- Healthcare professionals increasingly prioritize workplace support systems, with 3 in 4 considering mental health support a key factor when evaluating job opportunities.
- Skills gaps are widening in the industry, with only 64% of healthcare professionals feeling prepared to use new technology, such as AI (vs. 71% global average).
- With over 1.4 million healthcare roles currently unfulfilled worldwide and the typical time a healthcare worker stays in a role at just 1.4 years, this vital sector faces significant talent scarcity.
The healthcare sector is experiencing acute talent scarcity, with Randstad data showing more than 1.4 million roles currently unfilled ahead of a projected global shortfall of 11 million workers by 2030. Combined with a median tenure of just 1.4 years and minimal year-on-year talent growth of 1.3%, these figures highlight the limited influx of new talent into the sector and the urgent need to adapt to evolving workforce expectations. For healthcare organizations, this means placing greater emphasis on workplace support systems, fostering a strong sense of community and ensuring talent skilled to succeed in digital-first future of work — all critical to attracting and retaining talent in a highly competitive market.
Randstad’s 2025 Workmonitor finds that healthcare workers are placing greater importance on workplace support systems compared to talent in other sectors. 88% of healthcare professionals said that a sense of community at work is important to their mental health and wellbeing, significantly higher than the Energy (74%), Automotive (78%), and Agriculture (77%) sector.
The research, based on insights from over 26,000 workers in 35 countries, found that 76% of healthcare professionals consider mental health support a key factor when evaluating both current and future employment opportunities. Talent in this sector values mental health support more than their employer's stance on environmental issues (56%), values and purpose (63%), or even promotion opportunities (70%). Across markets, mental health support is valued most highly in Southern Europe (84%) and North-Western Europe (78%) and least in Latin America (74%) and North America (73%).
Despite this, more than half (53%) of healthcare workers report that their employer has yet to implement policies specifically addressing mental health support. In addition, less than half of this group (47%) trust their employer to create an environment where colleagues can thrive, which is below the global average (49%). Without action, employers risk accelerating attrition, threatening workforce stability.
Skilling gap highlights readiness concerns
Confidence in using the latest technology is waning among healthcare professionals. 64% feel prepared to leverage new tech (e.g. Artificial Intelligence) in their roles, well below the global average of 71%. North America in particular lags behind at 56%, in contrast to 72% in the APAC region.
Only 43% believe their industry is better prepared than others for technological shifts, falling short of the 49% global benchmark. This signals a clear opportunity for employers to invest in upskilling and continuous learning to empower healthcare talent and future-proof the workforce.
Strong workplace community crucial for well-being
A sense of belonging also plays a crucial role in healthcare professionals' work life. Just under half (47%) said they wouldn’t accept a job if the organization wasn’t actively building a positive workplace culture, higher than the 44% who would quit over a lack of equity-oriented efforts.
When looking across sectors, healthcare professionals are more likely to want their workplace to feel like a community (86% vs 74% for energy and 72% of automotive), demonstrating a critical need for employers in the sector to focus on culture and connection. With men comprising 65% of the workforce, creating inclusive, equity-focused cultures at work is essential to alleviate talent scarcity challenges.
Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO of Randstad, commented:
“The data is clear: in the face of talent scarcity, healthcare workers are prioritizing employers who offer not only mental health support and a strong sense of community, but also opportunities to grow their skills. With nearly half ready to walk away from employers who don’t foster a supportive culture and many feeling unprepared for tech-driven change - building connected, future-ready workplaces is now essential to attract and retain healthcare talent.”
