3. What are the pros and cons for recruiting by word and mouth or people you/staff know?
I would argue the pros and cons for recruiting by word of mouth/people you know may differ depending on the position your organization is recruiting for. We’ve had great success recruiting Patient Navigators/CHWs from the surrounding community. For example, one of our patient navigators for cancer screening is a middle aged woman, who is incredibly well respected in our community. This is a population we’ve had trouble getting in for screening. Due to her status in the community, this patient navigator is able to persuade certain community members to come in for cancer screening even when our providers cannot. On the flip side, we have not had as much success with recruiting other support staff (e.g., medical assistants, front desk) by word of mouth, because more often than not, we see a negative effect on workplace dynamics. There is an increase in complaints of favoritism from supervising staff toward specific employees and “cliquish” behavior. At the end of the day, you should not hire the person who is most convenient for the job, but rather the “right person at the right time” for your patient population.
3. What are the pros and cons for recruiting by word and mouth or people you/staff know?
I would argue the pros and cons for recruiting by word of mouth/people you know may differ depending on the position your organization is recruiting for. We’ve had great success recruiting Patient Navigators/CHWs from the surrounding community. For example, one of our patient navigators for cancer screening is a middle aged woman, who is incredibly well respected in our community. This is a population we’ve had trouble getting in for screening. Due to her status in the community, this patient navigator is able to persuade certain community members to come in for cancer screening even when our providers cannot. On the flip side, we have not had as much success with recruiting other support staff (e.g., medical assistants, front desk) by word of mouth, because more often than not, we see a negative effect on workplace dynamics. There is an increase in complaints of favoritism from supervising staff toward specific employees and “cliquish” behavior. At the end of the day, you should not hire the person who is most convenient for the job, but rather the “right person at the right time” for your patient population.