I read a new article this morning and thought I’d share it with some of our readers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare jobs will grow the fastest over the next 10 years, which is great news for all of us, but especially those in healthcare. Here is the article from the BLS and other data that might interest you.

I would be curious to know what you think. Personally I found the “BLS data” very interesting and of course a bit confusing. (For example, Table 7) The 30 occupations with the fastest projected employment growth, 2010-2020 – Nothing about nursing, but PT’s, Sonographers, and a few others are listed along with “Bicycle Repairers”?? Interesting info.

For more information:

- read the Reuters article
- read the BLS press release
- check out the BLS data

Regardless of how some feel about working with recruiters, many top executives work with executive recruiters for a variety of reasons. The top reason is usually confidentiality. The second is time. “Successful executives typically do not have the time to surf job boards all day, nor do they want their resume being plastered all over the web.

The facts is, there are many benefits to working with professional recruiters, but you have to be willing to take direction and work the process.

Read the entire Press Release from PR Web

My wife and I had a chance to go see Avatar this weekend with some friends. I have to admit, I'm not a big movie guy. The $9.00 ticket, and overly priced popcorn make my frugal brain go wacko. But..... this was an experience.


We did the 3-D Avatar showing, and it was amazing! The first few minutes were a little weird, and I felt almost a little motion sick with all the movement and "closeness". But after my brain adjusted, Avatar was a spectacular experience.

I believe 3-D will be the next big thing in movies. Now that it is perfected, I would not want to see it any other way. Especially action and adventure flix. I'll still wait for comedy and drama movies to come out on blu-ray.

Dale

Well once again it holds true that "common sense is just not that common". When it comes to employment, or should I say unemployment, I do feel compassion for most people who are unemployed. However, there are some who I have no sympathy for, and I can usually tell who they are rather quickly. They have the “woe is me attitude” and take no responsibility for where they are in their career. It is fairly easy to pick them out after a brief conversation. Nonetheless, my simple advice is the same to everyone. Take it or leave it. I have been doing this for a living for 18 years, and when the game is tight, you best get back to the fundamentals and outwork your competition.

I’m going to give you three tips, and three tips only:

Dale Hannegan
RadSciences Group

In my many years of providing business services, I've never been as frustrated as I am today. Here is a scenario that happens almost weekly. A hospital client calls us up and says "hey Dale, we need such and such done by the end of the week. Will you please get to work on this right away?" Wait a minute... it's Wednesday afternoon, I think to myself. But because they are a long-term client (not necessarily a good client), I drop everything and spend the next two days making sure I get them what they need. AND THEN! I don't hear from them for a week. And guess what? They don't even call me. When I do finally get them to answer the phone, I get the ol' "oh, never mind. We were able to get it covered".

What is the matter with people? Do they not have any respect for others time? Do they not understand that my time is money? How would they feel if their CEO did this to them only to say "oh, never mind" after all the work was done?

I would never, ever, ever do this to someone. It's disrespectful and shows no respect for someone who is supposed to be a partner in business. It also goes to show just how much business relations have diminished in this new technology era.

Yes, I know your busy. But so am I!

Dale Hannegan
www.mymedport.com
www.radsciences.com

A recent study indicates a sharp decline in the number of migrants seeking work abroad as a result of the global recession. The research shows that the number of immigrants moving to the United States has fallen by 40% since 2006. WOW! Now I guess we can put off funding for that big ol' fence. I'm sure there are a few small businesses that could use that extra cash to keep the doors open. The study also noted that the financial crisis has not prompted a mass return home either. Therefore, big brother healthcare should remain on the forefront of policy so we can care for all the illegals that are still here.

Sorry to sound so insensitive. But it is a bit of good news, right? And we can all use a little more of it. Well, there is this too. Geico must be making a ton on money. Between the lizard and the caveman commercials, they're spending a gazillion dollars on advertising. By chance, are they run by the fed??

Dale Hannegan
www.radsciences.com
www.mymedport.com

Location, location, location! Or should I say relocation, relocation, relocation!! Sure, the healthcare job sector has not been as affected as many industries. But make no bones about it, hospitals are feeling the affects of the lagging economy. The fact is, hospitals have to relocate many of their new employees and in the current economic state, that is not always an option for many top candidates.

Much of the good news relating to job growth comes out of healthcare, but it’s just the nature of the industry. As a hospital recruiter, you may be experiencing some challenges getting candidates to move. Sure you have more applicants than ever before, but can you get them started?

Dale Hannegan
www.radsciences.com
www.mymedport.com

I spoke to several Administrators this week and by far the biggest concern they have is reimbursement. A recent AHA report also confirmed payment shortfalls from both private payers and government relative to operating costs. Individuals are also reportedly paying more premiums than ever before, and employers are looking for ways to offset the extra inflation. My own personal insurance premiums increased 26% this year. 26%!!! That's just not right. So, I was also forced to find yet another "new" health plan. Can't wait till next year so I can do it again.

One recent reimbursement trend, pay for performance, is thought by many to be an effort to reward providers for performance. I believe we've been down this road before, but never has this issue been more serious than it is currently. At least politically anyway. While many are skeptical that it will end up overlooked, a few of my colleagues are optimistic that the current situation in Washington will push more providers and payers to come together in order to battle "big brother".

I'm just glad there are people much smarter than me trying to work all this out.

Hey doc, can you prescribe me a Prozac?

Dale Hannegan
www.radsciences.com
www.mymedport.com

Okay, I guess common sense is really just not that common. As tight as the healthcare job market is, you would think that job seekers would do everything possible to prepare for an interview. Or, maybe they'll just go out and party the night before and get thrown in jail. Maybe they'll just show up in tank top.

If you need a little humor in your hectic day, well take a look at our "10 Things You Should Never Do On An Interview". Oh yeah, it really happened.

Dale Hannegan
www.radsciences.com
www.mymedport.com

I have many friends who own and operate small businesses, and it seems that all of them are struggling to keep them alive in the current recession. Some have already gone under and my best friend may be losing his business after 10 years of working 12 hour days to establish himself in a competitive industry. But for some reason, they all think healthcare is the place to be when the economy turns soft. They ask me about my business and seem surprised when I tell them that hospitals are struggling too. I guess it's just ignorance.

I work with dozens of hospitals across the country and most of them are singing the same tune. Postponed equipment upgrades, delayed projects, layoffs and a whole list of internal problems related to the current economy. My job is to work with healthcare leaders to identify and develop top talent for their organizations. Do you think my business is affected? Well sure. While people (actually the right people) are a companies number one asset, budgets for training, leadership development and recruitment planning seem to be the first to be cut. At least that's what many HR leaders tell me. Advertising budgets are reduced, training is postponed and positions are eliminated.

While I tend to agree with many of these cuts (sorry HR), I believe that budgets for organizational development (OD) should be spared at all cost. Studies show that a well-structured OD plan helps with patient satisfaction and employee engagement during tough times.

The bottom line is, you cannot make a sick patient who lost his employer paid insurance during a layoff come to your hospital. But you can work to create a positive, engaged workforce through regular training and direct interaction. Leaders, please do not separate yourself during these tough times. Get out on the floor and work with your teams at the staff level. Show them you care, ask for their ideas and listen.

Dale Hannegan
www.radsciences.com
www.mymedport.com

With the wave of popularity in social media websites like myspace, twitter and facebook over the past 3-4 years, we at RadSciences Group wondered how this newly emerging technology could be wielded to serve the Healthcare industry. Like most organizations right now, hospitals are also faced with reduced recruitment and communication budgets and are turning to social media to keep their workforces engaged.

According to a the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) "Engagement Survey,” of the 1,500 participants, about 79% of the respondents reported they use social media frequently to engage employees and foster productivity, outranking even e-mail (75%). Company blogs are the most popular social media tools (47%), with discussion boards ranking the highest for future planned use.

We are please that www.mymedport.com is helping the healthcare sector with workforce engagement and offering free job postings for non-profit hospitals. The beta test is almost complete and we are looking forward to launching the first healthcare social network.

MyMedPort Team

Information on healthcare jobs and compensation trends are posted in the latest compensation review from RadSciences Group. You can find it at www.RadSciences.com or contact Dale Hannegan at 800-804-2345. The report is useful for anyone who is considering changing jobs in the current recession or pursuing a new career in healthcare. Specifically in the areas of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Laboratory, or Radiology/Medical Imaging.

Need a Physical Therapist for your practice? Well join the club. If the job boards are not generating you good candidates for your facility, I can tell you why. People are digging in and waiting out this economic storm that is lingering over their financial houses. Therefore, if you need a Physical Therapist, you better work evenings and weekends to call them and give them a reason to work for you. On the MyMedPort website (www.mymedport.com) there is a good article that will help you gain some leverage when attracting Physical Therapists.

Job boards have made a recruiters job much easier over the years. But what did recruiters do before job boards came along? Have you been in the field long enough to remember? Well I have. They cold called! Yes.. days, nights and weekends to find passive job seekers. My guess is that only the strong will survive this storm.

In September, we surveyed some of our clients asking them to rank in order of importance topics they felt were the most important to their organization relating to employee recruitment and retention. By far, employee retention was the topic most managers wanted more information on, followed by reducing contract labor, then reducing their cost per hire.

As most of us have seen, employee loyalty is very short-lived, and most hospital employees do not expect to be with the same employer for more than a couple of years. The fact is the employee's basic needs are changing. Finding and keeping good talent is not just about money anymore. Believe it or not, it’s typically third down the line of reasons employees leave.

In most cases, we discovered that candidates do not leave for just more money, or to avoid difficult job circumstances. Research conducted by our organization found that employees usually leave because of human factors such as; greater job appreciation, better working relationship with management, better geographic location to their family, better work environment, more flex-time, etc.

RadSciences Group has tried to keep the formula for employee retention relatively simple, but unfortunately, it’s not. However, we have determined that there are three key ingredients to effective employee retention.

1. Creating a better working environment
2. Develop a career and recognition plan
3. Appreciating employees financially

1. Improving the work environment
FIRST AND FOREMOST, REPLACE/RE-TRAIN BAD MANAGERS: We all have them - Team “leaders” that should not be telling other employees what to do. These individuals do not lead by example, and your employees talk about them behind your back. Most directors know its going on, but do not want to cause conflict by approaching this person about their leadership skills. Eventually, they let things continue until the department eventually turns over. This person may be a good tech and you think you can’t afford to lose them, but that is simply not the case. To put this in perspective, it traditionally takes our firm less than
30 days to fill management/lead tech level positions.

2. Define your career and recognition plan
A CAREER PLAN: Employees like to have clearly defined goals, as well as defined plans and schedules to achieve those goals. Help employees develop a career plan within the organization so that they understand where they are going, and why it makes sense to achieve those goals. For more information on how to create this type of program, please contact us @ 800-804-2345

OPEN DIALOG: Sharing of certain operating and financial information helps build trust between employer and employee. It also helps workers understand how their performance affects results, and encourages their input. This ultimately invests them with a feeling of ownership in the company and a long-term stake in its future. One of the most valuable tools a manager has is the ability to provide regular feedback.

TEAM BUILDING/RECOGNITION: Provide reward and recognition programs that recognize performance and achievement. Hold regular company social outings to build rapport and enthusiasm. The key word here is “regular”. You cannot expect to do something fun once a year and it make an impact on your department. For more information on how to create this type of program, please contact us @ 800-804-2345

3. Appreciate employees financially
PAY MARKET WAGES, PAY MARKET WAGES, PAY MARKET WAGES: Accessing market information on compensation averages has never been easier. Any employee worth keeping is smart enough to monitor these figures to make sure he is getting paid fair market value. If your hospital Administrator or CFO will not approve wages for your department, ask for approval to supplement wages with bonuses and performance-based pay.

Additional benefits may include:
• Trips and weekend excursions (hotel suites, spa packages, etc.)
• Exotic car rentals
• Awards, certificates, plaques, honors
• Memberships in professional organizations
• Subscriptions
• Tickets to sporting events, movies, theater, restaurants
• Additional paid days off
• Birthdays as a floating individual holiday
• Gifts of all sorts
• Health club memberships

Tips to attract quality employees
It is amazing to us that hospitals continue using standard methods of recruitment expecting different results. It is necessary to visit job fairs, colleges, follow up on networking leads, and run ads in the paper, but time should be spent on more creative ideas. Keep in mind that the cost of running newspaper ads, overtime, and contract labor is much higher in the long run than using a specialty recruiting firm to fill the position quickly.

Here are a few tips
• Develop advertising and marketing programs that are more personal, addressing the person, not a specialty.
• Establish an internal referral program that pays employees for referrals that result in a hire.
• Maintain a visible presence wherever the labor pool frequents, such as industry associations and related events.
• Use a specialty recruitment firm to supplement your internal hiring efforts. Some search firms will tell you they can recruit about anyone your hospital needs, but try an organization that has targeted resources. To put this in perspective, most women who have children chose to have an OB/GYN deliver their baby, not a cardiologist….. even though they are both physicians.

While this information may seem fundamental, it is often discussed but rarely practiced by most organizations. I’ve worked for companies myself that were good companies that simply could not put together a plan for retention. Most of the time, it takes a designated employment specialist to create these plans and insure they are implemented and maximized to their effectiveness.


Dale Hannegan
Regional Director
RadSciences Group
800 804-2345