Where's the Beef?

Merrainiacs:

Y'all remember this commercial from 1984: Where's the Beef? It was so popular it even became featured in the presidential election.

Today hospitals need to be asking the question: Where is the value? When you read articles such as this one about the turnover hospitals are experiencing in nursing, it makes sense to ask your recruiting firm: How can you help us? After all, if your recruitment firm is only focused on the recruitment piece, they are obviously forgetting a key component of the puzzle: the retention piece.

Many search firms will argue that this is "beyond our scope" for the simple reason that they provide multiple candidates and ultimately the selection is up to the hospital. However, what retention strategies are in play and are behavior predictors being utilized to understand each candidate's long term goals? Are discussions taking place with the spouse to understand their role in the decision or is this just another quick deal?

Granted, the turnover rates the article above talks about are what keep us in business. However, we'd like to think many hospitals and medical centers have come our way because they they are fed up with having to replace their leaders every couple of years. So how did we get to a place where we could brag about a 97% retention rate? It's rather unheard of. What is your search firm's retention rate?

Merraine Group offers the "best-in-industry" guarantee. When we rolled it out, we were told it was ludicrous and that it would cost the industry far more than it was worth. Funny how that works. It's helped our business and we've yet to see another firm that will match it. We'll be talking about our guarantee at the ASHHRA show in Phoenix next month. For more information, come see us in Booth #724, at our hospitality suite or simply e-mail us: info@merraine.com.

The bottom line is if 25% of your nurses are really looking for new opportunities, you've got some issues we need to address and quick. Not to worry, that's what we're here for.

Merrainiac

Habits Die Hard

Merrainiacs:

I have learned that regularly updating a blog is like all of those other things that fall by the wayside....at least in my life. They include exercise, long walks with my dog, flowers on the weekend, regular maintenance on my computer, checking in each week with Aunt Tillie bless her heart and now.....updating the blog. Not sure how this got looped in there, but it was my idea after all! Alas, live and learn.

Truth is, we have been busier than ever. May was our best month in the company's history breaking our previous record by more than 30%.....so it wasn't just a "modest uptick." It was more like an explosion. We've also just closed our best first half in the firm's history, and we think we're on our way to our best year ever although I'll confess we do have our share of worrywarts. You know the nervous type always looking for those storm clouds. Interim placement is up, permanent placement is up, HR outsourcing is up, contingency search is up, retained search is up and our newest division Merraine Select is off to an auspicious start. (Note to self: I must tell you more about Merraine Select.) So, all in all it's looking like some of those habits I was trying to get better at may have to wait because it's been an incredibly busy summer with no sign of letting up.

Whatever you do, just don't tell Aunt Tillie. Her memory is so bad I just keep telling her I called yesterday and she lets me off the hook.

Merrainiac