Annual HireRight Healthcare and Life Sciences Spotlight Reports Show Plans to Expand Workforces, Focus on Retaining Talent
HireRight’s 2018 Annual Healthcare Spotlight Report and Global Life Sciences Spotlight Report, capture valuable industry-specific insights relating to key industry trends and best practices in hiring, background screening and employment.
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HireRight, a leading provider of global employment background checks, drug testing, education verification, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions, today announced the healthcare and life sciences industry findings from its 2018 Annual Employment Screening Benchmark survey. HireRight’s 2018 Annual Healthcare Spotlight Report and Global Life Sciences Spotlight Report, capture valuable industry-specific insights relating to key industry trends and best practices in hiring, background screening and employment.
“Healthcare and life sciences industries are in a unique position, because they are facing tighter hiring markets than many other industries. They are looking for candidates with specific licenses and qualifications, and the employees they hire must be trusted with valuable intellectual property (IP) and expensive laboratory equipment,” said Mary O’Loughlin, managing director of healthcare and life sciences at HireRight. “It’s important for these companies to know exactly who they are hiring and to make sure they are finding highly qualified candidates. Our annual spotlight reports reveal the extent of the pressures these industries are facing and how they are overcoming these challenges.”
Healthcare employers are looking for more talent amidst increasing competition
Healthcare continues to be the fastest growing occupation in the U.S. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of healthcare workers is expected to increase 18% from 2016 through 2026, creating an estimated 2.4 million new jobs over the period. This trend was echoed in survey responses, with 76% of healthcare industry respondents saying they plan grow their workforce in the coming year, and almost a quarter (24%) of respondents planning to grow their workforce by at least 6%.
The survey also found:
When it comes to medical marijuana, 46% of respondents do not accommodate use at all and 27% do not have a medical marijuana policy.
More than half of employers (51%) said background screening helped them to find better quality hires and 47% said it helped them to maintain consistent safety and security.
Despite healthcare having the highest percentage of foreign-born, foreign-educated and foreign-trained workers of any industry in the U.S., only 12% of survey respondents said they screen international backgrounds of U.S.-based employees, down 5% from 2017.
Life sciences companies are investing in processes and employee retention
The U.S. life sciences industry is also expected to see continued growth, with 82% of industry respondents saying they expect their workforce to grow in the next year. Similar to the healthcare industry, 65% of life sciences respondents cited finding qualified candidates as the biggest challenge in talent acquisition, and about half (47%) cited retaining good employees and reducing employee turnover.
The survey also found:
62% of respondents conduct post-hire screens in addition to pre-hire checks. Twenty-four percent of post-hire checks occur when employees are promoted or change roles.
43% of the life sciences organizations surveyed do not have a policy in place directing how global verifications of candidate history are conducted.
Only 58% of respondents said contingent, contract or temporary workers are screened, and only 25% screen volunteers or unpaid workers.
On September 27, HireRight hosted the 2018 US Life Sciences Spotlight webinar, which looked at key takeaways from the report. The webinar recording can be found here. Regional specific Life Sciences webinars for EMEA and APAC were held on October 4th.
The 2018 Healthcare Spotlight Webinar took place on August 23. View the recording here.
Survey Methodology
The HireRight 2018 Employment Screening Benchmark Report is based on a survey of nearly 6,000 human resources, recruiting, security, and management professionals. The report provides a view of the current hiring landscape, indicates market trends and identifies common gaps in employers’ screening and hiring processes.
Of the total survey respondents, 9% indicated that their primary industry was healthcare and 2% indicated their primary industry was life sciences. The spotlight reports were compiled from the relevant respondent groups.
About HireRight
HireRight helps employers hire the right candidates, by delivering global employment background checks, drug testing, education verification, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions. Employers can tailor HireRight’s extensive screening solutions to their unique needs, giving them peace of mind about their hiring and vetting processes. HireRight’s platform integrates with existing HR platforms and applicant tracking systems, giving organizations and candidates the best possible experience.
HireRight is headquartered in Irvine, CA, with offices around the globe including regional headquarters in London, Mexico City and Singapore. Learn more at www.HireRight.com.
HireRight
HireRight is a leading provider of on-demand employment background checks, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage and control background screening and related programs.
Release Date: October 5, 2018