Outsourced staffing was already essential to healthcare for curbing high turnover before the pandemic. Now, more than a year into COVID, that need has only increased. Regardless of the types of positions you may have available, and how soon you need them filled, we’d recommend keeping one thing in mind:
Not all staffing agencies are created equal.
If you want to receive the best candidates available, you need to invest the time and research to make sure the agency you partner with meets some key criteria. While we wouldn’t consider this an exhaustive list, we strongly recommend the following:
(1) The agency identifies your organization’s needs, and posts positions that accurately reflect them.
In other words, they don’t simply parrot your information to the candidates they interview. They understand the healthcare industry and the specific services you provide, how your open positions fit into those services, and the education and skillsets that candidates will demonstrate in order to be successful.
(2) They choose candidates who not only meet pre-reqs, they recognize what your working environment will require of them.
Ever have someone excited to join your staff, only to leave frustrated a month later? We’ve seen it happen. Knowing how to perform a job doesn’t always prepare a candidate for the environment they’ll have to perform it in, e.g. a registered nurse working at a hospital versus one working in ambulatory care. A good agency lets their candidates know what the reality of their work environment will be like from Day 1.
(3) They verify candidates will be a good fit for your organization’s culture.
Doing a job is one thing. Managing personalities is quite another. If a new hire doesn’t agree with how your location is run or the values you promote, chances are they won’t give you their best performance or stick around for long. Conversely, when you have a full picture of a candidate’s profile — and whether that profile meshes with your organization’s culture — you can avoid a lot of interdepartmental misunderstandings and conflict.
(4) They encourage retention by focusing on benefits.
Pay, insurance coverage, and signup bonuses can all be motivating, but there are other perks you can offer to attract top talent. Those include relocation expenses, maternity and paternity leave, or onsite access and discounts to gyms, food, and other local amenities. Your staffing agency should actively promote any benefits that you offer in order to position your organization as an employer of choice.
(5) They have a long-term talent pool of candidates for positions that aren’t available — yet.
A smart agency anticipates future opportunities for their clients. They will likely have several knowledgeable candidates who either have skills you don’t currently need, or who weren’t selected first when your positions were available. They could still be valuable to you in the future, especially as your organization grows and evolves.
Do you have any current staffing needs or concerns? We want to help! Click here to submit a request, or give us a call at 888-552-0677.
