WIP It!

UMHS strives to be known as a great place to work in order to attract and retain the best applicants

Since 2001, teams have been working to implement the Workforce Investment Plan—a long-term solution to meet UMHS’s 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

The second strategy, to become widely recognized as a great place to work, is led by Kent Seckinger, director, UMHS Human Resource Finance and Decision Support, and focuses on increasing our external reputation as a great place to work.

“It’s not good enough to be a great place to work—we have to be known as a great place to work in order to attract and retain the best applicants,” Seckinger says. “We know that having a highly skilled workforce means better patient care and a better all around impact on our bottom line.”

Part of his work includes regularly submitting applications in competition with peer organizations to receive recognition. Recent achievements include the 2005 Performance Through People Award, being named one of 10 2005 Premier Healthcare Employers nationwide, and being named one of Metropolitan Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2005.

But simply getting awards is not enough, Seckinger says. It takes continuously working to maintain an institution where employees are engaged, and for those employees to share their opinions about their work with others.

“We work to understand our employees’ interests by listening to their feedback and making changes. Employees are a great resource for recruiting other great employees, and we encourage staff to refer people whom they respect for positions here at UMHS,” Seckinger says.

If you have suggestions or comments on creating the ideal employee experience, share them with your supervisor as your department discusses results of the recent employee engagement survey.