This week HIMSS JobMine presented and exhibited at the New England HIMSS HIT Summit on HIT Education and Workforce Retention. Here I learned there is a shift happening in hiring and it’s a move in the right direction.

I’ve heard from many recent graduates of Informatics or HIT certification programs that it’s challenging to secure a position in healthcare IT. I’ve heard from experienced analysts or programmers from other industries about how difficult it is to transition. There is a lot of discontent in the health IT universe because projections of anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 jobs are supposed to be opening up yet people are still waiting for the job offer.

Sue Schade, CIO at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, gave a wonderful presentation: “Recruiting and Retaining Talent” and she mentioned how working with universities, colleges and community colleges is a great way to recruit for entry level positions or internships. “Organizations are missing a real opportunity if not reaching out to these students.”  She went on to say that it’s key to get new graduates committed to your organization. Get them in and grow them.

She recognizes that some hiring managers might not want to invest the time in growing and developing this workforce. The new workforce has to be flexible and management needs to lead that environment.

I had a nice conversation with a NE HIMSS Board member and she mentioned her organization (a vendor) has a training program and they work closely with new graduates as well. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of companies that do this. She also mentioned managing people’s expectations is often an obstacle. Many have the misconception that a healthcare informatics certificate or degree instantly translates to a big salary. Also, the workflow processes within a hospital or medical practice are unique and it is sometimes difficult for someone new to the industry to make the transition.

As with all careers, you have to start at the bottom, form a foundation and build from there. Employers need to be proactive with the new workforce entering the market today and grow them into their IT department of tomorrow.

E.J. Fechenda is the Audience Data Manager for MedTech Media. Since 2008 she has helped manage Healthcare Finance JobSpot and Healthcare IT JobSpot - now merged with HIMSS JobMine. She is not a Human Resources professional, nor a healthcare expert, but over the years she's accumulated a lot of feedback and insight from both job seekers and employers alike. Each week E.J. will deliver a blog based on this information. One week will be employer focused and the next week, job seeker focused.