Demand For Health IT Workers High

'The lack of local qualified health IT workers, whether real or not, is a very real concern for many.'

A new survey and study conducted by HIMSS Analytics shows demand for qualified health IT workers is as high as it's ever been and "projected to continue in the foreseeable future."  The 2014 HIMSS Workforce Survey results find healthcare organizations consider IT recruiters and executive search firms the most effective way to find good candidates for health IT work.  The high demand for qualified health IT professionals continues, concludes the 2014 HIMSS Workplace Study.

More than 84 percent of survey respondents reported their organization hired at least one staff member in the past year, a finding consistent with the 2013 survey when the number was at 86 percent.  With hiring in 2014 expected to continue at the 2013 pace, 82 percent of survey respondents planned to hire at least one full time employee in the next 12 months, a slight increase from the 79 percent of respondents planning the same in 2013. The study discovered that healthcare employers use multiple approaches to recruit qualified IT professionals. Yet, respondents considered IT recruiters and executive search firms to be the most effective resource to leverage in meeting their hiring demands.

"The lack of local qualified health IT workers, whether real or not, is a very real concern for many," said Lorren Pettit, vice president of research at HIMSS Analytics, in press release announcing the report findings. "And in an industry in which recruiting workers away from other healthcare organizations is fairly common practice, IT recruiters and staffing agencies are clearly seen to be the most effective recruitment resource at a healthcare employer's disposal."...