Recruiting Lessons For Healthcare Execs
From the Dot-Com Experience

I've been carrying around an article from the Wall Street Journal that addresses some of the challenges and successes high tech companies have encountered recently in their recruiting efforts. Titled "Busy Executives Fail to Give Recruiting Attention it Deserves," the article provided some insights and ideas that I think have great relevance to our healthcare industry. See what you think.

The first observation the article makes is that even though top executives identify "finding and keeping talent" as one of their highest priorities, many companies in the post-dot-com slowdown have cut recruiting budgets or reduced their hiring activities. This is happening at a time when new products are being launched and the competition is greater than ever. The end result is that "many companies aren't casting as wide a net as they should to find the best employees."

We often encounter similar tendencies in healthcare institutions that are expanding their facilities, adding new business lines or facing new competition, yet don't employ the best strategies to help them find the best talent. They either rely on existing management to squeeze recruiting into their already over-tasked schedules, or they turn to current employees to recruit through their personal networks. The problem with these strategies, the article points out, is that management "doesn't have the significant time it takes to identify and attract new candidates" and employee networks "limit staff diversity" at a time when an organization may benefit from fresh perspectives.

What do the companies like Google, Dell, Cisco and Apple do to maximize their recruiting efforts? They are always recruiting and taking the time to meet new talent - even when they don't have an immediate job to fill. They use "talent researchers" to identify candidates who have the potential to fill future needs or could enable them to "upgrade" current management. This way, when the need arises, it's not a rushed scramble to find a replacement - there is a constant pool of potential candidates with whom the employer has already started a conversation and relationship.

As the baby boom generation ages and the demand for healthcare services continues its skyward trajectory, the competition to recruit top management will only increase. The successful healthcare institutions will be those - like the Googles and Apples of the high-tech world - that make recruitment a top priority, and employ assistance and strategies to ensure they always have immediate access to a substantial and talented candidate pool.