HR Evaluating The Recruiting Function

1. The high turnover rates and claims of staff burnout, especially burnout for the recruiters, signify that the nurse recruiting strategy currently being used by the hospital is not effective. The hospital is using too many recruiting sources which results in wasted time and resources, because the current strategy only generates 52 qualified candidates who accepted the job offer, which does not satisfy the work that is needed to run the hospital. According to the background, the turnover rate for the 450 nurses that are needed to operate the hospital is 35%. This means that about 158 nurses leave the hospital, and only about a third of this number is hired to fill the open positions. This is the major factor of staff burnout. In addition to fulfilling their own work, the remaining nurses at the hospital are burdened with a more “exhausting workload” to continue with the operations of the hospital even though they are understaffed.

2. As stated in the previous response, the hospital’s current strategy is using too many recruitment sources, which is costly because some of the sources are not necessary to be utilized since they do not generate as many qualified candidates as the other sources. The Public Employment Agency and newspaper ads are the sources that contribute least to the overall recruitment process. As a result, the hospital should not spend as much time recruiting from these sources, and if necessary, they can eliminate these recruitment sources to put more effort and resources into the others that produce more qualified nurses. As a consultant, I would emphasize on the Internet applications because not only do they generate the most qualified nurses, this method is also efficient since it is easier to screen applicants, which saves time, and the hospital can receive responses quicker at less cost than the alternative sources. Another source that reaps benefits is the University programs, since it is the second most successful source that produces qualified candidates. Therefore, the hospital should also shift its focus on recruiting from this source.

3. The stages in the recruitment process that seem to be the most amenable to improvements are shifting towards the recruitment sources that generate the most qualified candidates, and training the recruiters to recruit effectively. As mentioned in the prior response, it will be beneficial for the hospital to focus its recruiting selection on the sources that provide the most qualified candidates, and discontinue using the sources that did not produce any qualified individuals in the past. The hospital can also save time and costs by administering tests to all applicants, so the hospital can determine which applicants have the necessary skills for the job. Doing so will save time and energy because the recruiters will be able to give interviews to those who are really qualified. Lastly, I would also recommend the hospital to train more people to help Sister Mary Louise with the off-site recruitment so that she would not feel burnout. It is a burden for only one person to be responsible for recruiting from outside sources, so it would be beneficial if others were trained to assist her. In this way, more qualified candidates will be given a chance to be interviewed.