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How do I set up temporary medical staffing services?
The Pace Group:
Many Medical facilities rely on outside temporary agencies to provide staff coverage during vacation and sick absences. Poor outside coverage has prompted a number of medical organizations to create internal temporary pools to improve staffing quality.
Establishing an internal temporary service involves hiring and maintaining a group of employees whose main function is providing coverage for absent staff.
Here are some things to consider if you decide to set up your own internal temporary agency:
- 1. Advertise and recruit separately for the various medical and clerical positions required. Unless your facility is large enough to support full time temporaries, recruit experienced staff that do not desire or need full time employment.
- 2. Provide attractive hourly pay for your temporaries. Remember you generally are not providing benefits so you can frame your pay scale on your historical agency costs.
- 3. Interview temporary staff the same way you would for full-time staff placements. Avoid applicants who really desire other positions; they generally don't stay.
- 4. Spend the time to properly orient your new temporary staff. One or two days of working orientation should allow them to step right in when needed. This process can also weed out new temporaries whose skill levels are not as advertised.
- 5. Attempt to properly size your temporary staffing pool to provide everyone sufficient hours. Avoid supporting too many temporary staff, as you may risk losing the best workers.
- 6. Assume you will occasionally lose temporary staff. Repeat your advertisement and recruit periodically to replenish your pool.
- 7. Supervisors should be provided temporary staff phone numbers and should initiate calls for coverage.
- 8. Involve your temporary staff in social activities. Invitations to holiday celebrations and the like will help engender loyalty in these employees.
- 9. Don't abuse your temporary workers by long-term fill-in stints. Be prepared to rotate other temporary staff, if necessary, when covering a position for an extended period.
- 10. Give annual increases to temporary staff when provided to other facility staff. Annual increases will maintain competitive hourly rates and help ensure a loyal and consistent temporary pool.
Craig L. Lyon
Director, The Pace Group Inc.
For more information, please contact: The Pace Group Inc., 12160 Abrams Road, Suite 409, Dallas, TX 75243; (972) 437-5611; (800) 422-5611
Copyright 1999.
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