WIP It!

Strategies for increasing workforce under way with Workforce Investment Plan

According to the American Hospital Association, total population growth and the increase in the number of potential patients age 65 and older are the greatest contributors to the increased need for inpatient services across the country. Coupled with the fact that 20 percent of the Health System’s current workforce is projected to be eligible for retirement in 2008, a staffing crisis seems imminent.

But this issue has been on Health System Human Resources’ radar for years. Since 2001, teams have been working to implement the Workforce Investment Plan—a longterm solution to meet UMHS’ future staffing needs based on six strategies:

1. Diversify and expand the potential applicant pool
2. Become widely recognized as a great place to work
3. Coordinate recruitment efforts institution-wide
4. Invest in leadership development
5. Re-recruit current employees
6. Mentoring, mentoring, mentoring

Get more information on the strategies.

The first strategy, to diversify and expand the potential applicant pool, is led by Barb Wingrove, outreach program coordinator, and focuses on creating partnerships with schools, colleges, universities and other community groups to establish a pipeline of future employees.

“By going into the schools and community, we’ve gotten a lot more interest from students in internships, job-shadowing, tours and presentations,” Wingrove says.

WIP staff members provide information to counselors and conduct presentations at schools. They put on a yearly Allied Health Partners Day to recruit and increase interest in allied health careers at UMHS. In addition, UMHS provides job-shadowing and internships to eligible students, and works closely with the Youth Mentoring Program to increase younger generations’ exposure to careers in the medical field.

“The major focus is to increase children’s interest in health care careers at an early age to improve the likelihood that they’ll pursue a career in the field,” says Kelly, director of Human Resources. “We focus on allied health professions because this is the area where we project the greatest future need.”

Wingrove’s team also launched the Careers Web site in 2005. The site gives detailed information about specific jobs, job-shadowing and volunteer opportunities, and testimonials from employees in select positions.

Strategies:

1. DIVERSIFY AND EXPAND THE POTENTIAL APPLICANT POOL
   
   
2. BECOME WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK
   • Premier Healthcare Employer
   • 101 Best and Brightest in Metro Detroit
     
     
3. COORDINATE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS INSTITUTION-WIDE
   • Recruitment branding
   • Careers Web site
   • eMploy
   • Recruitment Toolkit
   • Allied Health Recruiter
     
     
4. INVEST IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
• UMHS Leadership Development Training Programs
• Foundation for Successful Leadership
• Masters Series Leadership Program
• Health Care Leadership Institute
• Emerging Leaders Program
• Leadership at All Levels
• Sixth Sense Coaching Program
• Diversity Education
  
  
5. RE-RECRUIT CURRENT EMPLOYEES
• Retention Focus Groups
• Recognition Survey
• Surpassing Exit Interview
• New Hire Survey
• HR Indicators Tool
  
  
6. MENTORING, MENTORING, MENTORING
   • Integrating mentoring into existing leadership development programs

For more information, or if you want to get involved, e-mail Barb Wingrove.