NAHCR Board’s Top “Resolutions” for 2014:

Our NAHCR Board recently identified their top 5 “Resolutions” for the coming year. Here, Theresa Mazzaro, Communications Director, discusses her thoughts on why she is resolute to make these things happen.

 Why do you think it’s important to work on increasing our membership?

I can tell you upfront it’s not about the money that we collect from dues. For me personally, it’s about the patients.

 
Patients? That seems like a stretch to go from membership in a Healthcare Recruitment Organization to a patient. Can you expand on that?

Sure. Everything we do as a healthcare recruiter is about hiring people to care for our patients (or support those that do). I live in the Pacific Northwest but most of my family lives on the East Coast. I want the staff hired at hospitals in Maine to be just as exceptional as the staff we hire in my organization. I feel like NAHCR helps us (as healthcare recruiters) hire the best people for the best patient experience.

 
That makes sense. But will increasing membership alone make that happen?

No. It’s one thing to pay a fee to join a group. It’s another to become “active” and participate in all that NAHCR has to offer. We have webinars, LinkedIn and Facebook groups, and of course our National Conference (IMAGE) that bring everyone together to learn best practices that they can then take back to their organization to affect change. We also have a Directions magazine that brings thought leaders together on pertinent conversations for the betterment of our practice. We also have a certification (CHCR) that people can test for at these conferences, putting a “best in practice” stamp on what we do.

Tell me a little more about the CHCR?

CHCR stands for a Certified Healthcare Recruiter. I believe it is our industry’s statement to the “world” that we are a proven professional in healthcare recruitment. It elevates us to be held to a higher standard of best practice, knowledge, and passion for our field to have this certification (in my opinion). I’d like to see it listed on every job description throughout the country.

So people need to come to the conference? What have you learned there?

I have been able to become a better business partner to my hiring manager, sourcing specialist, interviewer, marketing and advertising “expert”, and really an overall better recruiter as a result of my the last 5 NAHCR Image conferences I have attended. I also have brought back new tools that I learned about from our vendors that help make my job easier and allow me to work “smarter” and not “harder”

So it would seem that maintaining our vendor relationships is important.

Absolutely! We have some really great tools out there that make my job SO much easier. The technology is so advanced and simple for any level (novice or advanced techies) to use. I wouldn’t know about most of these things without attending these conferences and getting dedicated time to spend with our vendors. Their support is key to helping us stay in the forefront of best practice.

At the end of the day, what advice do you have someone who wants to get more involved in NAHCR?

I believe the first step is to join. Find a local chapter as well – and join there. Listen to a webinar. Read Directions. If you are like me – you’ll be hungry for more – and we are lucky that NAHCR gives us all this…and more!

The Blonde Lady with the Bling!

Interviewer: Claudia Cotarelo, Atlantic Health System
Interviewee: Susan Erickson, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

At my first IMAGE conference, I recall noticing a fellow NAHCR member and remember calling her “the blonde lady with the bling.” Little did I know, this “blonde lady” would be my mentor on NAHCR’s Board of Directors.

Susan Erickson is someone whom you don’t easily forget – she came across as friendly, vivacious, passionate, caring and then some!  Sue and I served on the board for one year. She was my mentor and was all that I thought she would be!

Over the last few years, we’ve become friends and stay in touch whether during a conference call or seeing each other at IMAGE.

So when it was time for me to write my first NAHCR blog, I was excited to write about Susan Erickson and her “recruitment journey.” In doing so, I found out a few things I didn’t know about her.

How did you get to this point?

During the early 90s when “replacement by attrition” was popular, Susan found herself being asked to pick up an additional department. The selection would either be Staff Education or Nurse Recruitment. We all know she picked “B,” Nurse Recruitment, but little did she know that this career selection would turn into her passion.

Where to start?

Being who she is, she was quick to reach out to colleagues in the community. She found out about NAHCR; next thing she knew, her ticket was booked to the IMAGE Conference in Orlando, Fla., only 14 years ago! She has never missed a conference since.

Where do I begin?

Susan attended our two-day recruiter pre-conference workshop. She thought, “Why not? This should help me,” even though she was excited and overwhelmed by everything she “didn’t” know. Since her work place did not have a nurse recruitment plan, she had to start from scratch.

During the conference, the first thing she noticed from fellow NAHCR members was the warm reception she received – she went to IMAGE not knowing anyone. That same reception she received during her first IMAGE conference is what gave her the drive to get started on her recruitment journey. She also remembers coming home and connecting with other members through the membership directory. She reached out to as many people as she could, searching for subject/project experts.  

She finds her NAHCR membership invaluable to her success and to her organization’s success. The ability to reach out to membership and to ask a question is priceless. She has implemented so many basic programs from sign-on to referral bonuses, 60-day post hires to exit interviews, and recently onboarding specific to her facility while learning so much from other NAHCR members.  

It’s easy for members to share when they are just as passionate about what they do!

So I asked her …

Would you have chosen “B” all over again?

“Of course,” she said. She likes what she does, and she loves the networking and resources provided by NAHCR members. She also likes to give back and be of service to others.

These days she’s not only involved at the national level but also at the state level – again giving back, serving others.

Full Circle…

This past July, Susan received NAHCR’s Distinguished Member Award – an award given to an individual for outstanding service to NAHCR and contributions to health care recruitment at national, state or local levels. You can IMAGE imagine her surprise … someone who chose “B” was given an award for everything that she’s done. She was speechless. Anyone who knows Susan knows that she is someone who’s never at a loss for words.  She was overwhelmed with emotion; she didn’t get her graduate degree in recruitment.

“How can this happen to me?  I love my job, should I be rewarded for loving what I do?”

Yes, you should!

She talks about her “Warm Fuzzy” board” in her office.  

This board includes pictures from most of the past 14 IMAGE conferences; it brings a smile to her face. So many great memories. When she needs a boost, she looks at her board. She finds it inspirational to keep on moving forward to effect positive change for her department, work place and state. Good to know that after all these years, Susan still finds her friends at NAHCR inspirational!  

Good job my friend and mentor, the blonde lady with the bling!

 

Bullhorn Report: LinkedIn Most Popular Site for Social Recruiting

If you’re beginning to think every one is using LinkedIn to source candidates, you’re close to right.

Nearly every survey on source of hire or use of social media by recruiters shows LinkedIn to be a key part of the mix; often it leads all the listed social media sites. The company itself reported adding 2,400 customers in just the last quarter of 2012, bringing the total to 16,400 organizations under contract.

Now comes a Bullhorn survey to report that of the 160,000 registered users on Bullhorn Reach, 97% use LinkedIn to source candidates. That’s not as surprising as it might seem at first glance.

To read the entire article by John Zappe at ERE click here.

Great Meetings, Great Conversations & Great Outcomes!

It was cold!  The NAHCR board met last week in cold Minneapolis…. I can’t wait until the summer.

 

We met at the site of the next Image Conference, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. What a beautiful hotel.   When I first walked in, my eyes went directly to the beautiful fireplace.  The fireplace is almost the width of the lobby.  Before checking in I met up with a fellow board member, Derek Cunningham.  Glad to see a familiar face in a strange city!

I checked in- without a problem.  The staff was helpful and friendly.  My room was on the 24th floor- the views were amazing, ( I wished the weather was clearer so I could see better!).  The board met for two days; great meetings both days; great conversations and great outcomes!  I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for NAHCR.

I had an opportunity to visit the downtown area,  which is full of restaurants, small eclectic shops, coffee shops, book stores, large stores (Target and Macy’s ) –there’s even “Hell’s Kitchen”.   I took a stroll on Saturday afternoon me myself and I; found myself in Target ( one of my favorite stores)….. not just any Target- this store was HUGE!  It’s in a corner building – it has at least 3 floors and more importantly a Starbucks!  I was surprised to see their shopping carts had their own escalator- yes- that’s correct; they had an escalator.  I’ve never seen that before.  As I  sat and enjoyed my coffee… I enjoyed city views – this Starbucks had huge windows overlooking Nicollet Mall. 

I look forward every year to Image – I get to visit a new city and meet new friends and catch up with old ones!  I really enjoyed our board meeting and enjoyed Minneapolis. I hope to see you there in July!

Claudia Cotarelo

NE Regional Chair

How to Create a Sourcing Strategy

While confusion seems to reign among recruiting leaders on how to build effective sourcing strategies, Donna Quintal at Sears Holdings Corporation has been able to craft a powerful set of analytics over the past few years to help predict where hiring will occur before the requisitions appear and what sorts of candidate communities should be cultivated to meet expected needs.

What Donna has done anyone can do — she started small, made a business case for what she did, and because of her practical and business-focused approach was able to get additional resources and expand the usefulness of her analytics.

It is not necessary to have sophisticated analytic tools or exceptional expertise. These are useful, but they are not necessary to get started. Even simple data can be powerful, and is often more useful in the beginning because it is easier to see the connection between the data and the results that business leaders respect.

Donna started with simple tools — just an Excel spreadsheet and Survey Monkey. She gathered basic data from surveys created in Survey Monkey. She gathered data about the needs and issues the hiring managers had, especially from areas where there were problems. Once she had this data, she was able to look for common issues and target areas for improvement. This was then shared with recruiters and HR for action.

To read the full article by Kevin Wheeler at ERE, click here.

6 Key Characteristics of a Kick-A** Recruiter

True or false? Recruiters sit around waiting for the right resumes to fall in their laps.

True or false? While attending candidate-focused events, good recruiters chat only with coworkers and passively watch as candidates stroll by.

True or false? Top-performing recruiters only work active applications in their company’s applicant tracking systems.

Answers: False. False. And false!

Yet, at countless job fairs, within global companies and on HR teams across the country, poorly trained, unapproachable and lackluster recruiters are tasked with finding their companies’ next top talent. Don’t let yourself be one of them!


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/6-key-characteristics-of-a-kick-a-recruiter-2013-2

Ethical and Legal Recruitment Considerations

As a trainer in behavioral interviewing techniques at our organization, I am still continuously surprised by the inappropriate questions that we catch managers asking candidates.  Often times, they have rationalized why a question is relevant to a position without true consideration of the legal and ethical implications.  In order to spark discussion during class, I usually assign pre-reading of the following USATODAY article. 

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/careers/resources/interviewillegal.htm

Part Two of the NAHCR Recruiter’s Handbook Legal and Ethical Issues for the Recruiter is also a valuable reference resource.  This includes chapters on the hiring process, federal employment laws, and immigration laws.  You can order a copy at http://www.nahcr.com/Documents/Recruiter%20Handbook%20Order%20Form_0612.pdf.

While the majority of the time these illegal questions that pop up are unintentionally asked, they can still place a company or organization at risk of a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  What resources do you use in your organization to educate hiring managers regarding legal interview questioning?  Have you seen any recent publications on this topic that you think would be helpful to share?

 

Melissa Marrero RN-BC, BSN

Loving, and “Hating”, Your Vendor Relationships

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, which is a holiday to celebrate relationships of all kinds, a pertinent topic to cover is relationships between recruitment and vendors.  As an internal recruiter in health care there is always the “purple squirrel” to be chased.  While “purple squirrel” is a staffing term, it is applicable to recruiters across every specialty area.  These “purple squirrels” are your tough-to-fill positions, be that due to lack of candidate pool (such as experienced physical therapists) or a tough hiring manager who requires a specific amount of experience or a specialized skillset that is tough to find.  Regardless of the reason, as an internal recruiter you will eventually employ a vendor to help you hunt your “purple squirrel.”

Relationships with staffing firms, headhunters, placement agencies, etc. are typically difficult to build.  This is due, in no small part, to the sheer number of companies that are trying to earn your business.  As with any plumber or landscaper you hire – there are the good, the bad, and the excellent. 

With any courtship, the relationship should start with the agency asking you a lot of questions.  They should want to know your “story” – the picture you paint for your candidates to generate interest in your positions.  They should want to know your company culture, your obstacles, your hiring managers’ preferences, and anything else pertinent to your healthcare organization as a whole, eventually getting down to the brass tacks. 

This early part of the relationship requires some investment on your part.  You must invest some time and energy into providing your vendors, or potential vendors, this backstory in order to give them the benefit of having the full story when sourcing candidates to you.  If you are unwilling to invest this time, imagine how little time your vendors will spend finding talent for your organization.

Obviously if a vendor comes at you with a “save the world” mentality and they are not willing to ask questions, they are likely not the vendor for you.  You may receive many candidates, and some may even be candidates you hire; however, when you throw spaghetti at the wall – some will always stick.  Having a recruitment firm that presents YOUR message to the candidate is invaluable.  They have done the initial prescreening for you to ensure the candidate’s interest in a company like yours, and you then have the opportunity to close the deal.

Expectations.  The ugly word that is brought into every relationship – budding or long-term.  Make sure you manage expectations on both sides with your vendors.  If you would prefer they not call you unless there is an “emergency,” let them know.  If you prefer only phone communication and strictly on Tuesday mornings, let them know that as well.  Give your service provider the opportunity to treat you how you would like to be treated as a customer.  If they cannot provide you the service you are looking for, we are all aware of the countless other providers out there.  That being said, expectations work both ways.  As internal recruiters we do not always receive the feedback we would like from our hiring managers, in the timeframe we would like to receive this feedback.  Check in with your vendor in a specified amount of time, even if you do not have additional information.  This will garner their trust as well, and you will likely stop receiving calls in the middle of your busy Monday mornings to “just follow up.”

Overall the purpose of this blog is to serve as a reminder that in the vendor/employer relationship there is a service level commitment and a positive relationship can most definitely be fostered.  Once you have your trusted team of firms to source candidates to you, you will always have this pool to draw from.  As with any service, if your landscaper starts skipping half your yard or sending someone else in his stead, you are free to shop for vendors again.  By investing the time on the front end to research a proper provider, you will reduce the time you spend replacing your vendors or working with too many on the back end.   Having someone to call in your time of “purple squirrel” hunting that can deliver a quality product is truly priceless.

Thank You to all Recruiters!

 

 

For NAHCR’s December offering we would like to re-post an article from ERE (Electronic Recruiting Exchange) from recruitment Thought Leader Dr. John Sullivan. 

Hardworking healthcare recruiters – it’s been a challenging and exciting year.  Here is your virtual thank you note from all of your hires and hiring managers.

 

Please follow the link below:

http://www.ere.net/2008/12/22/a-christmas-card-for-recruiters-%E2%80%93-thank-you-for-all-that-you-do/

 

Shared with you on behalf of the NAHCR Social Media Committee

NAHCR Board – A Diverse Group on a Mission to Represent You!

The rigor in which your board works to make this association strong and sustainable is something of which to feel good.  

First of all, you should know that there is a diverse group representing, some new to the board providing fresh perspective and some that have been around for years’ with a legacy of insight.  Recently the board made a decision to have a former board member of long-time history to be a sort of legacy advisor, offering sage wisdom on by-law issues and strategy.  This board member helps to ensure we aren’t re-inventing the wheel every year and can weigh in on important concerns.

Who better to be that source but our recent honoree of the Distinguished Member Award, Janice Buehler, CHCR, MBA from Cedars Sinai Health System.  Janice is a staple of knowledge and integrity in the association and will continue to help guide us in a way that honors our legacy and takes heed of the future.  She provides a shining example of professionalism from which all of us can strive.

Four members of the board are sectioned into regions so that there is representation of demographic areas.  This helps each region to have a say and be acknowledged in how strategies are formed and ensures no part of the nation goes unserved.  While we tend to have the same challenges in healthcare recruitment everywhere (find me a state that doesn’t need strong clinical directors these days?), it’s good to know you have a respective leader that knows your territory.  It helps us all to feel connected and represented.

The board takes two meetings a year to plan the annual Image conference, review performance of the association, address concerns and trends in the industry, consider financial aspects and commits to putting together a strategy with thoughtful intention.  This includes educational offerings to keep the members up to date in the profession, taking into account what other industries are embarking on in Talent Acquisition.    They also provide guidance to chapter concerns.  Supporting our chapters provides growth and sustainability keeping us on top of our game.

While faces come and go every year or so, you can feel secure in knowing the board you’ve chosen forges ahead with a passion for healthcare recruitment and a guiding mission.  Making your jobs easier in this high-touch, customer service expectation environment while minding the technology advances as they come whizzing past us all is no easy feat.  With your help, we’re all on the job!

Laura Roybal, Talent Acquisition Manager and NAHCR Western Regional Chair

Justify to Your Emplyer Why You Should Attend IMAGE 2012!

The time for the 2012 NAHCR IMAGE Conference is just around the corner. Can you sense the excitement? For those that have to justify with their organizations why they need to be there (not just because they need to get away), here are some things to share with your manager or other leaders:

- CEUs offered. The conference is approved for HRCI (PHR/SPHR) credit as well as continuing education for RNs and other licensed professionals. This is a great way to get several of those hours packed away in a single setting.

- Review conference sessions ahead of time and show your leadership which ones you would plan to attend and let them know you plan to report back on them.

- Networking. Learn best practices from colleagues around the nation and be certain to share that information with others at your company. You will also gain contacts so you can be the "go-to" person in the office.

- CHCR exam offered at the conference. Obtaining certification shows your leadership team that you have the basic competencies for the role and helps build confidence.

- Coming away with ideas on how to tackle the changing landscape of healthcare.

- This is one of the kindest conferences to your wallet, or the company bank account. The speakers and value of the conference for the cost alone make it worthwhile.

- IMAGE is the one conference that closest matches what we do on a daily basis and pertains to what concerns us the most.

- Gain new ideas on products/systems to help make for a more productive team back home.

- Learn about legal updates to help keep your organization out of hot water when it comes to employment law and related matters.

Click here for justification sample letters.

Time is running out, so please use this information to help show why you need to beat IMAGE in July.

-Derek Cunningham, PHR, CHCR-

Secretary, NAHCR

5 Reasons to Attend IMAGE 2012

Click here to view FIVE reasons to attend IMAGE 2012

Where do we go from here?

I am relatively new to the recruitment world, but even in my short career, it seems like so much has shifted. The emphasis on job postings seemed to primarily be on major job boards such as CareerBuilder and Monster, but these job boards (as hard as they try to up sell all the fantastic upgrades to drive applicants to your website/job opportunities) are not enough by far. They just aren’t as effective, at least in the capacity they used to and now is the time to think outside of the box and reach candidates in ways that never existed before such as social media, and niche websites.

Every few months or at least every year there seems to be a new “it” social media. We now have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and most recently Pinterest. Although I am not sure just yet how to use Pinterest in the healthcare recruiting field, I’m sure it will evolve soon as it is already evolved to retail companies. The longer these networking sites are around the more they have adapted to cater to recruiting. For example, Facebook has recently teamed up with Monster for the “Beknown” app, where you can post jobs or even create an RSS feed to your job board. Things like this are making social networking a growing resource for applicants to search for job opportunities.

Many recruiting efforts have recently been placed on using niche sites for different healthcare groups, and job fields. I am finding myself doing a search at least once a week for new sites and looking into all those advertisement emails with new websites to reach executive candidates, new graduates and everything in between. I’m sure the rest of you are familiar with this same sort of situation, trying to realign and reach out in any way to reach those that may not have been reachable a few years ago.


Anyone have any new outlets they have been finding success with lately, either social media or niche sites?



Posted by Natalie Speece
Vibra Healthcare

The Relevance of Conferences and Job Fairs as Recruiting Tools

I was recently assigned to attend the AACN/NTI Conference in Orlando, FL as an exhibitor for my company in the career opportunity section. I love attending these things as personally I enjoy meeting all the new people. In addition it’s a bit like a family reunion, meeting up with many of the other recruiters I know from around the nation (and will hopefully see at IMAGE in July). However, while handing out the high volume of kitschy give-aways, I also had time to think about the effectiveness of attending such conferences. The main question for ROI that used to be asked was regarding how many hires came as a result of our presence. I have long given up on that one. Many companies now require applicants to go online prior to being considered for any positions and there are other assessments to be considered as well. The conferences are not a place to conduct interviews or do any hiring. Rather they are to get the word out as to who we are and conjure interest in our organizations. That’s certainly a paradigm shift, but still makes attending the conferences worthwhile, though the results (as in hires) may not be seen for some time. I wonder what others thoughts are on attending the conferences, both national and those on a more local basis. Do you find them valuable?

posted by Derek Cunningham, PHR, CHCR

Keeping in Touch

It’s that time of the year again. I was reminded of this when I received my membership renewal notice from NAHCR. This will be my 2^nd year of membership in the association. Whatever your specialty or area of practice in the health care industry, it’s a fact that professional memberships need to be renewed. It’s the same approach with our business relationships. We keep in touch to remind our colleagues that we are here and still involved.
         
The same premise extends to our personal lives. We call, text, email, skype, yahoo, facebook, tweet or google talk our family and relatives as we try to keep up with our busy lives. Touching base seems like a mundane matter but it is what binds us. It reminds us that small things do matter in the bigger cycle of life. Be it in the workplace or our daily lives, the drive to keep in touch takes up a good portion of our time. And time is a commodity that does not have a rewind button. Once you have said something, emailed or published it, the deed cannot be undone. Once it’s out there some information takes on a life of its own and is no longer yours to keep. It is the same way with our professional lives. Once you disseminate information or inform an applicant as to why she/he was not selected for the position, what has been said can no longer be deleted, recalled or removed. That’s why staying in touch with my professional association keeps me informed and grounded. So yes, I will be renewing my membership in NAHCR. And by all means I will continue to keep in touch with my friends, family and colleagues.

Belinda Rosales, RN, MSA, CHCR
NAHCR Social Media Committee Member

How Did I Get Here and What Do I Do Now?

Did I ever see myself working in human resources? The honest answer is no. As a registered nurse, I expected to be in the clinical setting throughout my career. My current position became available at a time when family responsibilities required a shift in roles. Suddenly, I found myself sitting on the opposite side of the interview table more nervous than the candidate in my office.

As a clinician, the recruitment field was a whole new ballgame. It was necessary to create new relationships and quickly identify leaders and role models within the profession. One familiar tool from nursing that I sought out was professional association membership. The Greater New York Association of Health Care Recruiters was a goldmine of recruitment experience and leadership. In any new role, mentorship is vital to success and retention. Attending meetings introduced me to experienced recruiters, hot topics in the profession, employment trends and ultimately introduced me to membership in NAHCR. This opened my eyes to opportunities for advancement and the true impact of professional recruitment on our nation’s health care system.

This spontaneous career move has altered my future aspirations immensely. I have not only developed my recruitment skills but identified a new passion for career coaching and education. I have found that many of my NAHCR colleagues also made unexpected ventures into recruitment but found a niche and a passion that has lasted for years. This camaraderie and support was instrumental for success at the start of my recruitment career.

What was your most valuable support as a new recruiter? How will you pay it forward?

Melissa Marrero RN-BC, BSN

Employment grows solidly for third straight month

Bring on the Madness

I love college basketball, and this next month is what is also dubbed “March Madness.” This is the playoff tournament where an annual champion is crowned and the intensity is at its peak. There are upsets galore and things happen that are unexpected. For some, the excitement is too much or they just don’t get it, and for others still they thrive on it.

In recruitment, February and March are often peak times for hiring (as in some cases the fall season). Disclaimer: Not every year is the same and not every healthcare system holds the exact same patterns. It’s a new year and early enough before departments worry too much about going over their budget. Also many candidates look to this time to find a job so they can prepare to move as we approach summer. During this time, stress for recruiters can be high as the demands to hire people quickly and in large numbers hits its climax for the year. For some, it makes them wonder if they should remain working in the profession or question if they signed up for this when they started in recruitment. For others, they thrive on it. It’s the action that they like and enjoy the fact that there’s never a dull moment. While the hiring increases, so does the number of unexpected events. This could be hiring for positions we haven’t worked on before, people not passing their backgrounds/physicals, or other things that make for stories we can share over the years.

I prefer the intensity and opportunity to do some creative thinking. The hectic pace and zany circumstances may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s also just a part of the “Madness.” Have you noticed this is the case at your organization, and if so do you look forward to it or dread it?

-Derek Cunningham, PHR, CHCR-
Talent Manager
Scripps Health

“Now You See Me- Now You Don’t”

Picture this scenario: Your great candidate has arrived for his interview, and you escort him to the hiring manager’s office. The hiring manager opens the door with a puzzled look on her face and says “I don’t have an interview on my calendar today”. She continues, “It’s not a good time right now, so you need to re-schedule” and rushes off. This dialogue occurs in the presence of this excellent candidate that you have invested valuable time sourcing, screening, and selling on your great organization. Do you think he will re-schedule or will he just interview at another facility and potentially accept an offer there? We all know that you only get once chance to make a good impression. In this scenario, you may very well have lost this candidate (hence the title of this post).

As healthcare recruiters, a scenario like this is certainly not best practice. However; the unfortunate reality is that it does occasionally occur. I have had this experience in my recruitment career, and it was very awkward. Fortunately, I was able to do some service recovery in that situation, re-schedule the candidate, and ultimate make a hire.
Does anyone else have a similar experience to share?

Angela Pointer,
Nurse Recruiter- Duke University Hospital
NAHCR Social Media Committee Chair

Twesumes – what are they and will they work?

In 2011, 89% of companies used social networks for marketing, including NAHCR. Social media is clearly becoming a mainstay in the health care industry, especially for those recruiting for it.

Recruitment has come a long way from paper applications, mailed-in resumes, and having face time with each and every applicant we interviewed. As our world becomes more social media friendly, so does the world of the candidate.

Twitter users across the world have started using what has been dubbed a “twesume” – a resume in 140 characters or less. Twesumes are “flexible, living documents” that can change with you as you change tasks, change job titles, or even change career fields.

In the world of health care recruiting this can be revolutionary, even for the naysayers of social media. If a physical therapist or surgical nurse tweeted at your hospital or health care facility, “@HealthCareInstitution: 20-year OR nurse with 6 years in CVOR. Current ACLS, BLS, CVOR certifications. Excellent work history. Relocating to your area.” That candidate is no longer a name in a database – they are an active follower of your institution and have reached out to you in a very direct way.

Candidates who have not caught on to this trend yet can be encouraged to by your company. Tweet to your followers that you are having a twesume contest. Explain what a twesume is and see what valuable candidates you may have been missing.

Not everyone who drafts a resume knows how to best present themselves. By limiting the applicant to 140 characters or less, you are really getting to their skill set and what they want to be known. While this may not be a complete work history on the person contacting you, it does give you a place to begin a dialogue.

Health care recruiters can begin utilizing this avenue for recruitment before the trend really hits, and we will be on the forefront of this wonderful new recruiting tool.

Try it for your facility and post your results!