There are a number of things you do to plan and budget for as it relates to getting and retaining the right talent; however, there are several situations that can derail your plan. As healthcare reform evolves, the current team in place may not be evolving quickly and skill sets may be lacking. Whether it is a CMS audit, a new product rollout or system implementation, there are always added projects which require different talent. While focusing on hiring may be a small portion of your oversight, it is one of the most important responsibilities. Without a strong team, work product will slip and more issues may follow. Consider these three things when talent is lacking:
1) Interim Support
Bringing on interim Subject Matter Experts can help bridge gaps and can be very cost effective. If there is any disruption in work that requires expertise that is not in-house and may be a one-off, there is probably not a strong business case to bring on a permanent employee for this short time-frame. Interim individuals can also provide knowledge transfer to the current team in place. While interim support is usually a quick-fix solution, it can affect long-term initiatives.
2) Hire Creatively
You typically have a list of must haves for your perfect candidates and depending on the market and several variables, that person may not exist or be available. It is important to review the scope of work and look at the people you are trying to bring on compared to who you have in place. If there are areas to shift responsibilities around your talent instead of checking a box on a list, this may provide opportunities to bring on new staff more quickly instead of having long-term vacancies. You can plan for succession as well as standard head-count, but you need to be prepared for the what-if scenarios as it is currently a candidates market. It can also be advantageous to internally share any talent gaps with other business owners. There may be a good opportunity to share resources and get creative with other leader’s approach to this issue as well as building good rapport between departments.
3) Culture
Company culture is vital while attracting and retaining talent. If talent is currently lacking on your team, the last thing you want to do is spend a significant amount of time getting the right team in place if there is a poor culture. What is the company morale like where you work? Chances are, if morale is down it not only affects your current teammates, but those you bring on board. This will only result in high turnover. It is important to not only ensure your team’s culture is in a good place but ensure the culture aligns with the company as a whole. This is important to keep front-of-mind as so many departments talk and rely on one-another.No matter how you approach lacking talent, it is extremely important to be comfortable with change. As mentioned above, you can change your hiring practice, try interim or different solutions, and continually focus on making changes to align with the culture. Healthcare is always evolving and if you do not evolve with it, you will not prosper. As Henry David Thoreau said, “Things do not change; we change.’’ What do you consider when talent is lacking?
Alex Drury is Vice President of Business Development at Morgan Consulting Resources, a healthcare executive search firm celebrating 20 successful years in business.
