How to Attract and Retain Great Medical Coders

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates medical coding jobs are slated to increase by seven percent from 2021-2031, but job openings could outpace the workforce. Persistent staffing shortages across the medical coding and billing industry have far-reaching effects as healthcare systems and providers navigate an increasingly complex reimbursement and billing environment.

So, what’s an employer to do if they want to address staffing challenges and insulate their company from future workforce hurdles?

Here is a list of 10 ways to attract and retain great medical coders.

1. Offer bonuses or referral incentives to your staff for referring new employees.
2. Provide slightly higher salaries or benefits to attract and keep the best talent.
3. Consider non-financial benefits, like four-day work weeks, shared positions, and remote or flexible scheduling.
4. Offer incentives such as signing bonuses, education or professional development opportunities, or other perks to entice candidates.
5. Provide bonuses or incentives for each year a coder stays with your organization.
6. Post your job openings on job boards and other websites that specialize in medical coding, such as AAPC.
7. Cultivate relationships with medical coding schools.
• Ask them to refer qualified candidates.
• Volunteer to share industry experience and expertise with students.
• Become the school’s partner and advocate to create a pipeline of talent.
8. Utilize recruiters and staffing agencies to help you find the right person for the job.
9. Advertise jobs on social media.
10. Host an open house or job fair to make it easier for potential applicants to learn more about available positions.

Finding and keeping the right talent is essential in today’s complex healthcare industry. The Society for Human Resource Management found that employers spend the equivalent of six to nine months of an employee’s salary to find and train a replacement.

Investing in a comprehensive, effective recruitment and retention strategy will not just benefit your company, but also the team members who come to work every day.

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