I’ve been noticing a trend with positions being posted to HIMSS JobMine. Relocation assistance and hiring bonuses seem to be making a comeback. Now, I’ve been accused of being an eternal optimist even with the recent doom and gloom predictions surrounding the last two jobs reports from the U.S. Department of Labor, but relocation and bonuses were two items slashed from hiring budgets when the recession hit.

This resurgence can be viewed as a positive sign of the economy being stronger than it was two years ago. Also, it’s indicative of the demand for health IT talent. Healthcare IT News recently ran an article about Texas and its estimated need for 10,000 health IT workers by 2013. If organizations are competing for talent, they’re going to be forced to up their ante. Plus, the real estate market has stabilized, making it less of a risk for organizations to offer relocation assistance.

Another factor is that recruiters and hiring managers are getting more creative with the recruitment process, which is freeing up the budget and these funds are being allocated toward incentives. For example, using Skype or similar programs for interviews is replacing the expense of an on-site interview. Using a niche job board, like JobMine, is immediate and more cost effective than running an ad in the local classifieds. Social media for recruiting is also cutting down on advertising costs. 

HIMSS is hosting its first ever Virtual Career Fair on May 16th and the response from employers and job seekers alike has been overwhelming. This platform provides the same networking environment as a live event, but eliminates travel cost. Employers are able to reach into a national (even international) pool of engaged and active health IT job seekers.

This is an advantageous time for job seekers. The sign-on bonuses and relocation assistance programs are being offered for all levels of positions from Systems Analysts to CIO, so every candidate can reap the benefits.

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.