We have found that there are three key success factors in recruiting qualified people into your organization.

Know What you Want

Develop a profile of the ideal candidate. This should go beyond the standard human resources job description. This is a person whose judgment, temperament and goals should match the needs of the organization. Think about how this person will need to interact with the people in the organization. Are you looking for a mover and a shaker, or someone to pick up the reins of an already well running department?

This ideal candidate profile should be developed in collaboration with those who share responsibility for the success of the new employee. This usually means 360 degree input - management, staff and peers.

Sell your Organization

Healthcare has a shortage of people at all levels making it essential that your entire interview team sell the organization. Start by being appreciative of the candidate's visit and treating them like a guest, while being sincere and honest about challenges and limitations of the organization. This goes a long way to winning the candidate's respect which lays the groundwork for meaningful discussion.

Put yourself in the candidate's position and by asking yourself, "How will this organization and opportunity benefit the candidate?" and have an answer. If the candidate turns out to be lacking, you have lost nothing.

Be Decisive

Deciding whether to extend an offer should be easy if you succeeded in collaboratively developing a profile for the ideal candidate. A lengthy, floundering or convoluted decision making process will speak volumes to the candidate about the organizations ability to make decisions. If you truly love the candidate you will not want to leave them "waiting at the altar" while you make up your mind. The outstanding candidate will likely be sought out by multiple organizations and you will want complete the hire quickly.

Please refer to the "Successful Hiring" and "Recruiting Process" links for additional information. These suggestions are based on our many years of observing and analyzing the hiring processes of many healthcare organizations. These suggestions are not meant to supplant any of your hiring guidelines and procedures. Think of them as experience from our time in the trenches.