measures as a key strategy for improving outcomes. So, even in hiring, tracking pertinent data is important. Here are several indicators that may help organizations establish drop-off patterns and guide mitigation efforts.
- Click vs. application rates may indicate if there’s an issue with the application process.
- Average application-to-interview timeframes might indicate communication concerns at this stage.
- Average interview-to-offer timeframes can demonstrate whether the process is too lengthy for candidates.
- Time-to-fill rates — the amount of time between the job posting to offer acceptance — will similarly help identify issues with hiring length.
- Cost-per-hire averages can help your organization track the expenses related drop-offs in the hiring process.
- Offer acceptance rates are another key metric for discerning drop-off patterns.
Which healthcare hiring stage experiences the highest rate of drop-off?
The answer to this question is often specific to a given facility and hiring team, but generally, the application stage experiences high attrition rates. Studies demonstrate that as many as 92% of job seekers don’t make it past the application stage. This staggering statistic reflects the importance of effective job-matching recruitment strategies and an easy-to-navigate application experience.
How can healthcare facilities reduce candidate drop-off?
Adequate staffing helps cultivate a healthy work environment. To help your organization continue its mission of better outcomes and more quality nursing care, here are some ideas for reducing drop-offs in healthcare hiring.
| Prioritize Professional Communication | Clear, transparent, and effective communication can prevent attrition caused by miscommunication or candidate confusion. Consider:
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| Reduce Time-to-Hire Averages | Prioritizing an efficient hiring process shows respect for candidate time and helps fill vacancies faster with better candidate options. Consider:
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| Maintain Clear Expectations | Prevent drop-off among healthcare candidates by setting clear expectations around role responsibilities, working conditions, and compensation as early as possible. Consider:
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| Ensure a Good Candidate Experience | If a potential hire has a negative interview or feels disrespected during their hiring experience, they’re unlikely to stick around. Consider:
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| Utilize Metrics to Inform Improvements | Collect and utilize drop-off related hiring metrics to inform hiring reform. The process should be evidence-based for best results. Consider:
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Connect With Committed Candidates Today
As you focus on strategies to avoid candidate drop-off, processes for hiring your ideal team will run more smoothly. Let IntelyCare continue to expedite your hiring efforts with our premier job board where you can connect with over 1 million healthcare job seekers.