A strong team for the future: How Helios Germany attracts new talent
What would a hospital actually be without nursing staff? There’s a clear answer: the hospital would shut down.
Helios is the largest hospital operator in Germany with more than 80 clinics, numerous other medical facilities and approximately 78,000 employees. Nursing staff are the biggest professional group. They contribute to maximizing the quality of treatment and patient safety. They also care for patients in all treatment phases.
The nursing profession involves a great deal of responsibility. It is very demanding and requires a dedicated work ethic, medical expertise, and technical acumen as well as crucial empathy with patients. This isn’t just a job, it’s a calling with profound significance. Healthcare professionals help fellow human beings get well again, save lives, and restore quality of life. All this provides the meaningful career sought by many individuals in their working lives.
Nevertheless, the market for nursing staff is highly competitive, partly due to demographic change. The demand for junior staff at Helios is high. Every year, over 5,000 people embark on their training pathway in 35 modern educational centers at Helios.
Rediscovering care: Inspiring enthusiasm for the profession
Helios has developed an array of ideas to attract the best candidates for nursing training. The company is keen to give potential applicants a realistic insight into everyday nursing. It is also important for Helios to explain the varied tasks and development opportunities presented by the profession.
In 2024, a creative nursing bet was launched on social media to attract more people to nursing. The aim was to generate at least 500 applications within six weeks. As part of the “Ask the Docs” video format, Helios published a short report on YouTube presenting trainees in their day-to-day work at the hospital. The objective was to get people of different ages interested in training for a career in nursing. The result far exceeded the target set: more than 1,600 candidates applied.
Helios also stands apart from other employers in the application process to identify future nursing professionals. Applicants can look forward to a guaranteed job after successful completion of training. They can expect payment in line with collective agreements and targeted support for individual talents from the very beginning. Helios also wants to be close to the target group and easily approachable in its communication.
Pop-up store inspires with proximity
Helios hospital Emil von Behring has launched the “Hallo Behring” pop-up store in a Berlin shopping mall. Anyone interested in healthcare professions could drop by the pop-up store to learn more about job opportunities in a relaxed setting. This initiative was based on the slogan “You don’t have to go to the hospital, the hospital comes to you”. Employees in different roles gave an outline of their profiles and the work they do. An offer like Speed Dating allowed interested individuals to match their aspirations and strengths with the potential roles. If there was a good match, initial interviews were held and the recruitment process was set in motion.
Inclusive part-time training for young people with a migrant background
With the integrative part-time training program in Hildesheim, Helios is also paving new paths and enabling young people from different countries to train in healthcare and nursing professions. To get prepared for the apprenticeship they receive dedicated language training and supportive integration services. The hospital’s integration officer assists these trainees for example in dealing with the authorities and finding accommodation. Additionally, at the Helios training centers, more than 700 nursing professionals from various countries also begin targeted training programs for their professional recognition in Germany every year.
Charting career paths: Opportunities for future leaders
Recruiting future managers at an early stage is also important to secure the company’s viability in the future. Six trainee programs have been tailored to university graduates. This leadership track prepares the trainees for their professional future as managers at Helios. One program is dedicated to nursing – Helios is recruiting trainees to become nursing managers.
Work shadowing and active involvement in our hospitals gives participants valuable insights on the job right from the start. This experience is extremely popular. Undertaking four to six assignments throughout Germany gives trainees sector-specific specialist knowledge, allows them to carry out projects with responsibility, and enables them to make important networking contacts. Experienced mentors provide them with support.
After successfully completing the trainee program, colleagues gradually take on responsibility and gain in-depth knowledge in the workplace.
“At Helios Germany, we rely on the best minds. To find them, we are taking new, even international paths and offering them attractive opportunities with us.”
