Jennifer Scully understands the importance of having a strong recruiting team. As President and CEO of Atlanta-based executive staffing firm Clinical Resources, her company is charged with placing professionals in long-term care, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, hospitals and health care systems, nationwide.
Since their time and resources are dedicated to helping fill their clients’ talent gaps, when it came to filling their own recruiting vacancies, they needed some outside help. That is why Scully turned to RightSkill, a partnership between CareerBuilder and Capella Learning Solutions, that expands the talent pool by finding, developing, assessing and delivering job-ready candidates. Scully specifically utilized the RightSkill Recruiter Program, developed in collaboration with the American Staffing Association, to find entry-level recruiter candidates.
“They are taking some of the [candidate sourcing] off of us, which is huge, since my team needs to use their time to fill our clients’ needs,” Scully says. “We are focusing on what’s most important – placing nurses. I take it very seriously when we are unable to fill a position because it may impact people’s lives.”
We chatted with Scully to learn more about her experience with RightSkill and the importance of programs like these in helping to narrow the skills gap.
CB: Given the growing skills gap in the U.S., how important do you think it is for companies to invest in re-skilling and up-skilling workers?
JS: I don’t think you can even describe how critical it is. There is a huge skills gap between potential and available candidates and what we need as an employer.
What we are finding is there is a void in good written, verbal and nonverbal communication skills; computer skills; as well as knowing how to work in a corporate environment, whether it is professional presentation skills, punctuality, attention to detail, commitment, growth, working as a team, being more efficient, or cultivating new ideas.
All of those skills are really important in a productive team, so it is critical that employers invest in our people, not only with role modeling, but also through the systems we operationalize.
CB: What drew you to RightSkill? What made you want to hire candidates from this program?
JS: We always struggle to find good recruiters and staffing coordinators, and we are not alone with this challenge. I think the fact that CareerBuilder has recognized what their customers need – that their biggest need right now is for internal talent to service their clients – the fact that they have recognized this … is remarkable! [The RightSkill program] is very intuitive on the part of CareerBuilder and Capella Learning Solutions; I think it shows how progressive they are, how proactive they are, and how they really partner with their clients in so many ways. They truly look at their clients and say, ‘What can we do to help you?’ That to me is really outstanding – I tell everyone about it.
Once we heard about the program, we decided to engage. They have done a great job in submitting candidates to us. We have already hired two candidates from the program, and they are doing well!
They also do a good job at the initial screening. The best part of working with the folks at RightSkill is that they’ve been very open and responsive to suggestions on how to do things differently and better. They are also meticulous in their follow up.
They have the candidates complete the program before they present them to us. We are open to hiring people that have never worked in staffing and recruiting. The program they go through really entices them to see that it is a career – it is not a job – and it really gives them a flavor of what that career can look like and how their own skills and attributes can be replicated into a career in staffing and recruiting.
So, for example, they may have a background in customer service, call centers, hospitality or retail, and they may be realizing for the first time that they have skills in their toolbox right now that can be transferred into a successful career in the recruiting and staffing industry – and that is what the RightSkill program does for them.
CB: How would you describe the performance of RightSkill workers on the job?
JS: Both of them so far are doing really well. I think they came with job-ready interests, excitement and understanding that they would have a career, not a job. I think the fact that RightSkill introduces them to the expectations of the positions so they know going into it what is required and expected is a key to their success.
CB: When you see a candidate take the initiative to go through a program like RightSkill, what does that tell you about the person?
JS: Anybody who is willing to invest in going through the program on their own time and taking the test – that tells me they have initiative and drive. That is admirable to me – I am looking for people with initiative, and taking the program shows me they have it.
CB: What do you like best about the RightSkill program? What surprised you?
JS: What I like the best about the program is that it really helps people recognize and consider a career in the staffing and recruiting world … people are introduced to great options. There are thousands of talented individuals in this space and yet there are great opportunities for those who take the initiative and do better tomorrow than they are today.
CB: Describe the feeling you have as an employer when you can give someone a good job that enables them to provide for themselves and their families.
JS: You know you are making a difference. They join us, work with a great team, have fun, and we watch them grow. Their personal lives improve and you see it happening. It plain feels good!
CB: Would you recommend RightSkill to other businesses? Why?
JS: I frequently recommend RightSkill to others. At industry conferences, the common thread everyone is challenged with is finding and keeping high-performing recruiters. Every company would use it; I just know they would!
Jennifer Scully is President and CEO of Clinical Resources, LLC, a JCAHO Accredited health care staffing company and executive search firm, specializing in the senior care market. Operating nationwide, Clinical Resources places experienced nurses and health care professionals in permanent and interim positions in LTACH’s, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities and affiliate organizations. Scully launched Clinical Resources in 2007 to address the critical shortage of nurses and other health care professionals through a unique talent management approach to meet the need for qualified personnel in health care settings nationwide. She is committed to recognizing and supporting nurses and the nursing profession through her efforts to encourage “back to work” opportunities for nurses and other health care professionals. Clinical Resources’ many achievements include receiving the Best of Talent and Best of Client Award in 2016 and 2017, two years in a row, an INC 500/5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held U.S. company for seven consecutive years as well as a SIA Fastest Growing Healthcare Staffing Firm for two years.
Learn more about the RightSkill program now.
