Non-clinical talent may work behind the scenes, but it’s fast becoming one of healthcare’s toughest battles. Human resources, finance and operations roles are in high demand — with medical and health services manager positions alone projected to grow 23% by 2034, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That demand runs headfirst into a talent market where healthcare faces fewer qualified candidates and far less salary flexibility than the technology and finance giants fishing in the same waters.
With competition running this hot, knowing when to raise your hand matters. Here are five questions to help you decide if it’s time to bring in specialized non-clinical healthcare recruiters.
1. Are You Competing Effectively with Other Industries?
In a market dominated by deep-pocketed employers, the healthcare industry’s edge has to come from everything beyond compensation.
That makes sparking interest during the interview phase a competitive advantage, especially when a 2025 Jobseeker survey found that 46% of employees say a positive work environment is a top priority. Hiring leaders who don’t articulate the culture and values that make their organization stand out risk losing candidates to employers who do.
2. Does Your Employer Brand Connect with Today’s Workforce?
Candidates don’t buy into flashy taglines or surface-level claims; they are attracted to the day-to-day experience they think your organization will deliver. Today’s workforce pays close attention to workload, leadership style, psychological safety and how teams collaborate under pressure. If your public reputation or interview messaging glosses over these truths, candidates assume misalignment and quietly step back.
Consistency across touchpoints, such as job descriptions, career pages and one-on-one conversations, is what builds trust. Recruitment messaging that does not tell your story accurately or highlight what differentiates your environment can lose the perfect hire.
3. Is Slow Communication Pushing Candidates Away?
In a recruitment culture where 57% of applicants say they have abandoned an application mid-process due time-consuming requirements, patience is already thin. And that impatience doesn’t stop once a resume is submitted. Slow replies, vague timelines and long stretches of silence read as disorganization, and strong candidates won’t wait around to find out if it improves.
Clear communication protects your candidate “bench” when one finalist moves forward and others stall out. Quick check-ins, defined next steps and timely updates keep momentum alive. The right healthcare executive recruiters should sustain that cadence to keep candidates engaged and your pipeline strong.
4. Are You Losing Finalists at the Offer Stage?
Precise alignment with what candidates value most is what earns the “yes.” Tailored offers come from understanding a candidate’s priorities throughout the search. Skilled non-clinical healthcare recruiters capture the competitive intelligence you need — how similar roles are structured, what other employers are offering, where an organization’s real advantages lie — and help shape a package that stands out for the right reasons, even against higher-paying sectors.
5. Are Outdated Search Methods Holding You Back?
Contingent firms prioritize speed. Retained firms focus on exclusivity. Both can miss what non-clinical healthcare hiring really needs: market insight, culture alignment and access to passive candidates.
Duffy Recruitment Research™ offers a smarter way to hire when budgets are tight and competition is fierce, putting research behind every decision, revealing where hidden talent lives and what it takes to win them.
Ready to strengthen your hiring strategy? Connect with our non-clinical healthcare executive recruiters.
