Employers can struggle to fill healthcare IT positions while experienced professionals struggle to find their next role. Those experiences are not mutually exclusive. Before calling every difficult search a talent shortage, identify exactly where the mismatch occurs.
BTJ Health’s perspective is that hiring friction can come from several sources: scarce expertise, location constraints, compensation, unclear authority or an overly narrow definition of the ideal candidate. Each requires a different response.
Identify the capability that is genuinely scarce
A role combining deep platform expertise, clinical workflow knowledge and leadership experience may have a smaller qualified pool than a general technology role. But the organization should be able to explain why each requirement is essential. Separate credentials required for the work from preferences that have become automatic screening rules.
Review recent candidate evidence. Are applicants missing a specific capability, declining the compensation, withdrawing during interviews or choosing roles with clearer responsibilities? A vacancy count alone cannot answer those questions.
Test the role before expanding the search
Start with the work the hire must deliver. If the description asks one person to own infrastructure, security, analytics and application support, decide whether that scope is feasible. Confirm the level, reporting relationship and resources before asking recruiting to find more candidates.
Then test the offer against the actual market for the role and location. Use relevant compensation evidence rather than broad technology salary averages. Make work arrangements and on-call expectations clear early so both sides can assess fit.
Broaden access without lowering the standard
Consider adjacent experience when it demonstrates the underlying capability. A candidate from another complex operating environment may bring valuable skills, but any healthcare-specific knowledge gaps need a credible development plan. Assess transferable judgment through examples, not assumptions.
Internal mobility deserves the same discipline. Clinical professionals who understand a system’s users may become strong candidates for selected informatics or support roles with appropriate training. Clinical experience does not automatically establish software engineering or security qualifications.
Fix process friction
Set interview responsibilities and decision deadlines. Use consistent evaluation criteria, communicate progress and examine where qualified applicants leave the process. Adding interview rounds without a clear purpose can prolong an already difficult search.
Retention also belongs in the discussion. Ask whether workload, manager support, professional development and progression make the role sustainable. Filling a position repeatedly is a different problem from finding a rare specialist once.
A better question for leadership
Instead of asking only, “Why is talent so hard to find?”, ask, “Which part of this role or process is preventing the right match?” That question turns a broad shortage narrative into a practical hiring decision.