Differentiating Yourself Among Other Healthcare Professionals

April 30th, 2014

In any industry, landing the job means standing out from the other applicants and doing what you can to make a positive, lasting impression throughout the process. The healthcare world has always been highly competitive and in an economy where one job will sometimes have hundreds of applicants, standing out is not just a goal but a necessity. How are you different from the others in your field? Are there things you can do stand out from other healthcare professionals?

Skip the Song and Dance
In some industries, the more charismatic and fun you appear in the job interview, the stronger your chances are of landing the job. Professionals in the healthcare industry have a bit more of a challenge as it is their skill set and qualifications that are under scrutiny. Questions like:

  • Where did you go to school?
  • What are your medical specialties?
  • Where was your internship?
  • What was your GPA?
  • What are your specific certifications?

The ability to stand out from the others vying for this particular position will depend on these answers and more. Your personal choices will hold a great deal of value to your healthcare career such as if you volunteered to help others whether in a medical capacity such as reading to children in the cancer wing of the hospital or playing games with the elderly on Tuesday nights. Your job in healthcare is based on your qualifications first and foremost as you can’t fake your way through the tasks at hand like inserting an IV tube or prepping someone for surgery, but you will stand out when you can regale the interviewer with examples of how you served others throughout your life.

The Whole Package
While the employers want to see your skills and certifications, they also want to know about your personal reasons for choosing this particular field. It is not an industry that is suitable for everyone so chances are you had an experience or desire from an early age to study medicine. Here are some of the top areas employers will look at on your application:

  1. GPA and test scores. This provides a basis for your intelligence and ability to handle the tasks that will be thrown at you on a daily basis. Clinical experience. Do you have any added specialties? What made your clinical experience unique to you or your desired job title?
  2. Personal statement. Why do you want this job, in this field, in this facility? You will have to personalize each application but it will be worth your time to land the job you really wanted.
  3. Research authority. Were any of your papers or ideas published in a medical journal or other medical publication? Now is the time to bring that up in your interview.

A future employer wants to know that you are a well-rounded individual with the brain to know how to care for patients but also the heart and sensibility to know the best course of action for the welfare of each patient.

Healthcare Performance Boosters for HR and Management

April 25th, 2014

Working in the healthcare industry is a daily challenge for those in leadership positions, HR managers, and even for the employees. It is a high stress environment where teams are constantly on the move and regulations can change overnight so it is crucial for employees to feel support and value on a daily basis. Not only are employees pushed to their limits physically and emotionally in the course of one shift, they are sometimes forced to work overtime to compensate for facilities being short-staffed. Healthcare providers have to think clearly for hours on end and still have empathy, with every patient. Your team is responsible for the lives of their patients and that is a great deal of responsibility to put on them. It is important to keep your teams motivated and focused so they are able to perform at the high levels necessary. These boosters should become part of your routine so the valuable team members you have in place will have reason to stay and continue to create a top-notch facility.

What can you do for your Team?
Day in and day out, your team members arrive at work and give 100%. Yes, they are paid for their work but it’s no secret most healthcare workers will go above and beyond what is expected of them on a daily basis to meet the needs of their patients. This can mean staying a bit later to make sure a scared patient falls asleep or making sure a child is able to see their parents before bedtime. Each and every day, these are the people who do positive acts for the world and many times they are under high levels of stress both professionally and personally. Leadership and the HR departments of any healthcare facility can help alleviate some of the stress by creating a focus on several aspects that have proven valuable to medical staff.

  • Open communication. When employees feel as though they can talk to their superiors, other team members, and lateral departments, there is a lessened chance of miscommunication and issues that develop into major problems. Good communication is the key to any and all successful relationships and an open dialogue between employer and employees will benefit everyone.
  • Team building. You don’t need to force everyone to participate in an obstacle course or something extreme to build a cohesive team. Team building exercises can be something as simple as encouraging employees to eat lunch together or celebrate birthdays as a group. By making everyone on the team feel value, you are building a team.
  • Strong Leadership. An important aspect of healthcare performance is maintaining the hierarchy of seniority and those in leadership staying in charge of each shift. Clear leaders within the departments will keep the status quo and that is essential for success in this industry. When there is not a clear leader for each area, chaos will ensue and nothing will get done efficiently, which can lead to even more stress for your teams.

Working in the healthcare industry can be difficult yet extremely rewarding and for those who have made it their career, a boost from the management and HR departments can be just what they need to continue providing quality care to each and every patient.

5 Ways to Make Your Temporary Staff Feel Welcome

April 16th, 2014

Team morale is one of the most important factors in the success of your company. Without a cohesive attitude, your company will begin to feel the negative effects and your productivity will suffer. When you hire new team members, especially those on a temporary basis, it can prove to be difficult fostering that connected feeling between employees. There are several steps you can take in order to make even temporary staff members feel welcome and valuable to your organization:

  1. Include them in on the fun events. It is a given that you will ask the temporary employees to attend meetings and conferences but don’t forget to invite them to team activities such as happy hour after work, or a catered lunch event. The informal setting can help everyone open up to each other and really get to know one another.
  2. Get to know them personally. If you have a company birthday wall or family wall, ask them to participate. Some companies honor family service members or family achievements so give them a chance to interact with others in your organization. They may find others with common interest and family situations, which can create an immediate bond.
  3. Be cautious about how you talk about their employment. It’s never a good idea to mention they are temporary or to keep reminding everyone on the team that they are just “here for a couple weeks” because you may want them to stay on longer. It can also make them feel as though they are disposable to the team and not allowed to be part of the long term planning meetings.
  4. Ask for their input when others are around. The full-time staff may not recognize the value of the short term employees but when they see your attitude and openness, they will more than likely follow your lead.
  5. Give them a spot. Don’t assume that just because they are temporary, they won’t need to have a desk or supplies like the other staff and by not providing that, it can send the message of their lack of importance. When they have their own space and tools to perform at the job, they can achieve success and others will recognize them for their abilities.

The temporary team members are an integral part of your organization or you wouldn’t have a need for them. The simple fact of their hiring speaks to their worth and their value to the company as a whole but unless the team understands it, there can be contention and unnecessary hostility. As their leader, you have the ability to make it work effectively and can help each team member feel valuable and welcome among your staff.

The Importance of a Thorough Background Check When Employing Medical Staff

April 10th, 2014

It is not uncommon for potential new hires to undergo a thorough background check and drug screening for any number of jobs from an entry level position to the director of a nationwide company. This ensures the person who is hired is of the highest character and their resume matches their actual qualifications. A thorough background check can cost the company money but in the long run, it will save money and even a possible tarnished reputation, which can be impossible to recover. All of this can be mitigated with the proper vetting of a candidate and should be part of the hiring process for every staff member at your medical facility.

Are Background Checks really Necessary?
In a world where it’s easy to find information on just about anyone for free, is it really necessary to go through the hassle and cost of a formal background check? After all, you had a good feeling about them in the interviews and probably even did a little snooping online and found no major issues. The answer is yes; it is absolutely necessary to perform a formal background check on medical staff. This information can be put in their personnel file and reviewed if necessary. If you hire someone for your team and they are not as proficient as they claim, your facility has just opened itself up to a malpractice suit in the event of a mistake. While mistakes can be made by even the most seasoned medical professionals, it is less likely to have a lasting negative impact if the “mistake-maker” has the proper training and actual credentials, which would make it a human error.

What does a Background Check Accomplish?
In a down economy, candidates may be tempted to exaggerate their abilities in hopes of landing a job and sadly this happens in all job fields. When it happens in the medical world, lives are put at risk. You employ medical staff that you trust have the skills and qualifications they claim to have to complete the team. These team members must be able to pull their weight and perform the tasks they are hired to do so your patients can receive the quality care they deserve. If there is a member of your staff who cannot do the job, it’s not just your facility that is put at risk but also the lives of your patients.  What happens when your team is short-staffed and the new hires are required to work alone or pick up extra shifts and they cannot do the job? By completing a background check, you can know that your team is competent and you can continue to provide top-notch services to your patients. 

Looking to hire in 2014?
Contact the expert healthcare recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce. Let our team of experienced employment specialists assist you in your hiring needs!

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