By: Tony Barlow | tbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com
Where does your recruitment program stand at the moment? We are hearing a wide range of answers to this question. Hiring freezes continue in many parts of the country while other health systems are slowly starting to reopen positions. It has been a slow process for many. The uncertainty and lack of cash flow has made moving forward very challenging. With that being said, at some point a restart will happen within your doors, opportunities will open back up and you will be expected to hit the ground running to fill those opportunities. Here are a few thoughts on how to prepare.
- A New Reality and Budget
I do not need to tell you that we aren’t where we were when we started the shutdown. There has been a ton of change over a short period of time, so you need to be ready for the consequences of that change. Take your adjusted budget and get to work. Research some budget friendly options for sourcing and do some brainstorming as to how you will do things in a more cost-effective way. Having these tools in your tool kit will be a boost for you when leadership comes to you asking for ideas!
- Be Organized and Prepared
Leaders have likely not considered the recruitment details. When you believe it’s wise to relaunch, organize your thoughts for the leaders. Be thinking about your job postings, email messages, social media posts, etc. Maybe you received some email communication from candidates while your positions were closed? Take the time to organize your CRM so you can reach out with the right message when the opportunities open back up.
- Be Sharp
It is also a great time to sharpen your messaging. Take the time now to enhance your messages and modify your communication for the reboot. There may be some coronavirus related content that you want to add to your messaging. Maybe you took some time during the down period to enhance your own education. Put some of those new skills to work and improve your sourcing content.
- Prepare to Ramp Up
Be ready to ramp up quickly. The shutdown was an unprecedented time for our hospitals and healthcare workers. While some organizations are moving slowly, several are back to pre-COVID-19 surgery volumes today. Be ready to relaunch quickly. Maybe your role changed slightly during the pandemic and you took on other tasks. Have a plan for how to address those tasks when your recruitment role is ready. As complicated as it was to shut things down, it may be more complicated to start things back up.
- Mind your Pipeline
Likely you have been thoughtfully managing the candidates in your pipeline during the shutdown. Nurturing those candidates for the inevitable reopening is wise. If you haven’t been doing this now is the time, respond with a few emails and provide an update. Be transparent and keep them interested. This interaction will help you immensely when your opportunities reopen, and you are ready to reach out in a real way.
Most of the above items have to do with planning ahead and being prepared. As a recruiter the pool of available physicians is as full right now as it has been in a long time. What can you be doing now to be ready to hit the ground running when your leadership says GO.
At B/Mc we understand that this has been a challenging season for recruiters. We are all anxious to get things back to normal. We would love to be a part of your plan when you start to ramp up sourcing again. We have full-service sourcing as well as a standalone Email Sourcing program. When you have a moment send me an email and we can set up a time to talk – tbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com.