The mismatch between the skills required for most jobs and the skills of the U.S. workforce is having a significant impact on all businesses and industries, including the health care sector.

Hospitals need reliable ways to measure foundational skills to ensure they are hiring the most qualified, trainable candidates. ACT, a  not-for-profit organization that provides assessment services in the areas of workforce and education, has two products that fit the bill for hospitals: WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate.

WorkKeys

WorkKeys offers both cognitive skills assessments and personal skills measures, enabling employers to assess the full potential of applicants.

Mercy Iowa City incorporates the WorkKeys assessment into their application process.  Applicants are assessed on applied mathematics, reading for information and locating information. Results are then compared to the skills level needed for the position.

Since implementing the WorkKeys assessment into the pre-hire process, Mercy has experienced a decrease in employee turnover, gains in productivity and improved staff morale.

National Career Readiness Certificate

The National Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) verifies to employers an individual has essential core employability skills in reading, math and locating information.

ACT has researched over 16,000 occupations and these three skills are highly important to the majority of jobs in the workplace. Sixteen states have already implemented a statewide Career Readiness Certificate program and Iowa is among 19 other states in the process of doing so, according to the National Organization for Career Credentialing.

Iowa Health – Des Moines is the first organization in Central Iowa to join the Career Readiness Certificate Employer Consortium of organizations recognizing the Career Readiness Certificate. According to Sue Allyn, Iowa Health – Des Moines, Vice President for Human Resources, “It is one more assurance that a person is skilled and ready for our workplace.”

What Works Well at your Hospital?

These tools are just two examples of how hospitals can continue to ensure they are hiring the most qualified candidates into their workforce.

What is working well in the hiring process at your hospital? Are you using another tool to help screen for the best job candidates?

Share your tactics in the comments below.