Raising the bar on recruitment and retention

Although finding and keeping talented staff is a problem that affects virtually every healthcare organization, Falls Church, Virginia-based Inova Health System found itself particularly challenged by a fiercely competitive market and failing employee retention system. Large percentages of staff in Inova's finance division were employed for less than one year. To address this staffing crisis, department leadership joined with human resource representatives and employees to pursue a practical strategy emphasizing self-analysis, responsive solutions, and promotion of recruitment activities. In less than a year, the division had exceeded its expectations--vacancies were significantly reduced, use of temporary replacements had ceased, and members of the public were recognizing the organization as an industry leader.