Almost five minutes of applause. Pieces of music too. Five years ago, during the acute phase of the Cavid-19 pandemic, the caregivers were thanked daily. Faced with this unprecedented health crisis, and themselves on the front line, they worked tirelessly to overcome the many deficiencies in the care sector. Overwork and loss of meaning led many of them to turn away from their profession and care establishments. In the post-sanitary era, the question of human resources management and recruitment in hospitals arises with new acuity. 56 % of employees of public health establishments consider that the crisis has changed their expectations vis-à-vis labor, 49 % have more frequently felt the desire to convert professionally and 42 % have planned more to resign (OpinionWay Study/ Hospital Federation of France (FHF*)/ Indeed, January 25, 2025). The crisis of vocation continues: “100,000 positions are to be filled each year,” said Henri Durand-Delacre,, Commercial Director Public Sector of Indeed France. “Today there are 600,000 nurses, it will take 800,000 by 2035-2040. The lack of attractiveness is obvious.”
However, levers exist to stem this shortage of labor and prevent it from becoming structural. Thus, 49 % of hospital professionals judge that the return to their vocation involves better taking into account individual needs in the management of schedules. However, only 11 % of them find that this practice exists in their workplace, while 39 % of HR officials claim to have established it in their establishment. The hiatus is considerable. In addition, 41 % of caregivers declare wish to wish a reinforced dialogue with their management, but only 9 % consider it effective, against 38 % of HR. This divergence of perception accentuates discomfort and does not promote the return of caregivers to the public sector.
Another track to make trades more attractive and keep the workforce? “The focus on training is very positive, because it allows you to evolve, to be recognized and to acquire expertise”, analyzes Henri Durand-Delacre. Moreover, the public hospital trains 40,000 people each year at AI. However, only 36 % of nursing staff consider access to training as one of the main advantages of their profession. Perhaps there is a lack of pedagogy here …
Conversely, 67 % of professionals argue that remuneration is the major argument to stay, despite the increases already granted during the “health segur”.
The nurse in geriatrics is very coveted
Other levers exist to attract candidates, such as Professional life-life balance: 33 % of care employees dream of a week in 4 days when 13 % of HR officials claim that this is already the case. Last lever to explore: 32 % of professionals demand best managerial practices. Professionalize too. “We ask health executives to specialize in management to retain the workforce and encourage doctors to style the manager’s cap because they are legitimate in this sector,” said Henri Durand-Delacre.
The objective is also to attract profiles that combine technicality, empathy and adaptability. In this context, DSIs (Director of Information Systems) and cybersecurity and digitalization specialists have their place. We recruit young people but also thirties or quadras who already have experience in the private sector. Finally, note that the nursing in geriatrics is the profession whose number of job offers exploded on Indeed with a growth of 4,227 % between 2021 and 2024, followed in 7th and 9th position by the coordinating doctor and the director of the rest house.
*Created in 1924, the French Hospital Federation (FHF) brings together more than 1,000 public health establishments (hospitals) and 3,800 medico-social structures (retirement homes and autonomous specialized reception houses), almost all public sector establishments.
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