Hiring nurses: targeted advertising alongside traditional channels

To hire nurses, traditional channels (job sites, nursing schools, referrals, temp work) remain the foundation. Targeted advertising adds to them to reach nurses who already have a job and rarely read ads, with a message focused on schedules, the ward and the team.

A profession with direct competition

France Travail's labour needs survey (BMO) records 36,700 hiring plans for nurses and midwives, 60.2% of them rated difficult. For care assistants, 62,100 plans, 56.6% rated difficult. Within the same area, healthcare employers are often looking for the same profiles.

What each channel brings

• Job sites reach nurses who are actively looking, especially at the end of a contract or when relocating.
• Nursing schools give access to future graduates, provided your teams are involved during placements.
• Referrals remain reliable: carers recommend colleagues they know.
• Temp work and shifts meet urgent needs, at a higher cost.
• Targeted advertising reaches employed nurses where they spend time, on social networks, video and apps. It complements other channels by reaching those who are thinking of moving without actively looking.

These channels do not compete with each other. They cover different audiences.

The message that gets an employed nurse to react

1. The schedule: 7, 10 or 12-hour shifts, rotation, weekends, nights.
2. The ward: speciality, number of beds, patient-to-carer ratio.
3. The team: stability, management, how new staff are welcomed.
4. Pay: salary scale, bonuses, recognition of seniority.
5. Life around the job: commute, parking, childcare, housing if relevant.

Organising the hiring

1. Define the role precisely with the nurse manager: ward, hours, expected skills.
2. Activate all channels at once, with a message suited to each.
3. Reply within 48 hours and offer a visit of the ward with a member of the team.
4. Check prerequisites quickly: state nursing diploma, registration with the nursing council, experience in the speciality.

Metrics to track

• Applications by channel, and above all hires by channel: a low-volume channel may bring the best profiles.
• Response time to applications, tracked weekly.
• The share of ward visits that lead to a hire.
• Cost per nurse hired, temp work included, to compare options on a real basis.

Common mistakes

• Publishing an administrative ad with no schedule or ward.
• Relying on a single channel and waiting.
• Leaving applications for days in a shared inbox.
• Forgetting care assistants training as nurses, who can be hired as nurses once they qualify.

What campaigns show

For the healthcare division of the recruitment firm Harry Hope, the campaign tripled job ad impressions (+200%) and increased the number of qualified CVs by 20%. See the Harry Hope healthcare case study.

Our page on healthcare recruitment software covers targeting carers by speciality. To go further on profiles who are not looking, read the article on job advertising to reach passive candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Which channels work for hiring nurses?

Job sites, schools, referrals and temp work as the base, and targeted advertising to reach employed nurses who rarely look at ads.

How do you attract a nurse who already has a job?

With a precise message about the schedule, the ward and the team, shown where they spend time, and a fast reply.