How CVS Health Uses iBuildApp to Transform HR Functions.
“Is it effective for healthcare companies to have a dedicated mobile application to augment human resource (HR) functions?”This question has been recurring in the healthcare industry for a while. Within the last several years, countless outlets in the US have reported concerns about the ,shortage of healthcare workers, especially registered nurses. As the sector ponders on what this shortage means for the future of patients, practitioners and the agencies that place them, mobile-based technologies are being cited as a plausible solution.
CVS Health is a case in point. CVS Health is the largest pharmacy health care provider in the U.S. with more than 295,000 employees across all 50 states. The company leveraged the iBuildApp platform and created a mobile app that showcases new career opportunities across a range of verticals spanning: Distribution, Customer Care, Internship, Pharmacy Tech, Pharmacists, Health Hubs, Nursing among others. The app makes it easy for the human resource department to easily engage prospective talent by simply sending them company news, industry updates, and new job opportunities.
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Mobile Apps: Transforming Talent Sourcing and Engagement in the Healthcare Industry
Today, mobile apps have done a lot for the medical industry. The focus has drastically shifted from traditional operations management systems to digital solutions that are significantly improving the experience of both patients and healthcare workers. According to a study by PwC’s Health Research Institute, more than 30 percent of all U.S. customers have at least one healthcare app on their smartphones.On the other hand, the world of recruitment has become nearly 100 percent digital, thanks to mobile apps that are dedicated to helping bridge the gap between recruiters and worthy job seekers. As in healthcare, the success of mobile apps in recruiting is largely attributed to the integration of smart devices into virtually every aspect of daily life. Mobile recruiting has evolved from one-way processes like SMS marketing and job-search apps to comprehensive tools that offer recruiters an effective, personalized candidate engagement and evaluation process.
So, given the impact that mobile apps have had in the healthcare sector, it makes all the sense to count on them to deliver solutions for the challenges facing recruitment in the healthcare industry. Below are some of the ways mobile applications can transform the recruiting process in the medical sector.
1. Talent sourcing
The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that by 2030, the US will have a deficit of nearly 105,000 doctors. According to research by The Economist Intelligence Unit, two-thirds of healthcare organizations with more than 1,000 employees are currently facing a shortage of nurses or expect one within the next three years. With the healthcare industry looking to add some 2.3 million through 2024, human resource professionals will need to leverage technology to find enough talent for these roles.Thanks to their wide reach, smartphones and tablets can be the ideal tool for searching and shortlisting candidates. Mobile apps can allow health institutions to reach prospective doctors and nurses from far and wide, personalize communication with them, and effectively match them with suitable roles.
2. Credential management
According to Bullhorn’s Staffing and Recruiting Trends Report for 2018, fifty-one percent of staffing firms cited credential processing as one of their biggest challenges. Like most professionals in the recruitment sector, most HR teams in the healthcare sector still rely on manual tools like spreadsheets, static databases, and paper-based files to collect and organize a multitude of current and outdated credentials.Mobile apps can spare the HR department the hustle of collecting credentials by instead engaging potential candidates to fill out and send their details themselves. A smartphone-based recruiting app can deliver push notifications of job openings directly to candidates that have accounts on the platform, to which interested professionals would respond with their complete, updated profiles. These tools would enable recruiters to reduce candidate drop-off rates in the credentialing process, keep track of expiring applicant data, and maintain an easily manageable and auditable record of candidates.
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3. Employee engagement
Millennials are replacing older generations in the workforce, and as HR Technologist reveals, 42 percent of millennials say they would leave an organization due to “substandard technology”. Since the healthcare sector is not exempted from this statistic, recruiters must consider how mobile applications can maintain or improve engagement with existing and prospective employees.Mobile apps present opportunities for HR teams to connect with candidates beyond the typical hiring process. Institutions can take advantage of the connecting power of mobile apps to create communities (think social media features, Fan Wall feature, etc.) where they can share information about job prospects and get feedback on their recruitment processes. By leveraging mobile apps to maintain engagement with professionals and job seekers in the industry, recruiters in the healthcare sector can grow their reach and attract candidates that are already aligned to their values.
4. Mutual-time interviews
Speaking of growing reach, recruiters in a sector that is becoming increasingly constrained of workers need tools to facilitate shortlisting across wider geographical scales. The perfect candidate for a role might not be in the same city or country. Chances are high that suitable hires are already working elsewhere and may not be free for interviews any time a recruiter suggests.Mobile applications are undoubtedly the most favorable way for healthcare recruiters to reach even the busiest candidate. Forget the conventional ways of interviewing. Now, the HR team can simply make interview questions available on an app, and candidates will record their responses at their convenience. In addition to avoiding delays in recruiting, mobile apps can eliminate the anxiety of face-to-face interactions, giving applicants a comfortable, enjoyable and relaxed interview experience they can recommend to their peers.
5. Automated Vendor Management Systems (VMS)
Healthcare staffing firms that deal with large volumes of VMS jobs are often at a loss when it comes to unlocking the full potential of their VMSs because they lack automation in key processes. According to Bullhorn, only 23 percent of recruiting businesses are employing automation to enter and update VMS data into their Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Another 42 percent of firms update their ATS records manually, while 25 percent of staffers are working with spreadsheets outside the ATS. Manual vendor management is a critical inefficiency that extensively slows down the process of filling open positions with the best talent.Using mobile apps to manage VBS data can allow staffing companies to automate processes like collecting candidate information, organizing prospects, and prioritizing positions. Staffers can stay connected to their recruitment databases even beyond business hours, maximizing their productivity so that they can quickly put the most suitable candidates to work.
The Key Takeaway
The high demand for qualified healthcare professionals has created intense pressure on the industry to make recruitment processes more effective and efficient. Mobile apps offer the human resource departments the opportunity to automate their processes while conveniently connecting with suitable candidates. With the right mobile application, a recruiter can provide a simple way to let target professionals see updated job postings and share their information right from their cell phones.When it comes to recruitment in the healthcare sector, mobile apps are certainly the future. Feel free to utilize iBuildApp features and create your perfect mobile app. Also please let us know about what other HR features you think are important.