Resources
Healthcare Library
Is Your Company Talent-Centric?
Article appears in HealthPlan Magazine Volume 43 | No. 4 | July/August 2002
As today's health plans are required to accomplish more with leaner staffs, it’s imperative to cultivate a talent-centric mindset.
In a technology driven, highly competitive service industry, such as managed care, outstanding talent is the new differential advantage. John Forsyth, president and CEO of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield based in Des Moines, Iowa, sees recruitment of talent as central to his role. “Recruiting and building leaders in an organization is probably the most important responsibility of the CEO and the top executive team. High performance leaders are role models and set the pace and tone for the rest of the organization.”
“Key to delivery of quality products and services is a workforce that is well trained, professionally equipped, and committed to a set of values that distinguishes our company from our competitors,” says Allen Woolf, MD, senior vice president and national medical director for Intracorp, a specialty company of CIGNA Healthcare. “Attracting, developing, and retaining top talent that embodies our values is a key driver of our success.”
The next time you have a position open, instead of simply recycling the same old job description, create a very specific list of the “soft” attributes/talents as well as the technical skills and knowledge that you need to infuse into your company.
If you are serious about attracting top talent, however, be prepared to offer what top candidates are seeking. Highly sought after people can be choosy. Ambitious candidates look for a challenging position, clear company mission, cutting-edge products, growth/expansion plans, and financial stability. Strong candidates will expect to make an impact and have authority to make decisions. High achievers will ask what the career path might look like for them in the long term.
Is your recruitment process talent-centric or is it merely producing warm bodies? Are you getting resumes only from active candidates (who are unemployed)? Here are some tips:
•Conduct regional or national searches to tap into a larger talent pool.
•Attend health care meetings and scout for talent before you need it.
•Talk to people, such as external vendors, who might be interfacing with the type of candidates you need.
•Call the industry contacts in your Rolodex and ask: “Who is the BEST person you know in sales?”
Caregivers must find their work meaningful and challenging, and facilities must support them in their efforts to provide optimum patient care.
Once you get quality candidates at
your doorstep, do you have a fine-tuned interview and hiring
process? Do you allow enough time to really dig below the
surface and get to know a candidate in a formal and informal
setting? Do you take calls during an interview or keep candidates
waiting? Does it take your company four weeks to produce a
job offer? Bear in mind that recruiting top talent is not
purchasing, it’s marketing.