MANAGING RESOURCES
Employing students as aides may provide another recruitment tool because it allows students to learn first hand about the organization and what it has to offer. In turn, the organization can eval- uate the student as a potential employee post-graduation. Some organizations provide assistance with student loan payments if the student continues to work after graduation. Of major importance to new graduates is the orientation program. Graduates look for an orientation that provides suc- cessful transition into professional practice. Other top factors they consider are the reputation of the agency, benefits, promotional opportunities, specialty area, and nurse– patient ratio.
How to Look Posting online on general job search sites (e.g., www.monster.com) or on nurse-specific job referral sites (www.nurse.com) is a common practice. Professional associations such as Sigma Theta Tau International (http://stti.monster.com) and the American Nurses Association (www. nursingworld.org/careercenter) offer job search services. Specialty organizations, such as the American Organization of periOperative Nurses (http://www.aorn.org) could be used for a sur- gical nurse position.
Employee referrals, advertising in professional journals, attendance at professional conven- tions, job fairs, career days, visits to educational institutions, employment agencies (both private and public), and temporary help agencies are all recruiting sources. Advertising in professional journals, Websites, newspapers, or on public access TV can be an effective recruiting tool as well.
During extreme nursing shortages, some organizations offer bonuses to staff members who refer candidates and to the recruits themselves. Direct applications and employee referrals are quick and relatively inexpensive ways of recruiting people, but these methods also tend to perpetuate the current cultural or social mix of the workforce. It is both legally and ethically necessary to recruit individuals without regard to their race, ethnicity, gender, or disability. In addition, organizations can benefit from the diversity of a staff composed of people from a wide variety of social, experiential, cultural, generational, and educational backgrounds.
On the other hand, nurses referred by current employees are likely to have more realistic information about the job and the organization and, therefore, their expectations more closely fit reality. Those who come to the job with unrealistic expectations may experience dissatisfaction. In an open labor market, these individuals may leave the organization, creating high turnover. When nursing jobs are less plentiful or the economy is in a recession, dissatisfied staff members tend to stay in the organization because they need the job, but they are not likely to perform as well as other employees.
When to Look The time lag in recruiting is a concern to nursing because of the shortage. Positions in certain locations (e.g., rural areas) or specialty areas (e.g., critical care) may be especially difficult to fill. Careful planning is necessary to ensure that recruitment begins well in advance of antici- pated needs.
Employing students as aides may provide another recruitment tool because it allows students to learn first hand about the organization and what it has to offer. In turn, the organization can eval- uate the student as a potential employee post-graduation. Some organizations provide assistance with student loan payments if the student continues to work after graduation. Of major importance to new graduates is the orientation program. Graduates look for an orientation that provides suc- cessful transition into professional practice. Other top factors they consider are the reputation of the agency, benefits, promotional opportunities, specialty area, and nurse– patient ratio.
How to Look Posting online on general job search sites (e.g., www.monster.com) or on nurse-specific job referral sites (www.nurse.com) is a common practice. Professional associations such as Sigma Theta Tau International (http://stti.monster.com) and the American Nurses Association (www. nursingworld.org/careercenter) offer job search services. Specialty organizations, such as the American Organization of periOperative Nurses (http://www.aorn.org) could be used for a sur- gical nurse position.
Employee referrals, advertising in professional journals, attendance at professional conven- tions, job fairs, career days, visits to educational institutions, employment agencies (both private and public), and temporary help agencies are all recruiting sources. Advertising in professional journals, Websites, newspapers, or on public access TV can be an effective recruiting tool as well.
During extreme nursing shortages, some organizations offer bonuses to staff members who refer candidates and to the recruits themselves. Direct applications and employee referrals are quick and relatively inexpensive ways of recruiting people, but these methods also tend to perpetuate the current cultural or social mix of the workforce. It is both legally and ethically necessary to recruit individuals without regard to their race, ethnicity, gender, or disability. In addition, organizations can benefit from the diversity of a staff composed of people from a wide variety of social, experiential, cultural, generational, and educational backgrounds.
On the other hand, nurses referred by current employees are likely to have more realistic information about the job and the organization and, therefore, their expectations more closely fit reality. Those who come to the job with unrealistic expectations may experience dissatisfaction. In an open labor market, these individuals may leave the organization, creating high turnover. When nursing jobs are less plentiful or the economy is in a recession, dissatisfied staff members tend to stay in the organization because they need the job, but they are not likely to perform as well as other employees.
When to Look The time lag in recruiting is a concern to nursing because of the shortage. Positions in certain locations (e.g., rural areas) or specialty areas (e.g., critical care) may be especially difficult to fill. Careful planning is necessary to ensure that recruitment begins well in advance of antici- pated needs.