RECRUITMENT GUIDE November 2021
Supplement to the
2 Journal Courier
November 2021
THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF NURSING ASSISTANTS Health professionals are often unsung heroes. However, since the arrival of COVID-19, millions of people have had their eyes opened to the crucial role medical providers play in regard to helping patients and their families.
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for help. They traditionally work under the guidance of registered nurses, and the work of CNAs frees up nurses to provide care that requires a greater level of training, such as administering IV medication or alerting doctors to significant changes in health.
Nursing assistants must possess certain qualities, as the job requires caregiving above all. The nursing resource All Nursing Schools says CNAs must be able to listen to patients’ concerns and develop personal relationships. The care CNAs provide requires Making beds and changing a certain level of intimacy, and bedding. CNAs must have demeanors that Helping patients use toilets help patients feel comfortable. and tending to catheters. Some tasks may involve lifting or helping to move a patient, Helping patients to get so some measure of physical dressed. strength also is needed. Most Monitoring vital signs and reporting on patients’ health. importantly, CNAs often provide companionship and friendship, Handling feeding and helping especially in home care settings. the patient drink. Providing comfort for patients Turning bedridden patients who are scared, lonely or upset according to schedule. also is part of a CNA’s job.
Nursing assistants are tireless health care workers who perform their tasks with professionalism and patience. Certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, help patients with their basic daily care, and may assist with: • • • • • •
CNAs work in various settings, notably long-term care facilities, doctors’ offices, hospitals, and rehabilitation clinics. Nursing assistants often are the first responders when a patient calls
Nursing assistants are important health care professionals and often part of a team of caregivers that help patients enjoy improved quality of life.
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TIPS TO MASTER A VIDEO JOB INTERVIEW The adage “there’s a first time for everything” has certainly rang true throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Life as the world knew it changed during the pandemic, and as a result many people found themselves in unfamiliar positions and settings.
sends the right message. Dress the part from head to toe, even if you expect to only be seen from the waist up. This saves you the embarrassment of being seen in sweat pants or other inappropriate attire should you unexpectedly need to stand up during the interview.
One unfamiliar position that job seekers had to grow accustomed to during the pandemic was interviewing via video conferencing apps like Zoom. Interviewing for a new job has long been considered a nerve-wracking experience, even for seasoned professionals. That anxiety did not necessarily disappear during the pandemic, but it may have taken on a new form as applicants were forced to present the best, albeit virtual, version of themselves when interviewing.
• Beware of the background. Make sure the background behind you during the interview is clean and appropriate. Zoom offers a curated list of virtual backgrounds that can help job seekers make a strong first impression. If an existing space is fine serving as a background, clean the area prior to the interview. This creates the impression that you are organized and attentive to detail.
Video interviews may become integral parts of the interviewing process in the future, as companies recognize how efficient video interviews can be. As a result, it can benefit professionals to polish up on their video interviewing skills. • Dress the part. Dressing for success still matters. Though in person interviews may not be in job seekers’ immediate futures, appropriate attire still
• Use a laptop or computer. Smartphones have video conferencing capabilities, but it’s best to use a laptop or desktop computer when interviewing via video. Laptops and desktops are heavier and less likely to move during the interview and their screens are larger, giving job seekers a better view of the person they’re speaking with. If you must use a smartphone, keep the phone still throughout the interview. • Sit in a brightly lit, quiet room. A dark room may make
it hard for interviewers to see applicants, and that can create a bad first impression. Find a well-lit, quiet room, ideally one that is away from the hustle and bustle of the household. • Use the mute button. One of the more common issues to arise from the Zoom boom has been some users’ failure to realize their microphones are not muted. When interviewing for a job via video, remember to mute
your microphone when you are not speaking. This ensures that no ambient noise from your home will affect the interview. Such noise could adversely affect an interviewer’s opinion of you. Interviewing via video conferencing apps is unchartered territory for many professionals. But a few tricks of the trade can help job seekers create strong first impressions.
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November 2021
HOW WOMEN CAN KEEP THEIR CAREERS GOING FORWARD Women have played essential roles in the global workforce for quite some time. Despite their contributions, women continue to face professional obstacles that many of their male colleagues never experience.
• Define career expectations. Defining career expectations early on can be beneficial in various ways. Such expectations can guide career choices and provide a road map that women can utilize to stay the professional course. The differences between the This can help women make professional challenges faced decisions about their careers by women and those faced by when they come to forks in the men have been evident during road. For example, if a path to the COVID-19 pandemic. A promotion seems blocked, women 2020 study published in the can examine their established journal World Development career expectations to help them examined general inequality decide if it’s time to seek new during the pandemic, focusing employment. Defining career particularly on certain factors, expectations also can help including job loss. The pandemic women effectively communicate had a devastating impact on economies across the globe, with mentors about their goals, and women bore a seemingly and mentors can then use that disproportionate percentage of information when offering that impact. The study found that, guidance. Expectations need Strategies to keep careers on track can be especially useful in the face of these obstacles and during the pandemic, women not be concrete, and it’s likely the many more female professionals will face even after the pandemic has ended. were 24 percent more likely to they will change over time. But permanently lose their jobs than The Graduate Management keep their careers going forward. they can serve as an important men. Women also expected their Admission Test, often referred EMPHASIZE NETWORKING. foundation for anyone from labor income to fall by 50 percent to as the GMAT, is used to assess young female professionals to The Association for Talent more than men during the candidates for admission into experienced executives looking to Development reports that 57 pandemic. graduate level management percent of job openings are filled make changes or determine the programs, such as MBA Strategies to keep careers on through networking contacts. next step in their careers. track can be especially useful in programs. A recent analysis of Networking is more accessible Women face professional the face of these obstacles and the GMAT test takers found that than ever thanks to social media many more female professionals hurdles many of their male 47 percent were women, which sites like LinkedIn, and women will face even after the pandemic marked an all-time high. The colleagues never experience. can utilize such resources to has ended. The following are Various strategies can help value of education is undeniable, build connections with mentors some ways women can keep their and women can continue their women clear such hurdles and and colleagues that can share careers going forward. keep their careers going in the educations via the pursuit of everything from career advice to CONTINUE EDUCATION. advanced degrees as they look to access to new job openings. right direction.
November 2021 Journal Courier 5
THE ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS Now more than ever, professionals are considering careers in the health care industry thanks to the seemingly endless opportunities and the stability that comes with them. When evaluating potential careers in health care, individuals must first have an understanding of what a career entails and which strengths and skills are necessary for success. Compassion is needed in various health care scenarios and is one of the key traits of an occupational therapist. The online career resource Indeed says occupational therapists commonly work alongside physical therapists and other providers to offer therapeutic and rehabilitative treatment to patients. The goal of an OT is to use therapeutic approaches to help a patient perform routine tasks and activities that are common in daily life. These include tying shoes, getting dressed, combing hair, or actions involved with work.
According to the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, OTs help people to: • learn new ways of doing things
can recommend adaptations to improve patients’ quality of life. An OT also can train patients and their caregivers regarding the use of special equipment.
OTs can work in various • use materials or equipment capacities, such as helping that makes life easier children develop handwriting • regain skills or develop or computer use to working new ones with stroke patients to treating • adapt their environment to cognitive impairment. OTs work work better for them. in schools, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, recreation OTs work with a team of professionals to get people with centers, and private practices. injuries or health obstacles back to participating fully in life. Physical therapists may help people restore physical function, while occupational therapists focus on how that function affects the ability to do things. Regis College advises that an OT will evaluate a patient’s condition and needs. Then specific goals will be established and a treatment plan to address needs will be made. By assessing a patient’s home and work environments, an OT
It can take two to four years to earn a degree in occupational therapy. Indeed says occupational therapists are generally required to hold a minimum of an associate’s degree to work as a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). Others have a bachelor’s degree along with their occupational therapist certification.
Occupational therapists play vital roles within the health care industry.
Occupational therapists commonly work alongside physical therapists and other providers to offer therapeutic and rehabilitative treatment to patients.
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November 2021 Journal Courier 7
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November 2021
INDUSTRIES HIRING DURING THE PANDEMIC The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the world. Data from Worldometer, which analyzes, validates and aggregates COVID-19 figures from around the globe, indicates that, by early February 2021, the virus had claimed more than 2.3 million lives and infected nearly 108 million people since it first began to spread in late 2019. The human toll of the virus has been devastating, and many people also have felt the economic impact of the pandemic. It’s difficult to determine a global unemployment rate, but sources including the International Monetary Fund and the World Economic Outlook Database have estimated that the unemployment rate in the United States by October 2020 was more than 5 percent higher than it was at the end of 2019. In Canada, the unemployment rate had reached 9.7 percent by October, which marked a roughly 4 percent increase compared to the end of 2019.
companies have extended their workfrom-home policies into fall 2021, and some, including Google, have announced plans to support remote work indefinitely. So demand for skilled technology workers capable of helping companies run remotely could very well continue even after the economy has recovered from the pandemic.
E-COMMERCE: The e-commerce industry did not need the pandemic to give it a boost. But e-commerce has certainly been already facing a shortage of qualified relied on more heavily in the wake candidates. of social distancing restrictions and TECHNOLOGY: overall consumer hesitancy about in person shopping. Professionals with Many businesses transitioned to remote work during the pandemic, experience in web development and and that’s created opportunities for e-commerce may find their skills are skilled technology professionals in need, while online retailers like capable of facilitating such transitions. Amazon may be in need of workers to Recruiting industry professionals note help with fulfillment and logistics. that such positions may be offered Though the economic impact of on a contract-only basis, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic has been by companies that ultimately want devastating, various industries have a to return to in-office work after the pandemic has ended. However, some need for qualified professionals.
Though many people who lost their jobs during the pandemic remain out of work, certain industries have grown during the pandemic.
during the pandemic.
HEALTH CARE:
The health care industry has been stretched thin during the pandemic, and that’s led to increased opportunities. In addition, industry forecasters have long pointed to a potential nursing shortage in the years to come. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that as many as two million nurses Though many people who lost their are expected to retire by 2022. Those jobs during the pandemic remain out figures should lead to even more of work, certain industries have grown opportunities in a profession that is
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November 2021 Journal Courier 9
HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT CANDIDATE WHEN RECRUITING IN A PANDEMIC Recruiting is an inexact science in the best of times. A host of variables must come together for businesses to connect with the perfect candidate, and recruiting professionals spend their entire careers facilitating such connections, even during a time when connecting with others has been more difficult than ever. Businesses have faced many challenges over the last yearplus. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on various industries. As businesses look to rebound from such effects, finding the right candidates for new openings may present some unique challenges. Though some businesses may be back in their offices, many continue to operate remotely, while others may have decided it benefits them to continue working remotely even after the pandemic has ended. The effects of remote working are far-reaching and even extend to recruiting. Though it may be challenging to fill positions during the pandemic, firms can implement various strategies to find the best candidates possible for each opening. • Reexamine hiring protocols. Hiring protocols are implemented for a reason, not the least of which is ensuring hiring managers and department heads get as strong a feel for a candidate as possible. But companies may need to revisit such protocols as they try to fill
Though it may be challenging to fill positions during the pandemic, firms can implement various strategies to find the best candidates possible for each opening.
openings during the pandemic. For example, if company policy mandates that each candidate is interviewed in person by two managers before they can be offered a job, tweaking that rule to two virtual interviews may be necessary. • Be flexible with your offer. The challenges of the pandemic are not exclusive to businesses. Professionals are facing their own challenges, including how to juggle their responsibilities at work with their obligations at home. That balancing act has always been
difficult, but it’s become even more challenging as parents must arrange for child care during a time when many schools are only offering in person lessons part-time, if at all. Though some businesses may want new hires to work full-time in the office, to find the right candidates they might need to relax those restrictions until life returns to some semblance of normalcy. Being flexible with new hires in regard to remote working might attract more qualified candidates. • Consider contracting new hires. It’s understandable if
hiring managers are nervous about offering full-time work to candidates they have never met in person. If that hesitation is proving too much to overcome, companies can offer positions on a contractor basis with the opportunity to become full-fledged employees in a few months or when the pandemic ends, whichever comes first. Recruiting during the pandemic has posed some unique challenges. A few simple strategic shifts can help recruiters overcome such challenges en route to connecting with the right person for the job.
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November 2021
HOW TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALITY EMPLOYEES Great employees are the backbone of successful businesses. Savvy business owners recognize the important role workers play in helping a business meet its goals, and recruiting and retaining such employees is a high priority for the world’s most successful firms.
2013. Forbes magazine puts the potential cost of a single bad hire between $25,000 and $50,000. New employees are investments and due diligence should be used to find the right ones. Recruiting top talent may require thinking creatively, and it almost always requires significant effort on the part of the business doing the hiring.
first thing jon seekers will see and it will be the initial tool to help whittle down the applicant pool. Use clear job titles that explain the job and be concise; avoid buzzwords like “wizard,” “rock star” or “ninja.”
Candidates tend to skim job descriptions, so avoid wordy phrasing and confusing job roles. According to the recruitment Break down responsibilities resource Betterteam, 68 percent WRITE A WELL-CRAFTED into job duties, and be sure to of human resources professionals mention specific make-or-break report problems filling positions JOB AD skills applicants will need to The job advertisement is the — an increase of 50 percent since have. While you still may get some unqualified individuals to apply, you may weed out others with specifics of the job.
ESTABLISH A LIST OF TRAITS YOU WANT NEW EMPLOYEES TO POSSESS An applicant’s skills, education and experience are important. However, this should not be the only factor to consider when mulling a potential hire. Seek employees who have the potential for growth and can get along with colleagues and existing and new clients.
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Social media also can work much in the same way as free job boards, according to Workable, a recruitment software company. If you don’t find success with free job boards, you may need to go elsewhere.
ATTEND JOB FAIRS AND UTILIZE INTERNS Building a community connection through local job fairs, networking with alumni organizations, and relationships with universities, trade schools and colleges can provide constant resources for new talent. Plus, applicants may feel more comfortable working for a company that has outreach in the local area.
FOLLOW UP ON REFERENCES
It may take time, but it’s important that references are contacted and previous employment is confirmed. Due diligence with a candidate’s references ensures companies get a bigger picture of potential hires, according to Indeed. Ask USE VARIOUS JOB questions like “What is it like to work with the candidate?” or BOARDS TO ADVERTISE Many popular job boards, such “What are their biggest strengths and weaknesses?” as Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, Finding quality talent is an and Glassdoor, offer free advertising for job posters. They important task that’s vital to the success of businesses big and are good places to start because they generate lots of traffic. small.
November 2021 Journal Courier 11
Jobs in Healthcare Jacksonville Memorial Hospital: Small Hospital, Big Opportunities Organizational support and opportunities for continued learning and promotion allow new colleagues a solid foothold in healthcare at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital. Hundreds go on to build lifelong careers there.
Memorial Health
Jacksonville – As a registered nurse, Maurissa Heaton embraces the unexpected. It is part of what she loves about her job – the challenges, the “new adventures,” as she says – that she experiences during each shift. Heaton joined the nursing staff at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital in October 2018. She appreciated the hospital’s reputation for great patient care, and, as a Jacksonville native, Heaton also understood how vital access to quality healthcare is for the people in her community. She wanted to be a part of that. “What makes working at JMH special is our level of patient care,” said Heaton, adding that staff at a smaller hospital” get a chance to better understand and know our patients.” That hometown feel is also evident in the relationships between colleagues. “I love my co-workers,” said Heaton. Leanna Wynn, affiliate vice president and chief nursing officer, echoed that sentiment. “As a community hospital, we’re different,” said Wynn, who graduated from the Passavant School of Nursing in 1979 and has built her career at JMH. “Here, you are known by your name by every member of your team. People know you, and they know about you,” said Wynn. “Your colleagues know about your interests and your family, and can recognize and offer support when you’re having a bad day or a tough time. That’s different than what you would find working at a large hospital.” Fresh from nursing school graduation, Wynn once believed “I would stay at JMH for a little while … I knew the organization, I knew the people and I knew it would be a great place to practice my nursing skills, and then I would move on,” she said. “But Jacksonville Memorial Hospital soon became my family and my home, and I had no interest in going anywhere else.” The organizational support available at JMH and the opportunities for learning and promotion help the hospital retain talented and ambitious colleagues. Jacksonville Memorial Hospital is a part of Memorial Health, a regional healthcare organization committed to providing its colleagues with support for continuing education and advancement. “This organization has supported me in getting my bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees,” said Wynn. “JMH gave me the money, the time and the support to continue my education.” Heaton, too, will tap into Memorial Health’s varied offerings for financial support as she enrolls in a program to become a nurse practitioner. The hospital’s non-clinical departments also offer opportunities for advancement. For every clinical and non-clinical colleague, the heart of the job is always patient care. “Our nursing staff is advanced in their professionalism, their commitment to patients and their commitment to evidence-based practice – meaning, providing the highest-quality care based on what research shows,” said Wynn. “This staff is very committed to that.” Jacksonville Memorial Hospital is a welcoming hometown hospital that benefits from the resources, innovation and state-of-the-art technology of Memorial Health System – a combination that colleagues say makes it a rewarding place to work. Join the JMH team: jobs.memorial.health or careersatmemorial@mhsil.com
Don’t Just Make a Change. Make a Difference. Do the best work of your career with the best team in the region. When you’re appreciated, you’re empowered to do great work. And at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, our team does amazing work. Join us and let our caring, collaborative work environment help you reach your fullest potential. We have positions available across multiple departments and units. Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of others? Then make a change in your career. Apply today.
Apply at jobs.memorial.health/community. Memorial is an equal opportunity employer.