he NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance) has a published timeline for H.E.D.I.S. (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) benchmarks. Mid- February marks the goal to begin the actual work of Chart Abstraction and then Over-Reading, although some Managed Care Organizations are already ahead of schedule, others may still be a little behind. For CareNational, as one of the nation’s top HEDIS staffing agencies, that means the bulk of the hiring and staffing of HEDIS workers has been completed. It has been a flurry of activity here, and the excitement is palpable as we tap into our robust network of healthcare professionals and scour the country side for every experienced HEDIS nurse and coder. But it has also been an enormous success for us and our client organizations, as we are on track to provide more than 100 HEDIS professionals to health plans and related production vendors.
Last year CareNational published a white paper entitled “Five Reasons Why Your HR Department’s Recruiting Vendor May be Hindering Your Recruiting Goals.” Below we expand on the second item addressed, “The recruiting firm claims you are their priority” as it relates to the HEDIS hiring process. Download the full white paper to read more about these 5 common pitfalls.
HEDIS Staffing Vendors come in various shapes and sizes, however the innate method for prioritizing job requests boils down to several factors. While it may seem the negotiated fee structure would be the most critical factor for prioritization, it is in fact one of the LEAST important considerations when prioritizing. There are five essential considerations, discussed here, that we have identified when ranking job requisitions for priority. For example, when our company is recruiting for a RN to conduct HEDIS Overreads of the work done by other nurse Abstractors, our prioritization is often determined by these five best practices (in no particular order):
# 1– How much time is the company representative willing to spend with me initially to create an accurate profile of the position (as opposed to just emailing a job description and salary range)? It may seem like a cookie-cutter role, but if you tell us exactly what an exceptional candidate would look like to you, we will find them for you.
EXAMPLE: “We are looking for a RN that has done abstraction for 3-5 years, was in an Over-reader role last HEDIS season, and had an IRR (inter-rater reliability) accuracy rating of 95% or better.
# 2– Fully acknowledging that all aspects of the hiring process must be coordinated through Human Resources, do I have direct access to the hiring manager to ask questions and fully understand all the challenges the role presents to that hiring manager?
EXAMPLE: “As the Director of Quality Improvement Programs, I really need my Nurse Over-readers to have a professional & friendly phone presence in addition to the attention to detail required by the job. If they identify a problem issue as a trend, I want them to offer training and advice to nurse abstractors and occasionally to providers’ offices.”
# 3– What sizzle points or attractive benefits and perks are communicated to us in order to effectively allow recruiters to distinguish the organization as a magnet employer? That is to say, what draws people to the company?
EXAMPLE: “We allow our Nurse Over-Readers to work remotely from a home office, reviewing electronic medical records and interacting telephonically when needed. To support this we provide them with an optimized laptop computer and company cell phone. We also have a quality incentive program where at the end of the season, we provide a cash reward to every HEDIS worker who had an IRR accuracy rating of 90% or better.”
# 4– How competitive is the salary being offered? Has the company done a recent market salary survey to ensure they are offering competitive wages?
EXAMPLE: “We recently compared standard salaries for HEDIS nurses working onsite at corporate offices in the LA area. We found that RNs typically earn $35-$40 per hour, and $30-$34 per hour for LVNs. Does that fit with what you are finding?”
# 5– What is the response time for feedback on submitted resumes, interview feedback etc.? Does it take a few hours, a few days, or several weeks for the hiring company to respond to the recruiter?
EXAMPLE: “When you submit a candidate to us, our policy is to forward it to the HEDIS Program Manager that day, and we do our best to give you feedback, either positive or negative, within 2 business days.”
All of these factors are necessary considerations that should be discussed with your recruiting firm or HEDIS staffing vendor. They will determine how or if they prioritize your open positions over other job requisitions they may be working on. From a recruiter’s perspective, priority of efforts will be given to responsive clients that see their third-party recruiting agency as a “true partner” and not just another vendor. Those are the companies willing to consider and incorporate some of the best practices as listed. We also hope that the checklist available below will be useful this fall when you consider what staffing vendor to partner with for the 2016 HEDIS hiring season.