AAPPR is here to support our members during the COVID-19 pandemic

AAPPR is here to support our members.

In the last several weeks, we at AAPPR have watched our members pivot and adapt to the effects COVID-19 has had on our world and on recruitment professionals. We have listened and are here to continue to support our members.

Overnight, the health care industry has mobilized to address patient care during a worldwide pandemic. With the onset of COVID-19, the national physician shortage is evident. AAPPR members must continue to source, screen, interview, select, offer, hire, and onboard providers to meet the demands placed on hospitals and health systems. Many recruitment professionals are considered essential personnel by their health systems and are continuing to do their jobs in recruitment, though many have been redeployed within the health care workforce assisting clinical teams. They have leveraged their knowledge of provider backgrounds, qualifications, and credentialing to provide necessary information for health care leaders to make crucial staffing decisions. All the while, recruiters have strategized to develop new skills and processes in real-time. Here are a few of the changes we have seen.

Stay Home, Stay Safe

Following state guidelines, many health care organizations have asked recruiters to work remotely. Our recent benchmarking survey showed about 56% of recruitment teams had established work from home policies and practices. For other recruitment professionals working remotely means creating new workflows, opening new communication channels, and adapting processes. Many now need to balance a home office and childcare while whole families shelter in place.

Virtually Everything Is Online

Social distancing has changed how recruitment professionals source, conduct interviews, and onboard new providers. Recruiters are relying on platforms from Skype to Zoom to engage with candidates. Organizations have created virtual tours of hospitals and communities. Teams are redesigning onboarding and orientations to be online. On March 24th, AAPPR hosted a live question and answer webinar on virtual recruiting with more than 500 members in attendance. Following the webinar, AAPPR launched a chat community entitled COVID-19 Response and Resources for members to continue to engage with one another. As new questions or ideas arise, we encourage you to connect with other members to share resources, strategies, and best practices.

Shifting Priorities

One of the biggest challenges recruiters face is how to fill the immediate needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously they must find ways to engage candidates for positions that are needed in the long term. Recruiters are leveraging tools and resources to source and onboard temporary providers as quickly as possible. Conversely, many have had to reevaluate start dates due to relocation restrictions and quarantine orders. Some hospitals in virus epicenters have redeployed staff, including recruiters, to help in other areas, thereby placing usual tasks on hold.

The Only Constant Is Change

From shifting gears to shifting start dates, so much is changing so quickly. Our members are tasked with balancing the needs of their organizations with the needs of candidates. One thing is certain, now more than ever, recruiters must be agile. We are working in an environment where long-standing timelines no longer serve us and where the ability to adapt is paramount. As the world around us continues to change, we must be prepared to have sensitive conversations with candidates and internal stakeholders and be poised to step in and fill a need.

In the coming weeks, AAPPR will continue to provide timely content and resources for our members, with webinars on topics including Partnering with Locums During COVID-19, How to Have Sensitive Conversations with Providers, Understanding Immigration Changes and Challenges and more. We are relying on members to share with us their insights during this time.