Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper): AZ Oostende’s recruitment campaign seeks 200 new staff annually, featuring humorous videos with employees searching for the fictional blood type “AZ O+”. HR director Ellen De Ruwe emphasizes 40 job openings amid a nursing shortage.
The hospital has launched a recruitment campaign featuring videos of its staff. In these videos, employees search for individuals with the fictional blood type “AZ O+”, which combines the hospital’s name (“AZ”) with the common blood type “O+”. This approach symbolizes the hospital’s effort to find suitable team members while promoting its identity as a workplace.
How is AZ Oostende attracting nurses in a competitive job market?
The hospital’s recruitment campaign features employees, adding authenticity and relatability to the message. It has been said that the videos use humor and creativity to engage potential applicants, showcasing the hospital as a friendly and collaborative workplace. This approach highlights the importance of teamwork and shared values while helping the hospital stand out as an attractive employer.
“Finding nurses is hard,” says Ellen De Ruwe, HR director at AZ Oostende. “There are too many job openings and not enough applicants. We are investing in training to help healthcare workers become nurses. We need to hire about 200 people yearly and have around forty jobs open now. We are the largest employer in West Flanders with over 2,000 workers.”
