Recruitment and Retention Human Resource Policies

1. Best practices and compliance with recruitment laws
The first step towards filling the request will be to review the various H.R. best practices and compliance to minimize an employee lawsuit's risk. The review will be done on issues such as hiring, wage requirements, and employee classification. To ensure this, the H.R. department will establish a strategy (assuming none exists at the moment) for regulatory reviewing and updating compliance procedures and labor laws that are constantly changing (Breaugh, 2016). The suggested strategy is to have one of the H.R. department staff members as a "point person" to research and update compliance policies.
To ensure hiring and employee compliance for the current post, the H.R. department will first seek to ensure there cannot be any discrimination in the process based on religion, race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, and ethnicity (Patterson & Zibarras, 2018). To achieve this, the recruitment process will not ask some questions, especially in the pre-employment interview, and there shall be the same legal requirements for hiring. At the federal level, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the anti-discrimination laws (Flynn et al., 2016). The EEOC website will be used to determine some of the critical areas that pose potential legal trouble and how to avoid them. Also, the H.R. department will review state laws to ensure compliance.
Moreover, the recruitment process must ensure no employee misclassification, and there is compliance with exempt and non-exempt status. Misclassification of employees attracts highly punitive fines from the U.S. Department of Labor, IRS, and state agencies, depending on the infraction (Avery, McKay & Volpone, 2013). The recruitment drive will be classified accordingly to prevent the costs associated.
2. Develop and present an organizational statement on diversity Source(s) of recruitment
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
One of the pillars of our success is anchored on diversity. As an organization, diversity is a core part of our culture and how we work as a healthcare organization. Diversity is key to realizing our mission of reaching and helping improve the health of all. The commitment to diversity and inclusion is rooted deeply in our collective values as a healthcare company.
We are adversely aware that differences in race, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, background, and thinking style are a source of and bring richness to our working environment, the reach of our clients. It results in better service delivery to our patients. Through a highly divergent human capital, we are better positioned to connect with the health needs of the people who make up the society in which we operate. We also hold the belief for us to succeed; we need to make and maintain healthy relationships with diverse professional organizations, partners, and suppliers.
As a health care organization, we are genuinely committed to ensuring our staff, operations, and third parties are diverse to reach all members and diversity aspects of the society we operate in. we also believe that visible diversity does not equate to being diverse inclusive. As a result, we seek to ensure that we have a meaningful commitment to diversity and inclusion through a dual and concurrent focus on individualistic behaviors and descriptions and organizational operations and systems. Being open to alternative ways and approaches to a task or issue, revising work processes, and being flexible in design and schedule are essential elements of diversity and inclusion.
3. Accepting of resumes or applications
Once a Job Description has been designed, and the vacancy is made public, it is expected that the application for the job will start streaming in. the application period will be bound to time. Applications will be required to be made online, and no hard copies will be accepted. To do away with storing the expectedly bulky applications and the possibility of misplacing any application, only online applications will be accepted. All application(s) that is/are made through a hard copy will not be accepted and, thus, not screened for this position.
For this particular position, applications to be accepted are those made by persons residing within the state only. The aim of broadening the applicant pool to the state level is to attract the best human capital available for the position (Flynn et al., 2016; Kehoe & Bentley, 2019). The online applications that will be accepted conform to the required and right email subject to be sent to the right recipient, i.e., the H.R. Director. Acceptance of applications will end at midnight of the day indicated in the job advert as the deadline for applications. Any application that is received after this time will be rejected forthwith.
4. The screening process to determine the best-qualified candidates
Before the recruitment process moves to the selection phase, there will be a screening interview. Screening interviews will be done to those applicants whose applications have been accepted. The acceptance of these applications was based on the assumption that the applicants are qualified, at least from the application documents (Compton, 2009). The screening interview will be done after the application documents have been reviewed, and applicants deemed to qualify shortlisted. The purpose of the screening interview is to establish the candidates' suitability and save the organization and the applicant valuable time (Gusdorf, 2008) by not inviting for interview applicants who are considered unsuitable after the screening interview.
Based on this, the screening interview will be done through an interview. The staff member who will conduct the screening interview will be part of the recruitment team and will have reviewed the application details to understand the applicant's details. Therefore, the interviewer will ask a few straightforward questions that are meant to determine whether the applicant is qualified for the job and appropriateness of the Physician's Assistant (Avery, et al., 2013). Applicants who are deemed appropriated and qualified for the job will be invited for the actual interview.
Applicants who are deemed not appropriate and not qualified will be dropped. Even though it is recommended that for ethical reasons, the interview at this phase can refer the applicant to any other vacancy that is open in the organization (Gusdorf, 2008; Howells, 2020), in this organization, there is no any other open vacancy, and thus, applicants deemed inappropriate and unqualified will be dropped. This will save the organization and the candidate time and any expenses that would have been otherwise incurred to invite an unqualified candidate to the actual interview.
5. The actual interview process – i.e., the number and types of interviews
Given the state-wide applicant pool for this position and the considerably low level for the position, it is expected that there will be many applications. Even though it is expected that a portion of this number will be trimmed at the screening phase, the interview level should also be able to trim the number further down and still allow for the best-qualified person to land the position. As a result, three interviews are proposed. The first will be a structured interview, the second a nondirective interview, and lastly, a situational/problem-solving interview (Gusdorf, 2008).
All interviews will be, among others, a verbal test for the candidates. To ensure that each candidate is interviewed fairly, all questions and procedures will be standardized. The interview will be done by a team of at least three members, selected from the H.R. department and the medical staff.
The structured interview will involve the use of a list of pre-set list questions asked of all candidates. The questions will be mainly from the professional medical front. The structured interview will allow for consistency in the interview process. The most important questions are not left out and guarantee that all the interviewees are assessed on the same standard. Despite this structured interview, it will not be so rigid as not to allow any necessary follow-up questions (Compton, 2009; Garner, 2012). Candidates who do not satisfy the set grade for this interview will be dropped.
The second interview will be a non-direct interview, which essentially takes the opposite approach to the structured interview. This interview will involve a minimum of questions asked by the interview, and they will not be pre-set. This interview will aim to understand better and know the candidates. Candidates who are deemed inappropriate for the position after this interview will also be dropped.
The last interview will be the situational interview, which will allow the candidates to apply their professional knowledge on theoretical clinical cases. This session will involve questions like, "what would you do in this situation?" This session will allow the interviewers to gauge the candidate's experience, knowledge, and metal to handle such situations in future real-world situations (Garner, 2012; Gusdorf, 2008). This interview will also allow the interviewers to gauge other characters like team working capabilities, behavior under pressure, and the ability to innovate to address real situations effectively.
6. Criteria for determining the best qualified 2-3 candidates
For the last interview, criteria will be used to rank the last group of candidates. Based on this ranking criterion, the top 3 candidates will then be forwarded to the Physician for selection. The criterion will involve using a scorecard with five elements (John, 2019; Yu & Cable, 2014). The five elements are education level, work experience, communication, technology, and licenses and certifications. Each of these qualifications will be ranked on an equal basis, e.g., each part will be graded out of 20%.
Selection criteria 1: education - grading for education will involve the levels completed, its relevancy, and the quality. Candidates with the highest education levels completed, which is relevant and of high quality, will score the highest score for this criterion.
Selection criteria 2: work experience – scoring for work experience will be done based on the number of years of experience gained relevancy and quality. Also, scoring for experience will involve working in a diverse environment, multitasking, working under pressure, reliability, admirable attendance, and punctuality.
Selection criteria 3: communication – scoring to be done on written and oral communication and interpersonal communication skills.
Selection criteria 4: technology – scoring to be done on candidates' competency in using the various medical equipment in the field, training, and experience.
Selection criteria 5: licenses and certifications – does the candidate possess or obtain necessary licenses and certifications.
For each of these criteria, grading will be done on a 1-5 scale where;
· 1 – doest meet qualification
· 2 – demonstrates less than average qualification
· 3 – demonstrates average level qualification
· 4 – demonstrates the above-average level of qualification
· 5 – exceeds the required qualification
7. Validate information (reference checking)
Once the top candidates appropriate for the job are selected, the next phase will be to validate/verify the information they provided and check the candidate's references. According to Gusdorf (2008), an employer who fails to do proper validation and reference checking that might uncover a new employee's potential risk may be guilty of negligent hiring. On the other hand, a former employer or reference that may fail to give authentic information about an employee and especially warn about the employee's propensity to harmful behavior may be guilty of negligent referral.
For this position, validation of the candidates' information will be screened through two primary methods. The first method will contact the organizations that the candidates have listed as past work posts in their resumes experience section. These past employers will be contacted by an H.R. Department member in the hospital and requested to provide information on these candidates (Flynn et al., 2016). This information is to be presented within one week. The second validation method will involve online screening of the candidate's information and activity online through professional blogs and social media platforms. For example, for candidates who have published papers at their Masters Education level or any other professional papers, such papers will be searched online to validate their existence. Social media platforms are also a good way of understanding the candidate based on their opinions on various things as published on their social media accounts.
Lastly, the hospital will contact their provided references and require the referee's opinion about the candidate.
8. Follow-up actions after the doctor have selected the candidate of choice
After the Physician has selected the preferred candidate after the top three candidates are forwarded to them, several measures will follow-up. First, there will be criminal background checks. Because of the very nature of providing patient care and the close personal contact that a healthcare worker has with patients, clients, and residents, the background check will be furthered to determine whether the candidate has any previous convictions regarding crimes of violence, criminal behavior, or sexual misconduct (Flynn et al., 2016). Because criminal background check costs the organization time and money, it will be conducted at this level of the recruitment process to minimize the costs involved.
The organization will also seek to establish whether any legal constraints may arise to violation in case the selected candidate is hired. Various federal and state laws protect the rights of persons whose backgrounds might be violated during pre-employment screening. The next screening will be to conduct a medical examination and inquiry. This information will be used to determine the individual's physical and mental capability for performing the Physician's Assistant job (Flynn et al., 2016). Moreover, there will be verification of the selected candidate's employment eligibility under the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which requires organizations to hire only American citizens or aliens legally authorized to work within the United States (Orrenius, Zavodny & Gutierrez, 2018). After these have been satisfactorily determined, then the recruitment process will proceed to make the job offer.
9. Making an offer of employment – how much and what type of information should be shared at this time? Who should make the offer?
The final step in the recruitment process is making the job offer. The job offer will be extended in letter, in person, or by phone. The job offer is to be handled by the H.R. Department, by the H.R. Director or by a person acting on their behalf. For the contracting letter that outlines the terms and conditions of the employment, the signatory should be the H.R. Director.
When making the job offer, the selected candidate will receive a realistic preview of the job. This will involve sharing everything that the candidate needs to know about the job, both the good and the bad (Gusdorf, 2008; Yu & Cable, 2014). For this job, the candidate will be required to travel to the hospital and reside within the hospital quarters; therefore, it will be communicated that the candidate, once hired, needs to travel. If the job is limiting and provides little chances for advancement, this will also be communicated. In summary, the information shared will be as much as possible, to ensure that the candidate makes an informed decision for long-term employment, and for the organization, this will be a strategy to avoid high employee turnover (Becker, Connolly & Slaughter, 2010).
Whether a job offer is made through a phone call, in person, or through a letter (Becker et al., 2010), it is made by the H.R. Director or by a representation of one of the top-ranking officers in the H.R. Department.
In addition to having the job offer made by the H.R. Department, the offer documents will have to be reviewed by a legal counsel and ensure that the terms and conditions are identified. This means that the details should not be vague, offer general statements and promises about benefits and bonuses, work schedules, and any other dynamic issue that might change with time (Flynn et al., 2016).
10. At what point would compensation and benefits be discussed?
Compensation and benefits are going to be discussed at the job offer phase of the recruitment process. When making the job offer, the job's benefits and compensation will be presented to the selected candidate. The presentation will include the salary, bonuses, and other benefits of the job and hourly or monthly (Gusdorf, 2008). This means the quotations will not be yearly, which has been interpreted by the courts as an indication for a contract for employment that lasts for a minimum of one year.
11. Include a brief guideline for hiring managers as to the requirements of Recruitment Laws (do's and don'ts) and the audit steps to ensure compliance
D.O.s
i. Prepare job description and the person specifications for the role carefully. The job description should include why the job exists, its main purpose, objectives, tasks, and responsibilities. The person specifications include qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge, and behaviors
ii. Do use standard and consistent approaches in the recruitment process to ensure that all candidates have a level playing field
iii. Be extremely careful with what you do with personal information that is obtained in the application
iv. Ensure that you keep careful records for the entire recruitment process and the decisions made throughout the process
v. Determine which applicants you are targeting and choose the platform to advertise accordingly, e.g., social media, internet adverts, recruitment agencies, or referrals (Pritchard, 2007).
DON'Ts
i. While conducting an interview, do not ask questions related to age, marital status, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, race, and sexual orientation, e.g., in California (Arthur, 2012)
ii. Don't just consider personal recommendations, but also advertise internally and externally to access the most diverse applicants pool for talent
iii. When communicating the job offer, do not communicate only the good aspects of the job and some challenges that come with the position.
References
Arthur, D. (2012). Recruiting, interviewing, selecting & orienting new employees. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.
Avery, D. R., McKay, P. F., & Volpone, S. D. (2013). "Diversity staffing: Inclusive personnel recruitment and selection practices." In Q. M. Roberson (Ed.), Oxford library of psychology. The Oxford handbook of diversity and work (p. 282–299). Oxford University Press.
Becker, W. J., Connolly, T., & Slaughter, J. E. (2010). The effect of job offer timing on offer acceptance, performance, and turnover. Personnel Psychology, 63(1), 223-241.
Breaugh, J. (2016). Talent acquisition: A guide to understanding and managing the recruitment process. Society of Human Resource Management.
Compton, R. L. (2009). Effective recruitment and selection practices. CCH Australia Limited.
Flynn, W. J., Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., & Valentine, S. R. (2016). Healthcare human resource management, 3rd Edition. Cengage Learning, U.S.
Garner, E. (2012). Recruitment and Selection. Bookboon.
Gusdorf, M. L. (2008). Recruitment and Selection: Hiring the right person. USA: Society for Human Resource Management.
Howells, J. D. (2020). Effective Staffing, Recruitment, and H.R. Management. In Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Program & Center Development (pp. 107-113). Springer, Cham.
John, J. (2019). Effective recruitment strategy to improve your hiring process. ZENITH International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 9(3), 352-357.
Kehoe, R. R., & Bentley, F. S. (2019). Building human capital resources: hiring and acquiring. In Handbook of Research on Strategic Human Capital Resources. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Orrenius, P. M., Zavodny, M., & Gutierrez, E. (2018). Do state employment eligibility verification laws affect job turnover?. Contemporary Economic Policy, 36(2), 394-409.
Patterson, F., & Zibarras, L. (Eds.). (2018). Selection and recruitment in the healthcare professions: Research, theory, and practice. Springer.
Pritchard, C. W. (2007). 101 Strategies for recruiting success: where, when, and how to find the right people every time. Amacom Books.
Yu, K. Y. T., & Cable, D. M. (Eds.). (2014). The Oxford handbook of recruitment. Oxford University Press.