Improving Compliance Management for an External Workforce

Improving Compliance Management for an External Workforce

by | Dec 1, 2022 | Blog

Within the healthcare sector, compliance management is a non-negotiable touchpoint within the hiring lifecycle, particularly when it comes to managing contingent labor. Healthcare compliance ensures legal, ethical, and professional practices by requiring legal and technical standards to be met by workers. With healthcare facilities cycling through numerous contingent workers throughout the year, tracking their credentials is a top priority – and no easy feat.

Successfully tracking compliance can be a daunting and extensive task for any healthcare organization. Several factors hinder compliance management, putting organizations at risk for not meeting standards. Failure to fulfill legal compliance standards often entails heavy consequences including costly fines, penalties, lawsuits, and damaged brand reputation.

Common compliance management challenges HR leaders face include:

  • Constantly changing requirements and regulations
  • Inefficient processes
  • Scaling external workforce operations

Requirements and Regulations

The ever-evolving nature of healthcare compliance means that laws and regulations are constantly changing. This makes it difficult for hiring teams to continuously be up-to-date on all new requirements necessary for external workers. Healthcare compliance encompasses a large scope of areas that include classification, onboarding, data privacy, policies, health and safety, as well as local labor laws. Monitoring changes within these various facets of the compliance process can be overwhelming, in addition to subsequently tracking all individuals meeting these changing standards.

Inefficient Processes

Tracking compliance manually is a mistake for healthcare organizations. Manual use of spreadsheets, documents, and utilizing several different platforms to credential contingent employees inherently fragments all processes, creating inefficient, slow compliance tracking that could be riddled with human error. With numerous employees starting and leaving, high turnover rates, a large volume of employees, and several hospital locations, the documentation for each individual becomes too extensive to manually track and increases the risk for compliance oversight.

Scaling Operations

Navigating shifting policies, as well as inefficient compliance processes makes it difficult for healthcare organizations to scale their contingent workforce program. With talent shortages rising, scaling labor programs is a high priority to meet labor demands within many healthcare systems. Organizations strive to grow – and scaling operations efficiently and accurately starts with improving compliance practices.

Improving Compliance

For institutions conducting their own in-house staffing programs or directly sourcing their candidates, technology is necessary to keep programs compliant. Common technology solutions used to oversee recruitment and manage compliance are vendor management systems (VMS). 

A VMS creates an automated and efficient credentialing process that significantly improves compliance management. A VMS enables greater efficiency and accuracy by:

  • Creating a single source of record
  • Tracking expirations
  • Automating onboarding and training

Single source of record

A VMS integrates all sources of data within its platform, creating a single source of record. Rather than conducting compliance tracking through various platforms, spreadsheets, and documents, everything is stored within a VMS and is easily accessible to all hiring teams.

The automated nature of a VMS means that credentialing can be done at scale, organization-wide, with a greater level of accuracy and quickly. This helps ensure there is no compliance oversight and risk of penalties, while enabling quicker fill rates.

Additionally, a VMS will integrate with existing software commonly used within your organization to help create a streamlined process. For example, StaffBot’s VMS integrates commonly used healthcare platforms, such as Nursys and the American Heart Association (AHA), to streamline healthcare credentialing. Ensure the VMS you have or are considering is flexible enough to integrate other commonly used compliance platforms, such as background checks.

Expiration Tracking

A key advantage of a VMS are automated features for expiration tracking. Automated alerts notify all parties of upcoming expiration dates, existing expired items, and upcoming deadlines. A VMS will track all licenses, certifications, background checks, trainings, and items specific to your needs to ensure programs are up-to-date on all compliance items. Customize items within a VMS that are specific to your organization, location, or position.

Automated onboarding and training

Compliancy doesn’t stop with having the right documentation. Proper onboarding and training is an essential component in the compliance process. Successful onboarding and training ensures that oncoming labor is equipped for the position, encourages professional engagement, and sets the expectations of the role. Ongoing training also ensures that employees are properly made aware of any changing practices reflective of shifting healthcare regulations and policies. A VMS allows organizations to customize their own onboarding and training process, automate notifications, and halt further processes until training completion. This allows for seamless onboarding and communication between all parties involved.

Service Providers

For organizations using external resources to meet recruitment needs, such as service providers, it’s essential to evaluate the capabilities of their credentialing process to ensure an inflow of qualified talent. Trusted healthcare service providers are well versed in healthcare regulations and are on top of changing requirements, ensuring your organization is up to legal standards. Additionally, service providers have extensive experience in compliance and onboarding and will oversee these processes on your behalf to guarantee qualified talent. Outsourcing recruitment and compliance can be a cost-effective measure in acquiring talent quickly and efficiently without having to deal with nuances of compliance management.

A Healthcare-Tailored VMS

Finding the right VMS provider that meets the changing needs to healthcare recruitment can be an overwhelming task. It’s important to understand the value of a VMS to contingent workforce programs and what makes a VMS the right solution to your organization.

From an easy-user interface to advanced recruitment features, learn how StaffBot offers a competitive advantage to health institutions. StaffBot’s tailor-made VMS addresses healthcare-related recruitment challenges – see for yourself with a complimentary demo! Sign up below to connect with an expert.

 

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Elements of a well-designed user interface

Elements of a well-designed user interface

by | Nov 23, 2022 | Infographic

Elements of a well-designed user interface

What is a user interface and why is it important? The user interface (UI) of a software solution consists of the features and visual touchpoints that facilitate user interaction. Important user interface components include visual layouts, functional features (such as input controls), and reactive design elements that generate a type of communication to the user, as well as several other elements (explored below). These varying components aggregate together to create an interface that allows easy engagement for users, which positively increases the user experience (UX).

A satisfying user experience is a top priority for organizations seeking to invest in new workplace software systems. Easy usability through a user-friendly interface is essential. No one wants software that adds additional work. People want solutions that alleviate work and are easy to use for those at varying digital skill levels.

Investing in software that misaligns with workflows, is difficult to use and has limited flexibility results in higher instances of contacting support, design errors, and low adoption rates. This can hurt organizations financially and hinder achieving business goals that the software was meant to achieve in the first place.

Checkout this StaffBot infographic to understand the important elements of a well-designed user interface for your next software solutions and how StaffBot’s solutions facilitate easy VMS usability for healthcare systems seeking to integrate new workforce solutions.

Elements of a user-friendly interface infographic
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StaffBot’s user-friendly VMS for healthcare systems

Coping with shortage demands and fast paced staffing environments, organizations cannot afford to invest in solutions that hinder the recruitment cycle. Difficult user interfaces can hinder recruitment, workflows, and decrease ROI.

StaffBot’s VMS understands the workflows and needs of healthcare recruitment programs. StaffBot anticipates these needs and offers solutions to fulfill recruitment and hiring goals. Have easy access to dashboards, reports, compliance items, time systems, candidate placements, and job requisitions within a straightforward and easy-to-use layout. StaffBot’s VMS further increases the user experience by alleviating redundant tasks through automation. Easily automate administrative tasks such as time management, invoicing, and compliance tracking to enhance workflows.

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A healthcare-tailored vendor management system vs. a standard VMS

A healthcare-tailored vendor management system vs. a standard VMS

by | Nov 1, 2022 | Blog

Not all vendor management systems (VMS) are built the same. In fact, it’s these differences between VMS’s that are key. Of course there are fundamental qualities and features all VMS’s should exhibit, however how a VMS differs from others can be key in aligning with your organization’s objectives. 

Finding compatible technology solutions and features are dependent on industry, size, and overarching goals. Within the healthcare sector, finding top-tier talent quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively is a major challenge organizations face. Healthcare systems are financially strained and experiencing an ever increasing skills gap, expected to persist through 2030. 

Healthcare facilities are utilizing diverse workforce solutions to address an ever growing staffing crisis, with a popular solution being direct sourcing and internal staffing. Many facilities are turning to in-house staffing programs in order to meet their immediate and long-term staffing needs. In-house staffing and direct sourcing through the use of VMSs offer healthcare systems several competitive advantages including:

  • Mitigating and reducing costs
  • Autonomy throughout the recruitment cycle
  • Creating a pool of qualified talent to tap into
  • Recruiting, retaining and recapturing long-term staff
  • Improving healthcare system consistency and experience
  • Anticipating trends and averting shortages

This StaffBot blog curates 5 key VMS features healthcare organizations want to pay close attention to when it comes to researching and investing in a VMS for clinical needs. Learn how StaffBot stacks up to the competition and how these 5 key areas impact your healthcare staffing efforts.

StaffBot vs. a Standard VMS

 

StaffBot vs. a Standard vendor management system (VMS)

1. Reporting and Analytics

Reporting is at the core of any workforce program. Data gives valuable insight into all facets of any contingent workforce program and allows companies to identify areas of inefficiencies for greater growth and data-driven action. Ensure your chosen VMS has several reporting capabilities accessible to your organization. For example, StaffBot VMS allows users to access custom reports, real-time reports, and out-of-box standard reports.

Healthcare-specific use cases:

  • Take control of rogue spend by utilizing rate intelligence. Market rate features allow for visibility into actual rates of open job positions specific to healthcare occupations.
  • Track compliance data to understand who is working for you and who is compliant
  • Track organizational spending habits
  • Monitor health facility trends, demand, and seasonal fluctuations
  • Monitor labor usage within facilities, departments and units to better understand labor needs

2. Compliance

Organizations can often struggle with proper classification and compliance. Improper credentialing within a healthcare setting can jeopardize your brand, incur penalties, and threaten patient wellbeing. Ensuring qualified talent is a top priority for healthcare organizations. Ensure a VMS integrates with commonly used healthcare compliance software to seamlessly notify your organization on compliance documentation.

Healthcare-specific use cases:

  • Integrations with the American Heart Association to easily tracking AHA certifications (a qualification for the majority of healthcare professionals) 
  • Integrations with Nursys to track and monitor registered nurses’ licenses. 
  • Transparent insights into documentation and credentials of all employees
  • Automated notifications of upcoming expiring documents or currently expired documents

3. Customization Capabilities

Understand the customization capabilities of a VMS, as all VMSs vary greatly in their flexibility. Some VMSs come as a standard solution. This can be problematic as inflexible solutions may restrict workflow operations, or even worse, dictate how you must operate based on its limitations. Invest in solutions that are easily customizable and integrate to your current software to create a seamless workflow.

Healthcare-specific use cases:

  • Integrations with compliance tracking software such as Nursys and the AHA
  • Integrations with Kronos time management
  • Custom technology to scale along with business growth

4. User Experience

Integrating technology into daily workflows is a major commitment. Not only does your organization want functioning technology that tailors to your needs and goals, but it has to be user-friendly. Technology is the heart of any modern contingent workforce management program, it’s what drives day-to-day workflows and are the solutions your employees will be interacting with daily. A difficult user-interface runs the risk of low adoption rates, which can lead to a VMS falling short of expectation. 

Healthcare-specific use cases:

  • Intuitive layout to create and distribute job requisitions
  • Adheres to healthcare staffing standards
  • Easy to troubleshoot
  • Easy interface to navigate 

5. Recruitment Capabilities

Recruiting top-quality talent can be a time-consuming and costly process. Automating important touch points throughout the recruitment life cycle helps create an efficient, cost-effective process to source and recruit candidates. This in turn can create a strong workforce program that allows for profit and growth. 

Healthcare-specific use cases:

  • Virtual interview capabilities compatible with healthcare hiring staff’s schedules
  • Automated onboarding and offboarding
  • Automated sourcing, candidate-matching, shortlisting, and credentialing
  • Automated invoicing and time management

Strengthen your contingent workforce

StaffBot is an experienced healthcare VMS provider and workforce solutions consultant that optimizes healthcare contingent workforce management unique to each healthcare organization. We understand the challenges healthcare facilities face and the need for efficiency, quality, and cost- effective solutions.

Contact us or sign up below to connect with an expert and determine if your contingent workforce program can be better strategized for optimized growth.

 

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Nurse Shortage Statistics to Know Now

Nurse Shortage Statistics to Know Now

by | Oct 31, 2022 | Infographic

Nurse Shortage Statistics to Know Now

It’s no secret that nursing shortages are hurting healthcare organizations, employees, patient care, and public health. From decreased quality care to employee burnout, nursing shortages leave healthcare organizations vulnerable. Ongoing nurse understaffing has been a prominent challenge existing prior to the pandemic, and heightened with its onset. With seemingly ongoing nurse shortages, where do nursing trends stand currently? What are the implications of projected trends? 

In this infographic, we consider not only current nurse staffing statistics to know, but how projected trends impact your organization and how StaffBot can help!

Nurse Shortage Statistics and Trends to Know Infographic
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How can we help?

With innovative solutions tailored to meet healthcare specific needs in times of shortages, StaffBot’s customizable solutions assist in hiring top-quality talent, quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. We work alongside your organization, not only as a provider, but as a workforce solutions consultant to strategically implement effective solutions and achieve your objectives. With a great deal of experience within healthcare staffing and relationships with an extensive network of staffing brands, we’re here to help strategize your workforce management your way. 

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7 Key Features for the Right Vendor Management System (VMS) and Provider

7 Key Features for the Right Vendor Management System (VMS) and Provider

by | Oct 25, 2022 | Blog

What makes a vendor management system (VMS) the right vendor management system? How do you know a VMS provider is the right partner for you? These questions are fundamental when looking to invest in new technology. Imagine, after financially investing in new technology, implementing new software, training your team, and disrupting business operations, you find out that your new VMS solutions fall short of expectation – this is an understandable concern, particularly for healthcare facilities already dealing with constant shortages.

Deciding on the right VMS will look different for each organization as each facility has their own unique challenges and objectives, however, when researching a suitable VMS for your organization, it is important to keep in mind that there are certain features that all VMS and VMS providers should exhibit. This StaffBot blog outlines 7 key features every vendor management system should have in order to invest in the right VMS and maximize your contingent workforce strategy.

1. Centralized Database

The primary capability of VMS technology is the ability to centralize all information into a single, centralized database. Centralization allows your organization to store and organize all data, contacts, and documentation within a single platform that is easily retrievable for everyone. Long gone are the days of outdated manual data keeping methods, such as files and spreadsheets, which siloes important data, slows workflow, and leaves room for error. To stay competitive in today’s workforce management landscape, automated and centralized data is essential as centralized data allows for efficient, accurate record keeping. 

2. Automated & Streamlined Workflows

A defining component of a VMS is an automated and streamlined workflow, particularly across the recruitment lifecycle. A quality VMS will make the process from requisition, credentialing, interviewing, invoicing, and timekeeping, easy and efficient rather than adding difficulties. For example, StaffBot’s VMS automates critical touchpoints throughout the recruitment lifecycle, such as timekeeping, virtual interviews, onboarding and healthcare-specific compliance tracking. Automating these critical touchpoint helps increase fill rates with skilled talent seamlessly. Search for a VMS that specializes in automating these processes specific to your industry and workflow.

Vendor Management System (VMS) automates recruitment lifecycle

3. Compliance Tracking

A reliable VMS will monitor and track critical information and compliance items. By managing and tracking compliance documentation, such as on-and-off-boarding items, position-specific requirements, certifications, licenses, vaccinations and contract renewal dates, you can ensure your organization is up-to-date and adhering to healthcare employment standards.

Real-time compliance tracking is a must in healthcare. Organizations cannot afford to oversee onboarding under-qualified healthcare staff as it jeopardizes patient safety and your organization’s reputation as a healthcare facility. Invest in a VMS that specializes in tracking healthcare-related compliance items. For example, StaffBot’s compliance tracking integrates with Nursys and the American Heart Association (AHA) to notify your team who is qualified, expired documents, and any upcoming expiration dates to stay ahead. 

4. Analytics and Reporting

Detailed, customizable reporting and analytics is essential for an effective VMS and tracking your goals. Ensure the VMS you are considering has robust reporting capabilities specific to your business objectives. Powerful reporting capabilities yield oversight into job market demand trends, organizational spend, and hospital trends. Important analytic features that should be included in a VMS include:

  • Custom reporting
  • Scheduled and automated reporting
  • Ad hoc reporting

5. Customizable Technology

The VMS you choose should be customizable and flexible to your business model and workflow. Contingent workforce management varies from the use of managed service providers (MSP’s) to in-house staffing or a hybrid model of both and a VMS should adapt to your organization’s established business models, technologies, and processes. Successful VMS’s are tailored to the needs of your organization and existing structure, it should not dictate your overall workflow. Additionally, keep in mind that contingent workforce management models evolve, industry trends change, as well as job market demands so investing in technology that is flexible with ever changing factors is imperative.

6. Implementation and Support

Implementation is a major component in partnering with the right VMS provider and would be a costly mistake to overlook. Implementing a new technology requires ongoing strategizing, communication, training, and support. A reliable VMS provider will outline a streamlined implementation process and methodology with your organization and stakeholders. After implementation, importing data, training and testing the VMS with stakeholders, a VMS provider should maintain contact, quarterly business reviews and one-on-one support long after integration. 

7. Increased Collaboration 

The ability to unite collaboration between various facilities and departments handling contingent staff is enabled by VMS solutions. A VMS unites all departments together and notifies each person within a department when they are needed in the process. This maximizes time and efficiency for all involved. Search for a VMS that strengthens communication and enables greater departmental engagement.

Strengthen your contingent workforce

StaffBot is an experienced healthcare VMS provider and workforce solutions consultant that optimizes healthcare contingent workforce management unique to each healthcare organization. We understand the challenges healthcare facilities face and the need for efficiency, quality, and cost- effective solutions.

Contact us or sign up below to connect with an expert and determine if your contingent workforce program can be better strategized for optimized growth.

 

Connect with an expert or request a demo

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