DOING BUSINESS
The Right Fit How to find qualified employees who match your ASC’s culture and needs. BY PATRICK BRENNAN
It is no secret that the health care industry continues to experience change like never before, including a reduction in the available
pool of potential hires for the industry and in individual ASCs. This is the trend in recruitment and hiring practices in the industry.
Up until 2008, it was difficult to find quality talent. As a result, corpo- rate recruitment departments relied more on the use of outside and third- party search firms. At the beginning of 2008 and the failing economy, the up- heaval in the health care market helped create a larger pool of potential hires that gave the industry better access to the best talent. Moving forward, 2009–2011 intro-
duced the beginning of significant eco- nomic changes that directly affected health care and contributed to record job losses for executives and nurses employed in health systems throughout the country. Resumes from this time period illustrate the instability of the economy and industry through short- lived work histories that are indicative of the period. Today, uncertainty in the economy and continued instability in the health care industry have created a pendulum effect illustrated by a de- creasing number of qualified employ- ees looking for health care jobs. As a result, there is a greater need for true recruitment over traditional hiring. This means that it is more important than ever that the health care industry and ASCs have the right components in place, including strong network connections, to attract the best talent.
Recruitment vs. Hiring
Recruitment—sourcing and filling immediate needs with a largely relationship-based network de- signed to find and secure the best talent using available resources and contacts for future needs.
Hiring—posting a job through an established search network, includ- ing setting up interviews for inter- ested parties and using the human resources department to complete the necessary paperwork to bring the applicant on-board.
For many ASCs, the opportunity to
add new personnel is an exciting op- tion that offers a potential to boost the center’s knowledge base and exper- tise and to encourage a rise in cases. It is important that a recruiter is well- versed on the background of the com- pany, where it stands economically and its future goals because qualified candidates are now at a premium and have a number of choices about where to work.
First Contact Typically, a recruiter serves as one of the first points of contact, so this person must be able to clearly and concisely demonstrate the company’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. If these aspects are not articulated clearly, the potential hire might lose interest and the ASC could lose money since that job still needs to be completed each day, and during the time the right per- son is not in the role, the company ex- periences loss.
All potential hires want to be part of
an organization with a clearly defined fo- cus on the business and the individuals working there. No longer does “selling” a job opportunity occur solely through the interview and hiring process; it also results from the word-of-mouth conver- sations with current and past employees before, during and after the interview process. In general, these conversations focus on how the company functions on a day-to-day and case-by-case basis. Smaller organizations that may not have a dedicated staff recruiter may start the candidate search by posting a job de- scription on industry-specific search sites and job boards, but they should also be prepared for potential candidates who are looking for the inside scoop to con- duct their own research.
Role of Social Media Advances in technology, including re- cruiter software with increased search capabilities and well-known social me- dia sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, have helped to level the playing field for centers that lack the time and resources to conduct a more extensive search. Given the reach of social media today, it can be argued that who poten- tial employees know and associate with is more important than ever. In fact, net- working opportunities that previously took place first face-to-face now often begin with a simple message sent on a social media site. Once contact is estab- lished through a social media site, such as LinkedIn, it’s easy to review online resumes and view skill lists and com- ments about potential candidates. While companies may view maintaining a continuing presence on LinkedIn as an expensive investment, most recruiters find that they end up saving in terms of search fees. The use of LinkedIn can be justified further if the process integrates with the company’s branding and social media campaigns.
The advice and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent official Ambulatory Surgery Center Association policy or opinion. 26 ASC FOCUS APRIL 2013
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