Feel the Heat

You can't stop Father Time. Along with a growing aging population, we're seeing an increasing amount of ailments. With all those extra health issues, we need as many medical professionals as we can get. But 2006 projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed an expected shortfall of more than 1 million nurses by 2020. That's a clear call for staffing professionals to step into the health-care realm and help companies deal with the shortage. Lisa Dearborn, vice president of health-care services with staffing firm Response Companies, also sees a growing demand in pharmacy staffing and preventive health care and disease management.

For entrepreneurs thinking about entering the field, it helps to have more than just recruiting and staffing experience; you need to have your finger on the pulse of the medical community. "At the end of the day, you have to have a genuine interest in your candidates' lives. You have to understand where they're coming from, and you have to be able to relate to them," says Dearborn. That means hiring recruiters with medical backgrounds who can communicate effectively with potential candidates and clients. Demand is booming in the health-care staffing sector. Here's a prescription for getting your business off to a healthy start:

• Creative hiring is a must. "You can't recruit someone who just has recruiting experience," says Dearborn. She suggests hiring candidates with health-care industry experience for their backgrounds and knowledge, then training them to recruit.
  
• Prepare for competition. You're not the only entrepreneur contemplating a health-care staffing startup. "Five or six years ago, we did not have the competition we have now," says Dearborn. "All of these companies are getting into health care because they see the demand."
  
• Look to the nursing area. There is need in all areas of health-care staffing, but the nursing shortage is particularly acute. Says Dearborn, "There aren't as many nurses coming out of nursing school. With the baby boomers, we're going to need a lot of long-term care, and companies are preparing for that and expanding their businesses, but they don't have the nurses to fill the jobs." If you can successfully fill nursing positions, you'll be in demand.
  
• Don't overlook pharmacies. Nurses and doctors might come to mind first when you think of health-care staffing needs, but there's also a squeeze on the availability of pharmacists. Large chains, local pharmacies and hospitals often need help finding workers to staff their pharmacies. It can be another niche for your new business to focus on.
  
• If you don't have a medical background, find someone who does. You don't need to have an M.D. degree to work in health-care staffing, but you will need the experience and help of a partner or an employee with a medical background. As Dearborn points out, "The only way to be successful is to bring someone onboard who has experience and knows how to speak with the candidates and clients."

Health-Care Staffing Franchises:
AtWork Medical Services
atworkmedical.com

BrightStar Healthcare
brightstarfranchise.com

This article was originally published in the March 2008 print edition of Entrepreneur's StartUps with the headline: Feel the Heat.