Beyond Jobs: The Real Battle
Healthcare systems have fought to win talent with pay, culture, and career growth. But in 2025, the real battle isn’t over jobs — it’s over place.
📊 61% of disconnected employees plan to leave their jobs (Gallup, 2024)
📊 46% of candidates hesitate to relocate because they don’t see a path to connection (BCG, 2023)
For clinicians, it’s not just about work. It’s about whether they can build a life in the community.
The Cost of Disconnection
Disconnection fuels:
- 50% higher turnover (BetterUp, 2023)
- Burnout — 56% of nurses report symptoms (ANA, 2024)
- Longer, harder searches for critical roles
When candidates don’t feel connected, they don’t commit.
One Hospital’s Shift
A Tier 3 city hospital lost multiple physicians to “better” cities. Candidates weren’t rejecting the role — they were rejecting the place.
Within 90 days of building a Place Strategy, the hospital landed its top-choice candidate — proof that connection can be the difference-maker.
The New Role of HR: Place Strategist
Economic developers sell regions. Recruiters sell jobs.
But in healthcare, leaders must now sell place.
That means:
- Place-Centric Marketing → highlight community, lifestyle, affordability
- Candidate Place Audits → show cost-of-living & culture comparisons
- Place-First Onboarding → integrate new hires into the community, not just the workplace
Build Your Place Strategy Now
At MARS, we built a 10-Step Place Process that helps hospitals:
- Align recruiting with community assets
- Craft authentic place stories
- Reduce time-to-fill and turnover
👉 We’re rolling it out with a handful of healthcare systems this quarter. Message us to secure your spot — before your best candidates choose somewhere else.