Using data analytics to improve your healthcare recruiting campaigns
Data analytics isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a practical tool that can be the key to unlocking a more effective recruiting strategy, especially in healthcare. Did you know there are almost 200,000 open nursing positions in the U.S. right now? With such a massive demand for healthcare talent, it’s crucial to ensure your recruiting campaigns are as targeted and effective as possible.
At GA Creative, we’ve helped healthcare organizations like Providence use data analytics to fine-tune their recruiting efforts. By running programmatic recruiting campaigns with targeted ads across multiple states, we’ve seen firsthand how data can transform results.
Data analytics in recruiting involves collecting, analyzing, and using data from your campaigns to make smarter decisions. For recruiting, this means tracking how your ads perform and using that information to improve future efforts.
Some of the most useful metrics for recruiting include:
With the right data, you can figure out what’s working (and what’s not), so you’re not wasting your budget on ads that don’t deliver.
1. It helps you reach the right people
Data analytics gives you a clear picture of who’s engaging with your ads and where to reach them. Our data partners can show us where nurses spend their time online. We know they over-index for social media, for example, so placing ads on Meta is a smart strategy.
2. You can optimize your campaigns
Analytics tools let you track your campaign’s performance in real-time. This means you can make adjustments on the fly—like tweaking ad copy or reallocating budget to higher-performing platforms.
3. You get more bang for your buck
By focusing your budget on the strategies that work best, you can lower your cost per hire. For example, if video ads on TikTok are driving more nursing school residents to apply, you can prioritize that platform.
1. Targeting specific regions and roles
For Providence, we’ve run programmatic campaigns in places like Alaska, Texas, California, and Montana. Each campaign is tailored to its audience—whether it’s nurses, clinic staff, or post-acute care professionals. Using data, we’ve been able to refine advertising creative to get the best results.
2. Using diverse advertising channels
Our campaigns include display, audio, video, and Google Search ads, as well as social media ads on Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Analytics showed us which channels performed best in different regions and for specific roles, helping us continuously improve.
3. Recruiting nursing school graduates
We’ve also run campaigns to recruit residents right out of nursing school. By analyzing data from previous campaigns, we identified what channels and messages resonate most with new graduates, making our efforts more effective.
Display ads targeting Nurse Residents have a very effective cost per acquisition.
1. Define your goals
What do you want to achieve? More applications for specific roles in specific areas or growing your Talent Network of warm leads for future openings? Start with clear goals to guide your analytics.
2. Track the right metrics
Focus on the metrics that matter for recruiting, like conversion rates and cost per application.
3. Test and learn
Experiment with different platforms, ad formats, messaging and visuals. Use your data to figure out what works best and double down on those strategies.
How else can data analytics help improve my healthcare recruiting efforts?
Data can help identify the types of content, like which employee benefits, resonate with top talent, allowing you to tailor your recruitment strategies.
How often should I review my campaign data?
Ideally, review data monthly to ensure your campaigns are on track. Regular reviews let you make timely adjustments for better results. Then take a longer-term look on a quarterly and yearly basis to see trends that take longer to take shape.
How can GA Creative help?
GA Creative is a branding and advertising agency with 20+ years of experience helping healthcare organizations design and run successful advertising campaigns. We combine expertise in healthcare recruiting with data-driven strategies to help you attract top talent efficiently and effectively.
