healthcare Archives - Paragon Strategic Staffing https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/tag/healthcare/ Wed, 05 Oct 2022 12:00:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cropped-paragon-logo-32x32.png healthcare Archives - Paragon Strategic Staffing https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/tag/healthcare/ 32 32 Top Five Mistakes Healthcare Recruiters Make and How to Avoid Them https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/top-five-mistakes-healthcare-recruiters-make-and-how-to-avoid-them/ Wed, 05 Oct 2022 12:00:52 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10039 In the fast-paced environment of recruiting, even simple or seemingly small mistakes can cost you valuable candidates. Avoid these five common recruiting mistakes to attract more candidates, get them hired and takeRead More...

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In the fast-paced environment of recruiting, even simple or seemingly small mistakes can cost you valuable candidates. Avoid these five common recruiting mistakes to attract more candidates, get them hired and take your healthcare recruiting to the next level.

Not Utilizing Mobile Tactics

Recruiters must be highly adaptable to attract top clinicians. Utilizing mobile tactics and advanced technology like mobile apps, texting and chatbots offers a quicker, more interactive way to communicate with candidates and collect data throughout the process.

We have found that texting has response rates that are 50 times better than email, improving turnaround times and shortening the recruitment process. Mobile tactics like texting enable recruiters to get to know potential future employees and also give candidates room for flexibility by better accommodating busy schedules and allowing clinicians to respond to recruiter messages at their own convenience.

Not Leveraging Social Media

Social media platforms attract massive numbers of users who rely on these platforms for job hunting, making them great places for healthcare recruitment to attract clinicians to open job notices. Most major social media platforms have built-in advanced targeting capabilities that help recruiters reach the right candidates and drive more clinicians to the job listings. Social media is nearly unequaled for targeting specific audiences, yet only 13% of health systems report using it as part of their recruitment efforts.

Facebook groups and LinkedIn are especially popular for building professional networks and sharing healthcare staff openings. These platforms complement traditional recruitment tactics while growing a network of active and passive job seekers.

Leveraging social media is important because it allows recruiters to reach those passive candidates, who aren’t on job boards but might consider a new job if they see the right opportunity. Additionally, passive candidates not looking for new employment often forward interesting job notices to friends who are looking. These instant referrals help recoup paid social media marketing expenses and carry more weight than paid engagements because they come from trusted sources.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Online Job Advertising: 2022 Market Update

Avoiding Pay Transparency

Hiding pay is one of the most common ways recruiters lose the trust of job candidates.

Being transparent about pay and other job perks like benefits and ancillary support services significantly increases ability to attract top talent. Clear salary ranges inform clinicians if a role meets their expectations before they even apply, saving both employers and job seekers time. Pay transparency also helps in recruiting advanced practice professionals by eliminating compensation confusion from the start. Ongoing pay transparency helps retain these essential and highly sought clinicians by building stronger, more trusting and longer-term relationships between employers and employees.

Particularly now, as states ratify pay transparency laws, proactive health systems that embrace pay transparency in their recruitment process will stand out to candidates as organizations who look out for their employees.

Solely Relying on Generic Job Boards to Source Candidates

Traditional job boards like Monster and Indeed have long been the primary platforms to post general job openings. But they aren’t ideal for sourcing healthcare candidates, especially for specialty roles. In addition, many candidates have turned away from these platforms, which can inundate them with poorly matched job offers.

The best way to source healthcare candidates is through healthcare-focused marketplaces. Niche sourcing tools attract active job seekers, uncover passive candidates and streamline the healthcare recruitment process. Some platforms, such as ours at Vivian Health, directly connect recruiters to healthcare specialists to find quality candidates even faster.

Being Unresponsive

Failing to respond quickly to candidates is an easy way to lose them to a competitor. Consistent communication, even just quick check-ins, creates a more personal and positive experience for candidates and lets them know they are a priority.

Transparency, setting reasonable expectations and avoiding making promises that can’t be kept are key. If you say you’ll get back to them on a certain day or at a specific time, always follow through. A little extra effort, and you’ll stand out as a recruiter who’s honest and genuinely cares, which helps you attract a greater number of highly qualified candidates.

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What Does Vacancy Mean to You? https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/what-does-vacancy-mean-to-you/ Wed, 21 Sep 2022 15:40:14 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=10015 The last two years has been challenging for the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals, especially registered nurses. This decline in healthcare talent has significantly impacted vacancy rates, which directly relates toRead More...

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The last two years has been challenging for the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals, especially registered nurses. This decline in healthcare talent has significantly impacted vacancy rates, which directly relates to recruitment and retention efforts.

In fact, according to the American Hospital Association, two-thirds of hospitals currently have a nurse vacancy rate of 7.5% or more. Hospital employment has continued to decline compared to pre-pandemic levels and data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that hospital employment is down 95,600 employees from February 2020, with no signs of the trend slowing down.

Vacancy rates may be perceived differently whether you are in human resources and looking at the hospital as a whole or if you are the nurse manager of a specific unit, i.e., medical surgical. This may even vary from organization and how the vacancy and measurement is defined.

At Conexus MedStaff, we have seen different interpretations of the actual “vacancy” terminology, and the criticalness related to that vacancy. Please note, having any vacancy is not recommended. A nurse manager may take a leave of absence into their consideration of vacancy, as they are looking at their total full-time employment (FTE) requirements.  This manager may also consider a position as vacant as soon as a notice has been given; however, hospital policy may require approval and authorization for reposting the same position. Furthermore, having a vacancy of several positions within one unit, and even within one shift, may have more of an impact then another area which is larger and has more personnel to lean to.

The inclusion of time as a consideration of vacancy may vary as well. For example, a nurse manager may consider a nurse providing notice of leave as an impending vacancy, however, the healthcare system may consider a monthly calculation or a quarter as the measurement.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Fastest-Growing US Staffing Firms: 2022 Update

Vacancy Rate Calculation

If you are curious how to calculate your organization’s vacancy rate, see the explanation and accompanying example below.

Take the number of vacant job-specific positions (or positions within the whole organization) and divide by the total number of job-specific positions (or positions within the whole organization). Then, multiply that number by 100 to identify your vacancy rate.

There is no denying that the healthcare industry is currently experiencing the effects of high demand for healthcare professionals and higher than normal turnover, while also struggling to recruit and retain talent. The direct impact of this, is likely felt hardest within the actual unit, including healthcare staff, patients, and family of those patients, that are providing and receiving care.

MORE: How recruiters can maximize automation


Being creative and remaining flexible to identify both short- and long-term solutions remains key to overcoming these current and ongoing challenges. To learn how Conexus MedStaff can offer strategic partnership and assistance in achieve these goals, learn more at www.conexusmedstaff.com.

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The Clinical and Healthcare Sector Is Struggling — How Can the Staffing Sector Help? https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/the-clinical-and-healthcare-sector-is-struggling-how-can-the-staffing-sector-help/ Tue, 02 Aug 2022 08:00:07 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9925 The clinical and healthcare sector in the UK has been under immense strain for some time, a scenario that was pushed to breaking point during the pandemic. And it doesn’t appear thatRead More...

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The clinical and healthcare sector in the UK has been under immense strain for some time, a scenario that was pushed to breaking point during the pandemic. And it doesn’t appear that the staff shortages faced by this sector will be resolved any time soon, with recent headlines revealing that the NHS is now facing the worst staffing crisis in its history.

The combination of Covid-19 and the fallout from Brexit is certainly exacerbating the sector’s skills shortages. However, the profession has faced talent challenges for many years, and the nature of the sector means that urgent and temporary demands often outstrip supply. In fact, Skills for Care has previously reported that the adult social care sector in England needed to fill around 112,000 job vacancies on any given day. One of the greatest challenges faced by recruitment professionals in this highly regulated space is finding staff quickly and compliantly.

The clinical and healthcare sector frequently requires staff to be in contact with vulnerable and young people or children who require the safest possible care, so filling a position with a candidate who is not only compliant but will also adhere to strict safeguarding measures is essential. As those in the sector will attest to, there’s a wealth of different standards that need to be adhered to, and approaching this can be daunting, even for an experienced recruitment professional.

Gary Snart, sourcing director at HealthTrust Europe LLP, reinstates the importance of high-class compliance standards in healthcare, adding: “Raising the bar on standards in compliance for healthcare remains both critical and fundamental to the delivery of safe patient care across the UK. Embedding robust policies, processes, governance and auditing to ensure employment checks, safeguarding checks, mandatory training, counter fraud, [and] regulatory and contractual requirements of supply are consistently met gives healthcare providers the assurance and confidence they need to engage the supplier community openly.”

PREMIUM CONTENT: RPO Global Landscape 2022

With multiple frameworks to navigate, recruiters have a number of hoops they need to jump through to demonstrate they can not only quickly source the right talent but also ensure they meet the strict safeguarding and training requirements of the sector. At APSCo, we found that these often time-sensitive recruitment challenges called for a better solution for recruitment professionals in the clinical and healthcare sector that would support best practice standards. For this reason, Compliance+ was created, launching last month at an event in the House of Lords. The Compliance+ accreditation was constructed following extensive consultation with recruitment firms and external stakeholders, including NHS Workforce Alliance and Health Trust Europe (HTE). This has been produced to both safeguard vulnerable people and benchmark recruiters against the highest service deliverables, giving them the framework to meet all sector-specific requirements.

Shazia Imtiaz, general counsel at APSCo, was a key player in the creation of the Compliance + accreditation for the sector. She commented: “Our new accreditation sets the best quality standards, beyond the statutory safeguarding requirements, for recruitment businesses that operate in the clinical and healthcare sector. It establishes a compliance framework that safeguards vulnerable persons and provides clients with safer, best-suited, highest-quality candidates. APSCo’s new Compliance+ standard presents both candidates and clients with an easy-to-identify accreditation that verifies the recruitment partner they are working with is fully compliant, has been annually audited by an independent third party, meets all safeguarding requirements and will provide the best-in-class services.”

If the UK hopes to overcome the severe staffing struggles faced by the clinal and healthcare sector, then initiatives that aim to provide a robust solution for those operating in the sector need to be embraced by talent acquisition leaders and employers alike. Only then will the recruitment quality standards for these positions improve so that candidates can be placed in a timely, risk-free manner.

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How Flexible Scheduling Can Help Improve Nurse Mental Health https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/how-flexible-scheduling-can-help-improve-nurse-mental-health/ Mon, 01 Aug 2022 12:00:04 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9913 As the Covid-19 pandemic continues into its third year, the general public has seemingly moved on with their lives, understandably ground down by the endless cycle of rising and falling case countsRead More...

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As the Covid-19 pandemic continues into its third year, the general public has seemingly moved on with their lives, understandably ground down by the endless cycle of rising and falling case counts and deaths. If only it were that easy for our nation’s nurses, who have witnessed death and suffering on an unprecedented level for the last two and a half years. Unfortunately, even as the most acute phase of the pandemic subsides, nurse mental health has not rebounded to anywhere near its pre-Covid levels, according to new data from my colleagues at Trusted Health.

Our third annual survey on nurse mental health found that nurses continue to struggle with high levels of burnout, trauma and depression and experience suicidal thoughts at twice the rate of the average American adult. Perhaps the most disheartening finding was that, despite widespread attention given to the issue of clinician mental health over the last few years, nurses feel that the industry has made little in the way of substantive changes to make this a more sustainable career path. Two-thirds said that the healthcare industry’s stance on nurse mental health has not changed, and an overwhelming 95% said that their mental health was either not a priority or that it was a priority, but that there were inadequate measures in place to support it.

There is a silver lining to our findings. The things that nurses say would support their mental health are straightforward: access to fitness facilities and/or classes, wellness stipends and flexible scheduling. The call for new scheduling options has been growing for years, but it has reached a crescendo recently as nurses have faced chronic understaffing and watched other workers in highly skilled industries gain access to things like remote work, flexible hours and four-day work weeks.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Resource Center

While “flexible scheduling” is a bit of a catch-all term, there are a variety of ways that hospitals could bring this to life. The first are alternatives to traditional twelve-hour shift direct patient care roles, the demands of which are often difficult for older nurses and those with physical limitations. These alternatives might include resource nurse, break nurse and nurse mentor roles; telehealth models; or seasonal weekend programs. All of these programs can be offered with different shift lengths and schedules to offer flexibility to retain experienced clinicians. Another option is by making it easier for nurses who only want to work part-time or are looking for extra shifts to pick those up more easily, a seemingly basic process that has nevertheless been stymied by the fact that most nurse staffing is done through archaic technology at best — and clipboards and phone trees at worst.

Float pools at both a facility and a system level can also play a critical role by providing flexible work opportunities and new clinical experiences to aid in professional growth and development. They can also provide unique scheduling and staffing options in alignment with seasonal trends by offering time off during summer months or low volume periods, promoting periods of rest and better overall work-life balance. Several health systems experimented with multisite float pools or internal agency models to cover surges during Covid-19 and prevent under-staffing by moving nurses from areas of low volume to areas with high patient demand through rapid up-skilling and cross-training. Maintaining and enhancing these flexible models are critical to cover future waves of the pandemic or surges from the flu or other seasonal diseases.

The bottom line is that there are a variety of ways that hospitals and health systems can start to offer nurses the kind of scheduling options that can make nursing into a profession that’s more compatible with mental health while at the same time solving many of their own staffing challenges. Given that fully 64% of nurses in our survey said they are less committed to the profession than they were pre-pandemic, the urgency for change on this issue couldn’t be greater.

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Pandemic to Endemic: Taking Care of Our Healthcare Professionals https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/pandemic-to-endemic-taking-care-of-our-healthcare-professionals/ Mon, 18 Apr 2022 12:00:25 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9702 ABC News reports, “Pandemics are a widespread, rapid spread of disease, with exponentially rising cases over a large area. Endemic viruses, meanwhile, are constantly present and have predictable spread. That predictability allowsRead More...

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ABC News reports, “Pandemics are a widespread, rapid spread of disease, with exponentially rising cases over a large area. Endemic viruses, meanwhile, are constantly present and have predictable spread. That predictability allows health care systems and doctors to prepare and adapt, reducing loss of life.”

During the pandemic, focus on wellbeing, mental wellbeing, stress, burnout and safety were identified and addressed on multiple levels. Even with this focus, we saw record numbers of healthcare professionals leaving the profession, and tragically, suicide rates of nurses increased even more than the staggering data from pre-pandemic.

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Violent Death Reporting System, Davis et al. found that between 2007 and 2018, nurses were 18% more likely to die from suicide than the general population. Updated research from Mayo Clinic published in the November 2021 issue of the American Journal of Nursing used responses from a national survey on well-being, which included questions on burnout and depression. The authors found that 5.5% of nurses experienced suicidal ideation, approximately 1% higher than other workers. After controlling for factors such as age, gender, work hours, relationship status and burnout, it was estimated that nurses had significantly higher odds — 38% — of having suicidal thoughts than other workers.

In March 2022, Federal Health Officials said the US had entered the endemic stage of the Covid-19 outbreak. So, what, if anything, does this mean for the care and support of our healthcare professionals? Clearly there was a need for more support before the pandemic. In an endemic, does the support go back to “normal” too? Healthcare professionals take care of us in our time of need. Don’t we owe it to them to take care of them in turn? As we move into this endemic time, we need to continue focusing on their well-being, stress levels, mental health and safety — and I would add education on this list as well.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Resource Center

Healthcare workers’ need for a focus on their well-being has increased. There are fewer nurses at the bedside, which has increased ratios for them to care for more patients. Patients coming into the hospital are far sicker with more complications. And the economy and other factors outside the work they perform impacts their mental health.  They also can’t “unsee” the devastating demise of their patients day in and day out over the past two years, often being the only person able to be with a dying patient, bearing that burden alone over and over again.

As employers, we can continue to help and address their needs. And their needs may differ, so having flexibility in programs to allow the healthcare professional to meet their own individual needs is important.  Access to these programs is also a consideration. This is by way of app, physical location, times available, etc.  Most insurance companies now provide wellness and mental health as part of their service offerings for enrollees. Listen to your employees.

Education is also a continued need for the growth and learning of our healthcare professionals.  This has been an area of great stagnation over the past two years as well. Medicine is constantly evolving, and healthcare professionals are at the frontline of each transformation.  Not having the necessary time to train and to have facilitation of new material and technology can add additional stress to the healthcare professional. We need to provide them the necessary time and training to be confident and proficient in their skills. As individuals respond and learn differently, there needs to be flexible training methodologies, which could include simulation, virtual simulation, webinars, coaching and rounding. Access to continuous education and learning for healthcare professionals provides improved patient care, improved healthcare professional morale and motivation, and a more skilled workforce.

We employers of healthcare professionals can have an impact on our healthcare community through this endemic. Let’s be there for our healthcare professionals and provide them the resources they need personally and professionally to continue to take care of us!

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Keeping Nurses in Nursing: The Future of Healthcare https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/keeping-nurses-in-nursing-the-future-of-healthcare/ Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:00:06 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9579 We all have the same goal: We want and need to keep nurses in the nursing profession.  Our nurses are burned out and dissatisfied with healthcare, inadequate staffing, high acuity, overtime andRead More...

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We all have the same goal: We want and need to keep nurses in the nursing profession.  Our nurses are burned out and dissatisfied with healthcare, inadequate staffing, high acuity, overtime and stress related to the pandemic, and they are exiting hospitals. According to NSI, 62% of hospitals are reporting higher than a 7.5% RN vacancy rate. We are all witnessing the talent war for this valued and needed professional. So, what can we do now?

Nurses enter their profession as a calling — a calling to better the lives of others, to make a difference to someone who needs care and to continuously learn and be challenged. Nurses, often independently, pursue further training and advanced degrees, seeking learning opportunities from colleagues and exploring a deeper knowledge of the etiology, techniques, and procedures to support the care of their patients and their families.

Unfortunately, nurse education has been severely impacted by the pandemic. Clinicals have been reduced, internships have decreased and many general orientations have been shortened to get more nurses at the bedside quickly. This decrease in educational opportunities has not only impacted the student nurses and new graduate nurses, but all nurses — yet equipment and procedures continue to change and evolve. Even the way we deliver care is changing (e.g. telemedicine and hospitals at home).

PREMIUM CONTENT: February 2022 US Jobs Report

While Covid-19 certainly has provided a huge learning opportunity and lots of challenges, we need to continue supporting the growth of nurses how and when it is convenient for the nurse. Supporting the nursing profession’s quest for continued learning and further education does not need to only be available in a traditional classroom or an on-demand monotone CEU class but should be interactive and specific to each nurse’s individual needs. Nurses need to be able to pursue their need or desire for additional training, and having a varied methodology for delivering clinical growth helps to keep the nurse engaged and allows for a variety of learning experiences that are more self-serving and more inspiring.

Despite the pandemic, the burnout and the lack of educational options, many nurses want to continue advancing in their profession and in their knowledge, and this advancement can look different for each nurse.  Nurses may be involved in hospital committees, join a professional nursing organization, obtain a specialty certification, or pursue an advanced degree. At Conexus MedStaff, we have celebrated and supported many of our international nurses as they advance their knowledge, some receiving Daisy Awards for their innovative ideas, many seeking specialty certification and some pursuing advanced degrees as a nurse practitioner or a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in nursing.

As organizations supporting our healthcare professionals, we need to dedicate the resources, time, flexibility and ability to meet the educational requirements and desires of our nurses. Through mentoring, supporting educational scholarships and engaging continuing education programs that meet the personalized needs of our healthcare professionals, we can make a difference in the nursing shortage by keeping nurses in nurses through engagement and advancement.

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Best Practices for Creating an Employee-Friendly Housing Strategy in 2022 https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/best-practices-for-creating-an-employee-friendly-housing-strategy-in-2022/ Fri, 04 Feb 2022 13:00:57 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9570 As we progress into the new year, the need for a flexible, nomadic workforce grows, but many traditional housing providers and businesses in travel-heavy industries lack the time and resources to meetRead More...

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A man carrying his belongings into a houseAs we progress into the new year, the need for a flexible, nomadic workforce grows, but many traditional housing providers and businesses in travel-heavy industries lack the time and resources to meet their workforces’ housing needs. For HR and upper-level management of businesses in these industries, such as healthcare and construction, looking to support existing employees and attract new talent in 2022 requires a housing strategy.

Employee expectations are rising. They expect their employers to support them and provide competitive pay, benefits and great working conditions. When their expectations are not met, they can become disengaged from their work, and some even resign. The Great Resignation continues to make headlines because expectations are not being met; employees feel unsupported and dismissed. This especially rings true for nomadic workforces, and so the focus needs to be on one of their biggest pain points: housing.

Oftentimes, HR and staffing managers are limited in the short-term housing that they find because inventory is scarce and search efforts can take hours. In 2020, we witnessed how essential nomadic workforces were, and this category of workers continues to rapidly expand in numerous industries ranging from infrastructure to sales to healthcare. It is all the more reason why housing strategies are important.

What are some great housing strategies? Here are a few ideas and tips to build out a strategy that will enable you to further support your employees and, in turn, attract new talent.

Utilize third-party housing companies. HR and other upper-level management do not have access to the inventory that a workforce housing-on-demand or corporate housing company can offer. Lean into these organizations; they can make your job a lot easier and create a more straightforward housing strategy. Corporate housing is one avenue to take, but they can be more limited in what they offer. However, workforce housing-on-demand has a nearly infinite virtual inventory that is only limited by the boundaries of the housing market of the particular area. Another added benefit of housing-on-demand is their ability to save you money, something that corporate housing and other short-term housing agencies struggle with.

PREMIUM CONTENT: The Listed Staffing Market

Stay organized.  A housing strategy is indispensable if you are organized. When you learn of a new project, stay on top of dates, location, how long the project should take, the number of workers needed for the job and the like. A housing-on-demand company will do a lot of the legwork for you, such as setting up grocery delivery services, wifi, furniture and other necessities. If you stay organized, it makes for a more seamless planning and execution process.

Honesty is the best policy. It’s important to be forthcoming with information that your employees need. They need to know the expenses that will and won’t be covered by the company, the job location, the projected timeline, the neighborhood they’ll be residing in and so forth. Being upfront and transparent with employees results in more positive attitudes. In turn, they are more productive, and their trust in you and the company will also be positively impacted by your level of honesty.

Communicate with your nomadic workers. Ask ahead of time what your employees want and need for their short-term housing. Communication enables you to further understand them. Acknowledging what your employees want and need is a key point to a housing strategy. Once they arrive at their location, email them weekly or bi-weekly to ensure their housing needs are being met and things are running smoothly. Ask what could be improved. Seeking feedback typically makes employees feel valued and more willing to work away from home and their loved ones.

Finding suitable accommodations for your nomadic workers has always been extremely important, and with the need for them expected to grow throughout 2022, you must have a good housing strategy. Being in the realm of HR comes with many processes, tasks and pressures to recruit and retain employees. With the right strategy, you can secure comfortable and safe short-term housing, showing your employees that you want to support them and do value them. This can result in a multitude of positive results, including attracting new talent.

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Implementing Culture Change to Attract Agency Staff https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/implementing-culture-change-to-attract-agency-staff/ Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:00:48 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9362 It is clear how challenging the labor shortage is across multiple industries. Sign-on bonuses, college tuition, and paid parental leave are just some of the ways companies are attracting labor. The healthRead More...

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It is clear how challenging the labor shortage is across multiple industries. Sign-on bonuses, college tuition, and paid parental leave are just some of the ways companies are attracting labor.

The health care industry struggled with staffing shortages prior to Covid-19 and the situation has worsened during the pandemic. Luckily, there are now tech-supported agencies offering gig work to health care professionals. While delivering food or groceries through Uber may be easier than providing personal care, most HCPs are passionate about caring for those in need.

What attracts an HCP to claim shifts at one facility over another? The community’s culture may be the deciding factor. Let’s explore which variables may attract an HCP to claim a shift at community X while community Y is offering more money and is closer to home.

Culture Change in the Long-Term Care Industry Improves Employee Satisfaction

Pioneer Network describes culture change as “the national movement for the transformation of older adult services, based on person-centered values and practices where the voices of elders and those working most closely with them are solicited, respected, and honored. Core person-directed values are relationship, dignity, respect, self-determination, and purposeful living.”

Patient-centered care can only be offered if there are adequate staffing levels, and an HCP has the time, resources, and the support they need.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Workforce Solutions Buyer Survey: 2021 Americas Results

Welcoming staff to a shift. Nurse supervisors should consider assigning a mentor to agency personnel. Locating supplies, introductions to residents, and how to reach a doctor are all ways a mentor can support agency staff. Let’s empower HCPs to provide care that is best for each resident and make health care facilities a place for listening and healing.

The importance of nurse supervisors. At the start of a shift, nurse supervisors should introduce themselves to all agency staff and make sure everyone is comfortable with their assignments. Creating an environment of inclusivity will drive agency personnel to be part of the team. It is time to re-imagine how agency staff can offer relief for burned-out building staff and encourage gratitude between HCPs for supporting one another and offering much-needed respite.

Staff appreciation. Saying “thank you for being here” and appreciating agency staff can go a long way in ensuring reliable employees return week after week. How can we give our front-line workers a break and show them the appreciation they deserve? Providing a Keurig machine, water bottles, and snacks are great ways to show them the appreciation they deserve. A fun and relaxing break room atmosphere can refresh and revitalize your staff, improving overall quality of care.

Create an inviting environment. Nobody wants to work in an environment that isn’t clean and safe.

Competition among HCFs is becoming fierce as more patients are choosing to recover at home. To stay competitive at the in-patient level, facilities will need to create more welcoming environments. While a renovation may not be in the budget, consider being creative with what you have. Fresh flowers or a water station (throw in some lemons!) can spruce up a lobby and add lovely scents and inviting spaces. Think about your own home and the things that make it comfortable and remember, for many residents and their families, this is home.

The Future of Culture Change

Now that Covid-19 has forced us to take a closer look at the safety and necessity of long-term care, the need to evolve is more important than ever. Patients and their families are thinking more critically about where to recover. To be competitive in the long-term care space, you need to consider the culture you’re creating. HCPs have the flexibility to work when and where they want. Think about innovative ways to draw qualified and caring staff to your community. If you create a culture that engages the right team, you will attract residents and their families looking for a welcoming community that is delivering the highest standard of care.

MORE: Advantages of a diverse workforce and how to create one

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How Staffing Agencies Can Place More Nurses in Hospitals Faster By Using Vendor-Neutral Technology: Part I https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/how-staffing-agencies-can-place-more-nurses-in-hospitals-faster-by-using-vendor-neutral-technology-part-i/ Mon, 01 Nov 2021 12:00:49 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9355 Technology owned by a competitor won’t get your nurses placed the fastest. Only vendor-neutral solutions will. In today’s world of healthcare nurse staffing, success is all about speed. Hospitals can’t serve patientsRead More...

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Technology owned by a competitor won’t get your nurses placed the fastest. Only vendor-neutral solutions will.

In today’s world of healthcare nurse staffing, success is all about speed. Hospitals can’t serve patients and staffing agencies can’t generate revenue until the nurse or other clinician has been placed at the bedside. Making that placement quickly and easily, however, hinges on the tools and vendor management technology used. Here, vendor-neutral options significantly outperform those owned by a Managed Staffing Provider (MSP) or competing agency.

The pandemic has made success in staffing placement all the more urgent: Nursing vacancy rates have doubled or more in some places, even as more beds are occupied than during the previous height of the pandemic. Hospitalizations increased 500% just this past summer alone, according to The New York Times.

MSPs claim to solve this problem, of course. They say they can connect agency supply to hospital demand in the fastest and most efficient way possible. However, any agency forced to work through an MSP-owned Vendor Management System (VMS) knows that’s not true. In fact, according to a survey of staffing agencies conducted by Hallmark Health Care Solutions, nearly three-quarters (70.37%) of agencies see less success when an MSP manages recruiting and placements with hospitals.

So, it’s no surprise that an overwhelming 82.14% of agencies said they prefer not to work with VMS technology that is “owned by another staffing company.”

In Part I of this article series on why vendor-neutral technology is the business-friendly solution for staffing agencies, we focus on strengthening the client relationship and technology consideration. And in Part II, we’ll delve into conflict of interest and operational efficiencies when it comes to selecting a VMS solution.

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You can focus your efforts better and strengthen client relationships.

MSP-owned VMS technology withholds (or simply doesn’t collect) key information because it’s not in the best interest of the MSP to highlight or disseminate that data. A vendor-neutral solution, by contrast, will shine a light into all the dark corners of the staffing process, which enables agencies to make better decisions. For example, you can see if candidates have already applied for a given role or not, so you can identify orders where there’s little to no competition. Or you can pull out orders with the least number of documents required for easier placements.

That kind of information isn’t just good for agencies; it’s good for their hospital clients too. Being able to run informative reports for clients – “You got 40 submissions today, with 23 interviews and eight offers” – strengthens relationships because the client can see firsthand how the agency is working hard for them.

Get best-in-class technology delivered by teams whose sole focus is tech.

 Staffing agencies work on margins that force them to focus on volume and on recruiting, not on hiring tech companies or in-house staff to work on technology. So, groups that develop their own VMS tools will always treat the technology as a secondary priority, even if it’s their own. By contrast, a pureplay tech company will continuously reinvest in ensuring their technology is the best it can be, because the technology is their product.

In turn, that translates into improved user experience, better functionality and ultimately a more effective staffing resource. For instance, if the agency using the VMS wants to build an API between its applicant tracking system, job boards and the VMS to reduce manual labor inputting data, a vendor-neutral company is going to be willing to invest in that effort. In the end, the agency and the tech company share the same agenda: helping the agency successfully place candidates.

Don’t miss out on Part II of this article coming out next week!

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The post How Staffing Agencies Can Place More Nurses in Hospitals Faster By Using Vendor-Neutral Technology: Part I appeared first on Paragon Strategic Staffing.

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How to Support Your Employees’ Mental Health Through Comprehensive Healthcare Plans https://phoenixstaffingagency.net/how-to-support-your-employees-mental-health-through-comprehensive-healthcare-plans/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 12:00:50 +0000 http://www.thestaffingstream.com/?p=9337 If there is any positive byproduct of the pandemic, it is the increased need to understand and focus on mental health – especially within the workplace. The past year and a halfRead More...

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If there is any positive byproduct of the pandemic, it is the increased need to understand and focus on mental health – especially within the workplace. The past year and a half has seen workers cycle through remote, hybrid and in-office work decisions, long hours and a constant anxiety about their overall health. Employers are realizing their responsibility in offering both digital and in-person healthcare solutions that go beyond a prescription or routine check-up in the physical and mental well-being of their members.

In fact, due to the slow recovery from Covid-19, a greater percentage of businesses plan to increase telehealth (42%), health benefits (41%) and mental health/well-being services (38%) in the next 12 months. As open enrollment approaches, employers cannot afford to ignore the growing demand for mental health support.

Driven by the spike in cases due to the pandemic, there are now new, innovative health tech platforms that are making it easier for employers to help their workers get the support they need to better acknowledge and manage their mental health. These flexible platforms serve as digital front doors designed to equip businesses with easy access to a curated network of the best-in-class lifestyle and health improvement programs for their employees.

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Today, many organizations are incorporating these digital health solutions into their benefits plans, proactively supporting their employees’ psychological well-being with holistic programs and health management solutions that provide greater choice in treatment options.

Through the right digital healthcare platform solution, employers can ensure their team members are receiving the best quality care for their specific health needs. These platforms are capable of providing a variety of quality healthcare options to fit a worker’s individual needs. Also, the focus on an employee’s mental health and well-being allows them to take advantage of sponsored programs that encourage overall wellness instead of a one-size-fits-all solution.

Employers should choose a platform that cares for the whole person and connects mental health with physical health. Below are some examples of the kinds of mental health condition program packages available for today’s remote and hybrid work forces:

  • Loneliness and Isolation: Solutions motivate members to make social connections through an assortment of virtual and in-person classes and peer groups. This can be especially helpful for remote workers.
  • Anxiety and Depression: Programs specifically designed for adults are available to address post-Covid anxiety and depression. This is typically performed through cognitive behavioral therapy to promote mindfulness. Additionally, it helps workers struggling with issues that aggravate these symptoms, like sleep deprivation and stress – both common during the pandemic.

Amid the ongoing pandemic, which seems to create new challenges at every turn, choices are vital to ensure employees have access to best-in-class programs to support their evolving health needs. Fortunately, today’s digital healthcare solutions platforms bring together robust, agile offerings that expand as health needs change.

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