The Career Tree Network Blog

There is a big battle going on right now among Wisconsin Healthcare organizations for the best and brightest talent.  With the aging population and workforce shortages in a variety of disciplines, maintaining a good supply of talented healthcare professionals is key.

While many HR people would agree with this, few organizations are doing what it takes to win the battle. 

Almost a year ago I wrote a blog post on how to treat candidates like pond scum.  The point of this sarcastic post was to share a few complaints that I frequently get from frustrated candidates.  The best and brightest candidates are typically the ones who are most upset.  They realize that their skills are valuable, yet organizations continue to treat them poorly as candidates in their hiring process.   

Here’s the main point:  If you agree that top talent is in high demand, your organization must adopt a candidate focused approach to recruitment.  This involves viewing candidates as a scarce resource rather than an unending stream of resumes who keep leaving you voicemails. 

When candidates are really viewed as scarce and valuable, hiring policies and practices will quickly align to protect and nurture their experience.   

Many years ago two American salesmen were employed by a large shoe company and each was sent on an assignment to the continent of Africa.

Within twenty-four hours of the first salesman’s arrival, he wired a message back to the main offie which read, “RETURNING HOME IMMEDIATELY.  HOPELESS SITUATION.  NO ONE HERE WEARS SHOES.”

Communication from the second salesman follows shortly thereafter:  “CAN’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!  UNLIMITED POTENTIAL!  NO ONE HERE HAS ANY SHOES!”

In Wisconsin Healthcare Recruitment and most things in life, attitude is everything! 

Source:  Reach for the Stars by Rochelle Pennington 

Here are a few comments that I’ve received this week:

“My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!”

“Really interesting post, thanks! Do you mind if I publish it in my blog, with a link back to you?”

“Hi, I like your blog. This is a cool site and I wanted to post a little note to let you know, nice job! Thanks Lisa”

The only problem is that all these comments are fake.  When you leave a comment on a blog you can include a link to your website, these links will help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which helps your website appear higher on Google.  As a result, spammers have created automated systems that leave comments on blogs.  They are not real people and certainly don’t care about Healthcare recruitment in Wisconsin.

When I get the email with their “fake” comment I’m always excited.  Then a few seconds later, I realize that the comment is phony and disappointment sets in.  The idea of a real person giving a positive comment about this blog is very appealing to me.  In fact it’s what I crave…and what all of us craves! 

We want real connections with other people.  We want another people to listen and appreciate what we have to say.  If we have a question, we want to reach a knowledgeable person who can personally respond.  In many ways technology has enabled an abundance of fake connections which can be incredibly annoying.  Like when you receive a spam email message from a business owner in Kenya who wants to send you money.  Or when you call a customer service hot line and spend 30 minutes hitting buttons on your phone before a real person….in Manila, Philippines…answers the phone. 

Let’s tie this to Healthcare recruitment in Wisconsin.  Many recruiters seem to follow a transactional approach.  It might sound something like this:

“I have a position open for a Pharmacist, so I’ll post the position on a few job boards, and follow our hiring process.  On my outgoing voicemail I state that I can’t return individual calls from candidates.  I really don’t want to build relationships…I just need a qualified Pharmacist to come forward when I post the position.  Why are people so difficult?”

This sends a message to candidates that we really don’t care about them.  We only want to go through the motions to uncover a candidate who we’ll never keep in touch with once the position is filled. 

Rather, I’d encourage you to give candidates what they crave.  Listen to their career goals and take a long term perspective to build a mutual relationship.  Develop active channels to stay connected for future networking and career opportunities.  Be a recruiter and a real person…at the same time. 

A job description is your primary opportunity to attract the attention of candidates.

In many disciplines, like Physical Therapy, candidates are highly sought after and often could literally choose any position that they’d like. When candidates are scarce, the strategy of recruitment must shift from a screen resume framework to a proactive sales approach where the job description is a persuasion tool.

Your job description must do more than disclose the essential functions of the position. View a job description as a sales tool that persuades candidates to join your organization.

Key Thought: Candidates already have a good idea of what work a licensed healthcare professional within their discipline will perform. Use the job description to persuade candidates to come join your team.

Your current employees are a great source for candidate referrals.

Right now you may be thinking, “we’re all set….we already have an employee referral program (ERP)”. Before you skip away for another cup of coffee, let’s review a few questions:

1.  In the last 12 months, how many new hires were generated from your ERP program?
2. How do employees learn about the mechanics of your program?
3. What incentive do employees have to participate?

It’s not good enough to just have an ERP…..it must be an effective recruitment source.

In order to enhance your program, include a reward for both the current employee and the new referral. Current employees may feel awkward earning a reward at the expense of their friend. Rewarding both parties creates an equitable solution.

The incentive does not need to be cold hard cash. Consider incorporating other creative rewards to acknowledge and thank employees for participating in the program.

Key Thought: Take a close look at your current Employee Referral Program. Do employees really know how it works?