As the end of the year approaches, it is time to plan recruitment and hiring strategies for 2026. Attracting top doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners can help ease current providers’ workload, improve the patient experience, and establish a long-lasting and renowned company culture. These healthcare hiring strategies from the experts at TinkBird Healthcare Staffing can help set your hospital facility or medical practice up for success in 2026.

Attract high-quality candidates

To hire the best talent, hospitals and medical practices must ensure that advanced practice providers are aware of an organization’s job openings and reputation.

Leverage the latest technology platforms

In an oversaturated online landscape, it is not enough to simply post an opening on job boards. Instead, your organization’s high-priority open roles need to be prominent on healthcare-specific job boards. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become more than a 2025 trend. AI programs and tools are now helping recruiters save time by screening resumes, scheduling interviews and analyzing and matching candidates for roles that fit their skills.

Develop a talent pool of medical professionals

Instead of having candidates find you, you can seek out rising talent through on-the-ground recruitment efforts. By partnering with medical schools, physician assistant programs and nurse practitioner programs, your facility can find candidates early in their careers. These candidates will be nearing the end of completing their degree, internship or residency, and they are seeking healthcare career opportunities. 

Prepare a competitive package

When meeting with potential candidates, it is important to offer salaries and benefits that are competitive and align with healthcare industry standards.

These benefits can include:

• Paid time off
• Retirement benefits
• Medical insurance
• Flexible scheduling
• Professional development opportunities

Communicate your compelling brand

Potential candidates should have a good idea of what your healthcare organization represents. You can communicate this through your employer brand.

Before recruiting healthcare workers in 2026, develop a comprehensive brand story that highlights your organization’s values, commitment to providing patient-centered care, and wider community impact. Be sure to include the internal side of your company brand that highlights your commitment to maintaining a supportive work environment.

Optimize the hiring process

Over 1.9 million job openings in healthcare are expected each year until 2034. With how competitive the healthcare field has become, there is no time to waste in finding and retaining talented providers. Going into 2026, there are multiple recruitment strategies your organization can take in the hiring process.

Be clear, honest and transparent about the position

To put it simply, transparency in hiring is a best practice to establish trust and ensure confident decision-making. All job descriptions should clearly define expectations along with a salary range and a list of employee benefits. The more a candidate knows about day-to-day factors such as patient volume and future advancement opportunities, the more comfortable they will feel when accepting a position.

Facilitate a structured interview process

The interview process is multi-step and might differ depending on the open position at your healthcare facility. However, to streamline recruiter and hiring manager expectations and give candidates a proper timeline, interviews should follow these steps:

1. Screening call: Conduct introductory phone or video interviews to assess basic qualifications against the job description.
2. Follow-up interviews: Move forward with the most qualified candidates for video or in-person interviews.
3. In-depth interviews: Make sure questions in final interviews are scenario-based to assess a candidate’s problem-solving and judgment skills in complex, clinical settings. 

Assess soft skills

Along with education and work experience, the strongest candidates will have soft skills that set them apart from others in the healthcare field. When interviewing candidates, use different exercises like asking them to review documents or explain clinical concepts. This will help you analyze the candidate’s soft skills like communication, empathy, adaptability and attention to detail.

Maintain a personal touch

In the healthcare sector, a personal touch can go a long way, and it does not always have to be between a patient and a clinician. As technology becomes more prevalent, recruiters and hiring managers should go out of their way to build a personal connection with top candidates. This will help paint your practice in the best light and showcase the organization’s brand.

Retain and grow your medical team

According to Reuters, 55% of healthcare workers plan to switch jobs in 2026, and 84% feel “underappreciated at their current employer.” With healthcare facilities all competing for the same medical talent in the face of a staffing shortage, retention is just as important as recruitment. 

Build and maintain a positive work culture

Your organization’s culture should be noticeable to everyone who enters your facility, from prospective candidates to patients. Along with providing empathetic care, your organization should prioritize positive staff morale through:

1. Employee engagement surveys and feedback platforms
2. Flexible scheduling and PTO
3. Individual management styles and career paths

Provide career advancement

New hires and established providers alike deserve opportunities to grow their careers. When posting an open role, consider promoting from within and hiring internally. Healthcare professionals at your facility should also be encouraged to take advantage of:

1. Mentorship programs
2. Leadership training
3. Tuition reimbursement
4. Continued education opportunities

Improve hiring success with professional healthcare staffing

With TinkBird Healthcare Staffing, you can rely on a reputable agency to utilize these vital healthcare hiring strategies to attract top talent. Contact us today to bring you the best doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners for permanent and locum tenens positions in 2026.