We were excited to welcome Scott Sell, Chief Talent Acquisition Officer for Mercy Health, to a recent Innovator Roundtable session on Healthcare Talent Acquisition. TalentBloom hosts these virtual sessions monthly, where forward-looking Healthcare HR Leaders meet to develop their ideas and support each other’s transformation initiatives.
Throughout the session, Scott underscored the critical role of innovation in achieving growth at scale. Mercy Health is on an ambitious growth trajectory, aiming to expand their model of quality and compassionate care both within and outside of their current footprint. This is the lens through which Scott and his colleagues are approaching innovative healthcare talent acquisition and management strategies.
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, large health systems face the formidable challenge of growing, scaling, and thriving while ensuring they have the right talent to support their missions.
The Importance of Internal Mobility in Healthcare Talent Acquisition
One of the most pressing issues Sell highlighted is the high turnover rate among new hires, particularly in positions such as medical assistants and patient care assistants, where first-year turnover can reach 75-80%. This churn is unsustainable, especially in rural markets where the talent pool is limited. To combat this, he advocates for a stronger focus on internal mobility: “We need to do a better job of equipping our 50,000-plus coworkers to have the talents, the skills, and the knowledge to be able to migrate and continue to evolve within our ministry.”
Creating Career Pathways
A critical aspect of retaining talent is providing clear career pathways and opportunities for advancement within the organization. Sell emphasizes the need to show employees the potential for growth from day one: “If I join and come into the ministry today, this might be my position on day one, but here are the different career paths.” By doing so, organizations can reduce turnover and ensure that employees see a future within the organization, rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Leveraging Innovation for Talent Management
Innovation is not just about adopting new technologies but also about rethinking processes and strategies to better serve both the organization and its employees. This includes leveraging data and analytics to understand workforce trends, implementing advanced training programs to upskill employees, and using technology to streamline and enhance the recruitment process. Sell points out that health systems must adapt to the shrinking labor market: “For every five people that are retiring today, there’s only two and a half, three people entering the workforce. So even if you have the naive mentality, and we’re going to buckle down, and kind of keep things as is, the sheer numbers will not work for you.”
Conclusion
For large health systems to grow, scale, and thrive, innovation is not just an option; it is a necessity. By focusing on internal mobility, creating clear career pathways, and leveraging innovative technologies and strategies, organizations can ensure they have the right talent to support their missions. As Scott Sell eloquently puts it, “We have to do a better job of creating those pathways and career ladders for our coworkers.” Embracing innovation will enable healthcare organizations to build a resilient, skilled, and committed workforce capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly changing industry.
TalentBloom is cultivating a consortium of Top Healthcare Innovators who are transforming Healthcare Talent Acquisition and leading the industry into the future. If you’d be interested in participating, email us: info@talentbloom.ai. We’d love to learn about your thoughts and ideas.
