Navigating the intricacies of a talent acquisition strategy involves many factors and options. Internal staffing programs have been on the rise as facilities hire additional staff and allocate novel resources to bring temporary staffing in-house. This article will discuss the pros and cons of internal staffing programs and how to best navigate if you are considering one.
Medical Solutions’ Chief Commercial Officer Chase Farmer leads enterprise sales and oversees the account development of our healthcare clients, including direct, managed services, and strike staffing.
Q: When is the right time to develop an internal travel program?
A: When it comes to creating a successful program, the first thing you will need to do is define what a successful program is to your organization. You want to think about the results you are trying to create.
While an internal staffing program can absolutely be used as a part of a broader strategy, it needs to be designed and supported appropriately to produce real value. Here are some questions you will want to consider:
- What are our expectations and definitions of success when it comes to developing this program?
- Are we supporting a shift in how our permanent staff want to work?
- Do we want to improve efficiency in the staffing process?
- What are the financial implications of developing an internal staffing program right now?
The current state of the healthcare environment post-pandemic continues to drive the trend of internal staffing programs as facilities strive to cut costs while simultaneously meeting the increasing demand for healthcare professionals.
Statistics show that Americans who are 65 or older have a much higher probability of needing healthcare intervention than those under 65, and every single day, 10,000+ Americans turn 65. At the same time, the nursing shortages the industry is experiencing are only growing, with many nurses expected to retire or leave the profession by 2031, creating a projected average of 203,200 openings for RNs each year until then. Therefore, having the right talent acquisition strategy is essential.
An optimal solution to ensure adequate talent acquisition is for healthcare leaders to partner with an experienced workforce solutions provider that can provide the resources to create a robust and sustainable strategy.
Oftentimes, when a facility creates its own internal staffing program, they find that costs increase. Also, if staffing needs are not accurately predicted, a loss in productivity can arise, resulting in additional costs and reduced patient care.
When considering a partnership, the provider you work with should understand the market, understand how supply and demand work in the staffing industry, and have the breadth of experience and knowledge to effectively manage and help predict staffing needs for a variety of facility types.
A partnership with a provider that has appropriate access to the latest technology will enable your organization to set up an internal staffing program efficiently and effectively while giving you supportive and consultative guidance along the way. Internal staffing programs are not a new concept; they can and have helped facilities create a sustainable talent acquisition strategy. The right total workforce solutions partner can help to manage your expectations around this type of talent acquisition strategy so that you can find success with it.
Q: My facility tried to set up an internal staffing program but did not get our intended results. What should we do now?
A: You should never dismiss an existing solution without understanding the elements that are working, as well as those that are not. Your facility is likely doing a lot of things that are working great. Oftentimes, it is having an objective look at an existing program with a critical eye to determine areas of opportunity that can be the difference maker.
Not fully meeting expectations and desired outcomes is a common issue faced by facilities when initiating an internal staffing program. Working with a trusted workforce solutions partner can help you with this approach—doing the appropriate amount of discovery to fully vet and understand what the true costs are, and helping you determine if and how an internal staffing program should remain part of your solution design.
Q: What is solution design?
A: Solution design is where your workforce solutions partner works with you to understand the uniqueness of your environment and specific needs and crafts solutions that best suit your individual facility or healthcare system.
These solutions may include creating new packages or using predictive modeling to better understand exactly where your business needs are. There is a wide range of what solution design can look like, and this can evolve over time.
You may be surprised by what can be done by simply “polishing the edges” of your current talent acquisition strategy, rather than completely rebuilding a program from the ground up.
Q: What more can we do as a healthcare organization to meet the demand for nursing talent acquisition while also cutting costs?
A: Organizations should look at making small incremental moves in several directions when it comes to talent acquisition.
Again, it is important to understand that an internal staffing program may not necessarily be the “magic pill” you want it to be. You should be looking internally and asking:
- How can we better understand our utilization?
- Where are the opportunities to refine?
- Where are the strengths?
- Do we have access to data to help make more informed decisions?
- Has our talent acquisition strategy changed in the last 10 years—5 years—2 years—how should it continue to change?
- What is driving our rate of attrition?
The healthcare industry is at an incredible time right now—disruptive solutions such as predictive analytics and other innovative technologies are emerging to address the industry’s staffing needs, and answering these questions will help your facility to evolve with those needs.
Your Workforce Solutions Partner
When you partner with the right provider, they will help you produce a solution design and talent acquisition strategy based on your facility’s particular needs—adapting to the healthcare ecosystem while prioritizing your success and evolving alongside you.
Ready to learn more? Connect with Medical Solutions today!
