Nathan Yoder, Vice President of Operations, Clinical Colleagues, Inc.
Finding and recruiting great clinical providers requires so much more than a job description and a search for candidates, conducted directly by your human resources team or even a skilled head hunter. Putting the right people in the right jobs requires strategy, a well-defined process and a long-term commitment that extends well beyond the day that a candidate is actually extended a job offer.
Clinical Colleagues offers the following tips for recruiting clinical providers to help hospitals fill vacancies, and avoid turnover:
- Clearly and completely define the need. Ask yourself what skills, training, licensures and clinical experience your ideal candidate should offer. But then take it a step further. What personality traits or characteristics should be accounted for, in thinking about the type of person who will be a good “fit” for this team or organization? Knowing and understanding these dynamics up front will help you make the right hire, the first time.
- Engage the people that the new candidate will impact. Don’t be afraid to ask people from your team who will work directly with your new hire, to be part of the interview process. This could include representatives from your C-Suite, nursing and OR teams and the medical staff. Their opinions can and do count in this process.
- Be transparent. There is no point in sweeping anything under the carpet. Doing so just means that you will probably make a quick and easy hire, and six months later you will find yourself with a letter of resignation in hand from that great candidate you assumed would stay forever. Be open and honest with your candidates about the challenges that they will face, if they accept the position. People are typically open to working through challenges, but don’t want to be blindsided.
- Create and implement an onboarding process. A job offer has been presented and accepted. Great! Now it is important to provide your new hire with support and ongoing communication to assure a smooth transition and that they are being fully integrated into the practice. Ask a lot of questions, seek their input and encourage honest and open communication, in terms of how things are going, their first few months on the job. Follow up with your new hire and the existing staff even after you feel they are integrated. This allows them to keep you in the loop and express desires, frustrations and helps develop cohesion.
- Encourage their involvement. New hires often want to get involved, but aren’t quite sure where to turn to express their interest. Make it easy for them by making introductions and providing information about upcoming meetings that they should or can take part in.
About Nathan Yoder and Clinical Colleagues, Inc.
Nathan Yoder is the Vice President of Operations for Clinical Colleagues, Inc., responsible for daily operations and practice development to help hospitals reduce anesthesia costs, increase efficiency within the OR and anesthesia departments, and establish long-term anesthesia staffing stability. To learn more about Nathan Yoder and Clinical Colleagues visit ccianesthesia.com.
