Introduction
The continuous improvement of healthcare services is one of the definers of the hospital’s success in the market (Stamatis, 2010). The local acute care hospital understands the importance of this aspect for the success and profitability of the facility. In this case, I applied for the position of Manager of Human Resources to help the hospital reach its goals and improve the effectiveness of HR practices.
Consequently, the impact of various externalities such as current trends in health care and employment law have to be analyzed since they affect hiring. In turn, HR as a strategic partnership has to be discussed. Lastly, a model and strategy for Human Resource Management are proposed based on the analyses conducted above.
Current Trends in Health Care
Firstly, the recent trends in the healthcare industry have to be analyzed, as they define the direction of the HR strategy and subsequent steps in the hiring process. One of the rising tendencies is the continuously increasing costs of healthcare (Thrope, 2005). It could be said that this trend tends to develop due to the escalating popularity of patient-centered care since it requires additional spending on training and control systems (Greene, Tuzzio, & Cherkin, 2012). It remains apparent that this trend affects the decision-making of the HR manager, as substantial attention has to be paid to the competences of the candidates. The HRM practitioner has to make his decisions wisely, as it affects the profitability of the medical facility.
Another tendency, which can affect HR practices and hiring process, is the shortage of nurses and other medical personnel. There are several reasons for the presence of this issue. One of them is the fact that nowadays, women have more opportunities and career choices (Nevidjon & Erickson, 2011). Another cause is the aging of the medical personnel, and a combination of these matters makes the problem global (Nevidjon & Erickson, 2011). It could be said that this tendency limits the alternatives and choices of HR professionals and increases the rivalry among the employers. In the end, both trends will impact the decision-making and actions of HR professionals since the shortage and costs increase the necessity to make the choices wisely.
HR and Strategic Partnership with the Medical Facility
Nonetheless, despite a substantial impact of external factors and trends on HRM, the potential opportunities for becoming a strategic partner has to be determined. In the context of the presented case, the desire to satisfy the needs of the growing community could be viewed as a critical opportunity. This matter will help unite HR practitioners and management of the organization since the profitability is the goal of both parties.
In this case, the benefits of a strategic partnership of HR could be depicted. One of the primary advantages is the fact the HRM ensures the growth and profitability of the organization (Vermeeren et al., 2014). The effectiveness is reached with the assistance of the cost-efficiency and finding balance in the decision-making (Vermeeren et al., 2014). A combination of these factors has a positive impact on building the value of the medical institution and grows the customer’s base. It could be said that providing the reasons mentioned above will help the company build trusting relationships with HR and contribute to the increase in the quality of the provided services of the acute care hospital.
A Model of Human Resource Management
Based on the mentioned factors, a model of Human Resource Management could be designed, as the analyses conducted above provide the rationale for the development of particular steps. Firstly, a clear description of the job offer has to be designed. This step is critical, as it will help do the initial screening, as the applicants only with the described competences will apply for this position.
Due to the rising costs of health care, screening the skills and capabilities could be regarded as a step of a priority. This matter will help maintain the quality of the services at a high level. Furthermore, the role of the assessment cannot be underestimated, as it assists in the sufficient evaluation of employees’ performance. Thus, KPIs have to be measured on a regular basis to motivate and offer training for the workforce when it is necessary. This model will help build trusting relationships with the employees and increase their commitment while affecting organizational performance positively (Uzonna, 2013). In the end, following the sequence of the steps mentioned above will ease the hiring process. Simultaneously, it will have a beneficial impact on the cost-effectiveness and profitability of the acute care hospital.
A Strategy for HR
A combination of the factors emphasized above could have a beneficial influence on the effectiveness of the organization. Meanwhile, an appropriate plan of action will assist in building trusting relationships with senior executives, HR, and managerial team. This aspect has to be viewed as one of the most important goals, as it will have a positive impact on the decision-making and efficiency of the organization.
In this case, collaboration and development of trusting relationships should be viewed as the primary value in the acute care hospital. Applying the collaborative HR strategy will have a beneficial impact on the distribution of the resources within the organization (Seyyedjavadin & Zadeh, 2009). A combination of these factors will contribute to the growth and development of the competitive edge of the acute care facility (Seyyedjavadin & Zadeh, 2009). Therefore, the alignment of the HR strategy with the organizational values can be reached with the assistance of introducing changes to the corporate culture, as it will modify the involvement of different levels of subordination in the decision-making process.
Employment Law and Hiring
Speaking of the hiring process, this procedure is highly affected by the externalities. One of them is employment law. It defines the nature of the recruiting process and impacts the selection of the candidates. One of the employment laws, which influences the decision-making, is the possibility to perform labor checks for the arrest records and other information (USA.gov, 2016). It helps the employers gather additional details about the background of the applicants and increase the levels of safety within the organization. This law makes the candidates and organizations more transparent and offers a clear rationale for making a particular decision.
It could be said that the existence of this employment law makes the decisions more effective. It helps increase the efficiency of background checks and contributes to the understanding of the personality and goals of an individual. In the end, it could be highlighted that it has a positive impact on the development of an efficient HR strategy and assists in reaching the organizational objectives.
References
Greene, S., Tuzzio, L., & Cherkin, D. (2012). A framework for making patient-centered care front and center. The Permanente Journal, 16(3), 49-53.
Nevidjon, B., & Erickson, J. (2011). The nursing shortage: Solutions for short and long term. Online Journal for Issues in Nursing, 6(1).
Seyyedjavadin, S., & Zadeh, M. (2009). HR strategy and its aligning with organizational strategy and human capabilities. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 2(2), 5-29.
Stamatis, D. (2010). Essentials for the improvement of healthcare using lean & six sigma. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Thrope, K. (2005). The rise in health care spending and what to do about it. Health Affairs, 24(6), 1436-1445.
USA.gov: Labor laws and issues. (2016).
Uzonna, U. (2013). Impact of motivation on employees’ performance: A case study of Credit West Bank Cyprus. Journal of Economics and International Finance, 5(5), 199-211.
Vermeeren, B., Stejn, B., Tummers, L., Lankhaar, M., Poerstamper, R., & Beek, S. (2014). HRM and its effect on employee, organizational and financial outcomes in health care organizations. Human Resources for Health, 12, 35.