Staffing Robot - Web design and marketing services for companies in the staffing industry

Staffing Robot Gets a New Look!

There's a saying you may have heard before - "the cobblers children have no shoes." This saying could definitely be applied to us. When we launched Staffing Robot as a website design and marketing services firm for staffing companies we were overwhelmed with the amount of companies seeking out our services. We love all the companies we've had the opportunity to work with and are really proud of the work we've been doing together. But we've been doing so much work we never really took the time to do any for ourselves.

Until today!

We're completely excited to now show you the new look of Staffing Robot.

Next week we'll be launching our new brand to include a new website, mobile website, blog, social pages, portfolio site and much more!

Here are the new items we're looking forward to showing off.

New Logo:

We've always had a bit of a retro look and color palette but wanted to take this even further. We've created lots of different robots but we'll let you find them all on our site next week. 

New Website:

With our website we had 3 main goals (stop me if you've heard this one before):

• Simple
• Useful
• Creative

We think we achieved these goals. Instead of having too many options and a bunch of content to navigate through we've created only two main navigation options (About and Services) that take your through a few slides each, describing the services we offer and information about our company.

From there, we made finding the services customers are interested in super simple. We consolidated this information in one location - right under the 'How can we help?' tab found along the bottom of every page.

Finally, instead of a traditional website look we went with something more unique and creative. We built the site to work more like a presentation and it's lots of fun to swipe through on your iPad. Give it a try!

Our old corporate site was located at http://www.staffingrobotonline.com. However, starting next week you'll find our corporate site at http://www.staffingrobot.com and our blog at http://www.staffingrobot.com/blog.

New Mobile Website:

One of the best services we provide to staffing companies is mobile website design and development. So,of course we couldn't forget a mobile site for ourselves!  Our mobile site is simple to get through, optimized for smart phones and provides you with all the information you need to learn more about us or contact us.

New Blog:

Staffing Robot started as a blog so we put some extra attention into our new blog design. Starting next week you'll find our blog at http://www.staffingrobot.com/blog. Our new blog will let you easily explore categories, feature our latest blog, comment on our posts and view our social streams. Also, since we had so many people interested in advertising with us we've created some ad space to help promote your services! Want to run an ad? Contact us and let us know.

Our goal is to keep bringing you relevant news and information on the staffing industry, specifically related to design, marketing and technology so be sure to subscribe to our blog via RSS or email.

Social Sites:

We are also updating the look of our social sites next week so be sure to follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook to check out the new pages!

New business cards:

Note the new phone number! 866.991.1849.

T Shirts!

Oh yes! We also have T-Shirts! Everyone loves T-shirts right? If you're a Staffing Robot customer we'll be sending you one of these. If not, but you [robot head] staffing tell us and we'll let you know how to get one!

We have much more to announce related to our new brand over the next several weeks, but we'll leave it at this for now. Let us know what you think about our new look below. And, if you're ready to be our next innovate client, be the first to use our new contact form on our new site (my personal favorite part of the site).

And don't forget - starting next week, you'll find our company site at http://www.staffingrobot.com and our blog at http://www.staffingrobot.com/blog.

Evaluating Healthcare Staffing Software –First Things First

Guest blog post by Mike Wejrowski, VP of Agency Sales for API Healthcare, Inc.

Selecting the right software solution(s) for your healthcare staffing agency can be a daunting task. After all, this is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Your purchasing decision could ultimately determine the successful, or unsuccessful, outcome for your business. Your decision should be made with careful thought, evaluation and consideration.

Purchasing software is a process. Regardless of whether your agency is a startup or a successful enterprise agency, it is important to understand the daily tasks, activities and core business functions your organization will need to address with the new system. Prior to investigating a software solution, your evaluation team should itemize any business process issues that need to be addressed, the daily functions that need to be automated, the budget available for software, and the target implementation timeframe.

Fortunately, I have the pleasure of speaking with many agency owners and officers throughout the business day. Agencies of all sizes agree that the following business areas should be addressed when considering a new or updated solution for their healthcare staffing business:

• Recruiting and on-boarding of new healthcare professionals – Your agency should be constantly seeking new talent to join your agency team. This will involve capturing the healthcare professionals’ demographics, skills assessments, clinical competencies, and numerous employment documents. In today’s competitive environment, capturing these data points and securing an electronic signature will dramatically increase your recruiting percentages.
• Capture Availability – When will your healthcare professionals be available to work (which shifts, what hours, which days, for which hospitals, for which departments?)
• Placement Options – Which professionals are listed as DNR (do not return) or DNW (do not work). Do they prefer per diem or long term assignments? Are there compliance restrictions?
• Scheduling – Match the right healthcare professionals to the right job based on credentials and availability. Track call-offs, turned down shifts and manage confirmations.
• Compliance – Are your healthcare professionals compliant with state, agency, Joint Commission and client requirements? We live in a litigious society – having a compliance management strategy for your agency is an essential and crucial part of your business.
• Payroll & Invoicing – Your healthcare staffing software should provide your finance team with the ability to process accurate payroll & invoicing (hourly rates, weekend rates, holiday rates, OT, split shifts, lunch, etc.). You should have flexibility with invoice layouts and the ability to integrate with your back office solutions (QuickBooks, Peachtree, MAS 90, MAS 500, Great Plains, JD Edwards, etc.) or payroll processing services (ADP, Paychex, or local payroll services).
• Reporting – Your organization will need the ability to review results and respond accordingly. Understand the business metrics you will need to measure in your business, review results daily and weekly, and take action to ensure optimal performance. Do not settle for excuses when it comes to the accuracy of your data – “if it isn’t entered into the system, then it does not exist.” The reports within your system should be in real-time and will replace whiteboards, paper schedules and staffing specialist’s notes that are stored only in their head.

About the Author
Mike Wejrowski is VP of Agency Sales for API Healthcare, Inc. To learn how API Healthcare’s Staffing Agency Solutions can help your organization simplify recruiting, staffing and payroll processes, please contact us today at (262) 670-2828 or use our contact form.

 

 

Professional Services Hosts Webinar Series on Preparing for TJC Healthcare Staffing Services Certification

Learn about proper preparation for success in achieving the Joint Commission Healthcare Staffing Services Certification in this free, 4-part series – “Making Joint Commission Requirements Easy” launching Aug 23rd at 2 p.m. EST. Prophecy Professional Services’ Chief Clinical Officer Christine Carrington, RN, MS, will host the free 4-part webinar series discussing proper preparation for success in achieving the coveted JCHCSS Certification.

Achieving TJC certification distinguishes organizations among the elite in the country, as they must meet the highest standards in the industry. Since the Joint Commission standards support best practices that lead to the delivery of safe, quality patient care many hospitals now require Joint Commission certification to participate in the RFP process. In addition, hospital associations and some VMS & MSP organizations are requiring agencies to be certified to participate as a subcontractor.

Carrington, having over 30 years leadership experience in the healthcare industry has a 100% success rate with leading organizations to be TJCHCSS certified. Her success ranges from large, national staffing firms to start-up agencies alike.

The focus of each webinar in the series is as follows:

• Aug. 23rd @ 2pm EST: How Ready is Your Firm?
• Sept. 27th @ 2pm EST: Understanding the Leadership Standards
• Oct. 25th @ 2pm EST: Understanding the Human Resource Standards
• Nov. 15th @ 2pm EST: Understanding the Performance Measurement & Information Management Standards

Reserve your spot for each of the webinars in this series to position your organization for success the first time around with achieving the JCHCSS Certification - a key differentiating factor needed by healthcare staffing agencies in the current competitive market.

About PPS
Prophecy Professional Services - a division of Prophecy Healthcare - was founded in response to the healthcare staffing industry’s need for consultants experienced in Joint Commission’s Health Care Staffing Services Certification. PPS’ consulting services assist healthcare staffing firms prepare for Joint Commission certification and provide cost effective clinical operation and risk management services. PPS consultants are nationally experienced Nurse Executives with 25+ years of healthcare staffing experience and extensive experience and success with Joint Commission Health Care Staffing Services Certification.

Visit http://prophecyhealth.com/professional-services for additional information.

 

New Sites Make Social Recruiting Even Easier

All good recruiters know that social media isn't really about connecting with friends and family. Instead, it's really about finding great candidates.

A recent survey from Jobvite revealed that over 90% of employers will use social media for recruiting in 2012. This kind of data suggests that traditional methods of sourcing candidates are no longer effective. This also mans that traditional tools for finding a job are also outdated. For example, the resume.

Even at our company, the first thing we do when screening a new hire is look at their social presence represented on professional sites like LinkedIn. In today’s economy, most companies can't afford to make a bad hire. You can gain so much more information from someones online profile than you can from a simple summary, tailored and reduced to a single piece of paper.

For a long time LinkedIn has been the go to site for reviewing professional information about potential candidates. Others like Branch Out are gaining traction and Facebook is even rumored to be getting into the job game. However, there's a new site that launched last week from a Portland Oregon company called Vizify that is sure to be a game changer.

Vizify is a stunningly visual way to view a complete overview of someones career, work history, education and overall social presence. (You can check out my personal Vizify profile here). You can see years of experience, topics they discuss on line, and interesting factoids about them. One of my favorite features is viewing their locations page - a interactive guide to where this person has lived. All of this information is laid out in a beautiful presentation that is easy to navigate and incredibly interesting to look at.

As more and more sites pop up that visually represent individuals in interesting and engaging ways, it's only a matter of time before resumes are no longer even requested. Sites like About.me and Flavors.me also offer visual representations and aggregates social profiles. However, we think Vizify far outpaces these services and it's only in beta.

What's your opinion recruiters? Are you still working off of resumes or are online sites taking over that function for you?

Also, what are some of your favorite sites for gathering professional information on candidates? Share them with us in the comments below.

How Staffing Agencies Can Reward Employees For Exceptional Customer Service

Customer service is the key to success for almost every business - especially when it comes to staffing agencies. Your employees spend hours every day talking to your customers and candidates. Their interactions can make a huge difference in your customer satisfaction and ultimately your bottom line. 

Measuring customer happiness for your staffing company is critical. However, motivating your employees to provide great customer service is also something you should should focus on. If you're like a lot of companies though, it can be difficult and time consuming to know where to get started with all of this.

Look no further! Today we are happy to announce the simplest way to instantly motivate and reward your top performing employees for providing exceptional customer service. Introduction Kudos - a new feature in Hively!

What are Kudos?

Kudos are a simple way for employees to give each other feedback or for managers to reward employees. Think of it like a ‘thanks’ or a ‘pat on the back.’ 

Just like with Hively customer feedback, if you receive a Kudo you will be instantly notified and have the Hively Kudos badge prominently displayed on your leaderboard profile for your team to see. You will also receive +1 count for each Kudo you receive. Kudos are separated from customer feedback and don’t effect your customer happiness scores.

But we didn’t stop there!

What’s better than getting a Kudo? Getting a Kudo with a gift card reward! We recently partnered with Tango Card to enable our customers to provide real time rewards to top performing employees. Tango Card provides virtual gift cards that can be redeemed for cash or other gift cards like Amazon, Starbucks, Nike and Zappos. If you’re a Hively team member, simply sign up with Tango Card and you can start adding gift cards to any Kudos you send your team members.

To learn more about the other great features we released in Hively today check out the full announcement here and let your staffing company get started with rewarding your employees! Sign up for Hively. It's free to try!

 

Bullhorn Acquired by Vista Equity Partners

Having been a dominant part of the staffing industry for years, today, recruiting softare giant Bullhorn announced they have been acquired by Vista Equity Partners for hundreds of millions of dollars.

The company, which powers and manages recruiting and staffing operations for a range of businesses, from  start-ups up to the world’s largest employment brands like Kelly, offers a range of services including mobile and social recruiting, as well as other SaaS services and consulting. It also occasionally releases interesting research on the job market and how recruitment is faring on the web. Bullhorn says it handles 150,000 job orders and placements each month, with more than 100,000 staffing and recruiting professionals across 126 countries using Bullhorn. It will continue to operate as a standalone company and will continue to expand its product offerings and geographic expansion.

Read more about this on the Bullhorn website or here on TechCrunch.

Five Reasons Why Staffing Providers Should (And Do) Embrace Technology-Driven Vendor Management (Part 1 of 2)

Guest Blog by Jeff Niles - Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ShiftWise – A leading provider of hospital workforce management software and services in the healthcare staffing industry. This post orginally appeared on the ShiftWise blog ShiftWise Exchange.

For the better part of the past decade, I have been in and around technology-driven vendor management in health care. In that time, I have experienced or witnessed every possible human emotion that is associated with VMS programs both good and bad.

As a young staffing Account Executive, I vividly remember the fear and panic I felt when I first heard that one of my bigger clients was going to a VMS.  Certain that this nameless, faceless software application was going to “ruin my relationship” with the client, I prepared a self-serving list of reasons why this was a bad idea for the client.  Despite my greatest efforts and deepest convictions that I knew best for the client, in the end, there was nothing I could do. I was doomed.

Or so I thought. My client’s change actually improved our relationship and helped us grow revenue in that account.  In retrospect, my reaction was based on fear, lack of information, and a sense that change is always bad.

Over time, my epiphany has been shared by a growing number of staffing providers. I see more and more firms making statements like, “We like it when we hear that a client is moving to ShiftWise” and “We wish that all of our clients used a system like ShiftWise.”

But still, skeptics remain. So what is it that makes one staffing provider benefit from VMS technology and another miss an opportunity? In the spirit of sharing and collaboration, I have condensed the attitudes of the embracers I spoke with to help you decide.

The Top 5 Reasons why staffing providers should embrace technology driven Vendor Management.

Warning! Embracing VMS technology for your staffing office may result in an overwhelming urge to hug your computer.

1. It will improve your relationships with your clients.

Impossible, right?  How can having to use my computer to tell my client that Suzy Q can work this afternoon improve my relationship?  Where’s the personal connection and the reassurance that I’m there for them?

Ok, it’s time for a couple doses of reality.

1. Rarely do VMS programs (ShiftWise certainly doesn’t) have a policy where you may NEVER SPEAK TO THE CLIENT.
2. Nobody wants to talk to the same person five times per day to answer questions like “Do you need anyone for tonight?”

Staffing providers that embrace VMS understand that a relationship isn’t built out of a series of short conversations about mundane staffing related nuances. Rather, relationships are built by:

• Delivering high quality candidates precisely when they are needed.
• Doing the extra work to complete online profiles with supporting documents so that managers can more easily qualify candidates.

The president of a provider of Locum Tenens I spoke with said it best:

“We want our clients to see our candidates matching to an order and say, ‘This vendor is reliable and never wastes my time, I’m choosing their staff first.’  If we’ve done that, we’ve done our job.”

2. You will fill more positions than ever before in the same account.

There’s a little secret that staffing office folks have kept from staffing providers since the very first agency nurse filled the very first open shift. It goes something like this:

If I convince every vendor I work with that they are my favorite, and that I call them first whenever I have any needs, I will get more staff from all of my vendors when I’m in a pinch.

I can’t tell you how many times I have met with staffing agencies who insist that they are without a doubt the “first call,” #1 vendor at a hospital, all while I’m staring at a client-produced spreadsheet that shows this vendor hovering somewhere around 7th. Convinced that they fill all the shifts already they focus efforts elsewhere and miss growth opportunities.

A VMS allows you to see all of the orders that are open, pending, filled and cancelled across the entire organization regardless of whether you are able to actually reach someone on the phone. In addition, a VMS allows you to staff more people within the same account with the same or fewer resources.

This quote from a Branch Manager of a Per Diem staffing provider summarized it for me:

“I used to have two coordinators staffing the same hospital.One was responsible for gathering availability from staff and the other was to hunt for needs at the account.  Now I have one person on that account and we have three times as many hours there as we did prior to VMS.”

 

About Jeff Niles

Jeff is the current Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ShiftWise and is based in Chicago, IL. He joined ShiftWise in 2006 as a Regional Sales Director bringing over a decade of experience in health care recruitment and workforce management. An early promoter of technology driven contingent workforce management, Jeff has developed and delivered several high impact and innovative healthcare staffing solutions to forward thinking healthcare organizations nationwide. Jeff holds a BA from Miami University and earned an MA from the University of Cincinnati. He is also an active member of ASHHRA, SHRM, CHEF and CAHR.

Breaking News: Concerro Acquired by API Healthcare

 

Big news today in the healthcare staffing industry. Concerro has announced they have been acquired by API Healthcare. Concerro, is a provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) staffing and scheduling systems for healthcare. 

 

 Concerro’s products and client base are the perfect complement to API Healthcare’s existing solutions and markets,” said J.P. Fingado, president and chief executive officer, API Healthcare. “Working together we will reinforce our mutual commitment to innovation and dedication to the healthcare industry. This strategic move allows us to leverage a larger number of talented, diverse and clinically-based staff to deliver the high quality of service that separates API Healthcare from our competitors.

This acquisition further consolidates the tech staffing space for healthcare staffing. In recent years API acquired Clearview and Concerro acquired Res-Q Healthcare Systems. Having all of this tech under the banner of API Healthcare will further increase their dominance in the healthcare staffing industry.

Official Press Release: API Healthcare Acquires Concerro

Bullhorn Launches New Career Site: theFIT

Bullhorn released another interesting product today: theFIT.

 

In there words:

theFIT.com is a place where job seekers and employees can get answers to those awkward questions that they really want to know, but would never ask.

Bullhorn claims the intent of theFIT is not a "dig-up-dirt site" but more about understanding the corporate culture of where people work or want to work.

What do you think?

 

Workforce Logic Acquired by Zero Chaos

The Staffing Industry Analysts reported big news in the VMS space yesterday by announcing Zero Chaos's acquisition of Workforce Logic. The deal was offically closed last Thursday.

“The fusion of ZeroChaos and WorkforceLogic will be a powerful force in the workforce management solutions market, with the combined infrastructure, global presence and financial stability of two incredibly strong companies,” said WorkforceLogic CEO Catherine Candland.

 

You can read the full story by the SIA here: ZeroChaos Buys VMS and MSP Provider

Or the Press Release here: ZeroChaos Buys Competitor Workforce Logic