Enhancing your organization's elevator pitch
As a recruiter, you’re likely familiar with the concept of an elevator pitch.
In fact, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ve been on the receiving end of countless elevator pitches from candidates hoping to be recruited. It’s a brief, condensed overview of their experience, goals and achievements that, when delivered well, makes you want to learn more about them.
But when you have a limited window to engage with candidates and compel their interest, what do you say about your health care system? In other words, what’s your organization’s elevator pitch?
Whether it’s a short summary that comes to you in the moment, or you’ve ironed it out and committed it to memory, here are some pointers to enhance it, make it more intentional and give it the "oomph" it needs to keep the conversation going.
Aim for brevity
Ever heard the phrase "the attention span of a goldfish?"
Turns out, humans may have a harder time holding focus than our water-dwelling neighbors. According to a study by Microsoft Corp., goldfish have an attention span of around nine seconds, while humans tend to lose concentration after about eight.
That’s why, when delivering an elevator pitch to candidates - which, ideally would be around 30 seconds in total - the key is to hook them from the start (no pun intended).
If you’re attending a virtual career fair, for instance, you’ll have a limited time to speak to multiple candidates. And those candidates are aiming to speak to multiple hiring employers as well. So, what should you say to capture their focus and, more importantly, hold it for the duration of your pitch?
Cover the essentials
The goal of your elevator pitch isn’t to share everything you possibly can about the opportunity and your organization. It’s to share the most important aspects that rustle up interest and ultimately expand into a lengthier and more detailed conversation.
Condensed, some of the main topics to touch on in your short (but sweet) elevator pitch could include:
- The position’s title, the related department’s shining reputation and how it supports the health system’s overall mission and goals.
- A description of the culture, and the opportunity to join a dedicated, passionate and collaborative team.
- How your organization prioritizes its physicians and advanced practice providers through generous compensation and benefits, flexible scheduling, strong work-life balance and growth and leadership opportunities.
Use candidate-focused language
Just because you’re sharing a concise summary about the position and your health care system doesn’t mean you can’t use robust language and tie relevant details back to the candidate.
For example, instead of saying something like, "A new state-of-the-art pediatric wing was added to our hospital in 2019," you could say, "A new state-of-the-art pediatric wing - where you would be working in this position - was added to our hospital in 2019."
Subtly sprinkling in tangible details and mentioning the candidate directly helps them envision themselves in the role and see the opening as not just an idea, but a possibility.
Leave room for questions
It’s likely candidates will have follow-up questions after sharing your organization’s brief overview, so conclude it with an invitation for them to inquire more about the opportunity. For example, you might end with a statement like, "I know I just covered a lot of highlights, but what questions do you have about the position or organization?"
Again, the goal of your elevator pitch isn’t to fit every aspect of the job and organization into a statement that clocks in at just under 30 seconds. It’s to give an attractive snapshot of the highlights. With a succinct overview, candidates can pick out what resonates with them, ask questions and continue a conversation that leads to a worthwhile connection and, ultimately, a new hire for your health system.