Hiring Practices

The short answer: Yes, but proceed with caution. In a 2020 survey by The Harris Poll, 70% of employers who responded said they believe every company should screen candidates' social media profiles during the hiring process and 78% of employers believe that current employees should maintain a work-appropriate social media profile.

In 2022, it’s a prospective employee’s world, and never more so than in healthcare.

There is constant pressure to fill vacant positions in healthcare systems at all levels, from executives and physicians to nurses and support staff members.

Different types of bias, whether intentional or unintentional, have been a concern among HR departments for decades. In fact, psychologists have defined more than 180 human biases.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) programs have been promoted as a more objective, less biased way to screen, hire, and train job candidates. Unfortunately, humans may program biased information into algorithms, skewing results. AI programs also may exhibit bias when they lack sufficient, representative data.

With so many employers struggling to hire and keep talented workers, employers might be looking for shortcuts to hire faster. Some employers have lowered job requirements, such as college degrees, and others have walked a risky line by eliminating or postponing background screening and using conditional offers of employment.

After more than two years spent in a global pandemic, healthcare employers have had to adapt how they attract, hire, screen, and onboard new talent.

Cisive, PreCheck’s parent company, conducted an industry benchmark study that asked human resources, talent acquisition, compliance, recruitment, and operations professionals in the healthcare industry how their policies and procedures changed as a result.

Many health systems have improved their performance by focusing on what is called the “Triple Aim.” These include three dimensions:

During the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expanded access to telehealth. In early 2022, that expansion is set to become permanent. While increased access to telehealth opens opportunities for reaching more patients, it also poses additional challenges for long-term hiring practices.

Happy New Year! 

Employers that use background screening methods to vet potential employees are likely aware of their obligations when making employment decisions based on a report’s findings. However, recent laws in states and cities across the U.S. are adding to the list of requirements for communicating adverse actions to applicants. As a result, an employer’s current adverse action policies may no longer be compliant with state and local legislation.

It’s always intriguing to find areas that improved during the pandemic. According to applicants, it happened in recruiting. The 2020 North American Candidate Experience Research Report found positive sentiment from candidates shot up (from 25% to 31%), while resentment dropped (from 14% to 8%). This finding leads to the obvious question: Why?