HR Pulse - Fall 2008 - (Page 60)

How to Become a Strong Human Resources Partner By Derek Carissimi H 60 HR Pulse Fall 2008 ave you heard these words recently? “Employees are our greatest asset.” “We are nothing without our employees.” “Our strength is our employees.” This, or something similar, has been uttered at one time or another by every health care CEO in the country. As the available talent pool for health care professionals continues to evaporate, we’ve heard these words so often they’ve become cliché and almost meaningless. How many hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations really believe these sentiments and conduct business accordingly? As staffing shortages continue, the true cost of employee turnover finally hits home. The connection between employee satisfaction and patient satisfaction is recognized, the importance of effective employee relations is understood, the number of dollars and percent of budget devoted to employee benefits is acknowledged, and the exposure to employee-related lawsuits is realized. Health care organizations throughout the country are coming to appreciate that employees truly are the organization’s greatest asset – and expense. As such, human resources, charged with managing the people function, is an important department and must be on the same level of the organizational food chain as patient services, nursing, finance, marketing, and IT. That being said, what is the secret to creating and managing a successful human resources function? With so much at stake, the human resources profession must demonstrate that it is worthy of the human and ﬁnancial capital entrusted to it. Traditionally, this has not been one of HR leaders’ strengths. Reliance on the touchy/feely and warm/ fuzzy intangibles is no longer adequate, as HR must become a true business and strategic partner. Here are the building blocks to establish an effective human resources function: Aggressive Recruitment Keeping the organization staffed is and will continue to be the most essential function of an effective HR department. Today’s recruitment strategies, however, must be different than in the past. Very few organizations have invested in the most fundamental and necessary component of a strong recruitment program – the preparation of a workforce projection document. Workforce projection consists of an in depth analysis of the staffing needs of the organization 5 to 10 years into the future. This analysis, done by job classiﬁcation (e.g., staff nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, food service workers) must include the following components: • Projected voluntary and involuntary turnover • Projected retirements based on the current age of employees in each job classiﬁcation • Projected growth or decline of each of the organization’s service lines • Anticipated population growth or decline in the community(s) the organization serves • Geographic shifts in the population • Anticipated growth and changes in strategy of the organization’s key competitors • Future plans of local and state governments. After the workforce projection analysis is completed, human resources in a position to aggressively recruit. Even more importantly, direct resources are dispersed in the proper directions and thus budget dollars are used effectively. Aggressive recruitment is deﬁnitely different than in the past. Print advertising, long the staple, is no longer effective. Spending signiﬁcant amounts on newspaper recruitment is a waste of resources. Instead, more creative methods are required: Use of online methodologies, including resume mining, applicant tracking, online applications, the extensive use of banners and headlines, >>

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Fall 2008

HR Pulse - Fall 2008 Contents Pulse Points Executive Director’s Letter President’s Message HR Leader Profile: Irma Pye Sammy’s House: Making a Difference in Austin Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies Increasing CEO Engagement Pastoral Care Retaining Scarce, Critical Talent The Engagement Dilemma Diversity Considerations…More than AAP & EEO Quashing the Workplace Bullying Bug How to Become a Strong Human Resources Partner Citizen Lobbyists Descend Upon Capitol Hill Conference Highlights Schedule at a Glance Sponsors Exhibitors Advertisers’ Index

HR Pulse - Fall 2008

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