Successful Recruitment and Retention

How to Snag (and keep) the Elusive New Graduate

Richard Cashin BSP, Charity Evans BSP, Jade Rosin BSPRBSP Annual Conference March 2004

What are New Grads Looking For?

Graduate with ideals of how pharmacy practice should be they expect:

– ample patient care opportunities– pharmacy to play a role in primary health care– to adopt clinical, rather than technical roles– freedom to develop their own practice style

• Ability to affect change

– leadership and mentorship from employer/fellow employees

– competitive salary/benefits

What Should You Be “Selling?”

Ample patient care opportunities Favourable working conditions and

hours Supportive work environment Research opportunities

Support for continuing education

Who is your Competition? Market competition encourages

pharmacies to compete on wage, not practice opportunities.

Determine what sets your pharmacy apart and make this evident

Workplace issues (salary, compensation, people, practice opportunities)

Lifestyle issues (hours of work, vacation time, etc.)

Need to Promote Yourself Plenty of exposure to chains, health

authorities, but rarely see independent pharmacies, especially ones in rural areas

Be excited about your position Take advantage of networking opportunities

SPEP, involvement in Pharmacy Associations/conferences

If you were a new grad, would you work for your pharmacy?

Job Description

• Accurate Description• Advertisements should reflect the real job

• Be truthful about the opportunity for clinical time

• Encompassing• Make sure that all job details are there

• Also serves as a way to measure job description

• Result• Not wasting everyone’s time. Only potential candidates

will interview.

Promotional and Interviewing Team

• Who’s the pitch coming from?• Marketing and HR people are important… but

Pharmacists want to know the real story• ? Addition of technicians to the interview team• Stay strong… yes there is a demand but ensure

that you get the type of Pharmacist that you want

• Money doesn’t always buy you the best Pharmacist

SalaryMoney is only part of the equation!

Don’t use money as a way to entice pharmacists—use your

practice Rural obviously can’t afford the types of salaries and

financial bonuses of a large chain Need to balance a fair wage with other non-financial benefits Remember that job satisfaction far outweighs any financial

incentives “If you take a job for the money, that better be all you expect out of it.”

Retention

Cheaper than recruitment This is where workplacesatisfaction is paramount ASK what’s important

What Keeps a Pharmacist?

• Job satisfaction Support and recognition for their role within the

organization—do they feel they are making a difference, and that this effort is valued? Ability to make change

Practice opportunities—are they practicing pharmacy the way they want

Continual learning and challenges—Are you providing opportunities for continuing education? What references do you have?

Relationships with co-workers and patients—do they enjoy going to work each day

• Lifestyle satisfaction

Community involvement Recreation/entertainment opportunities Family compatible?

What Keeps a Pharmacist?

Take home message….

• Recognize and promote your organization’s strengths

• Look for opportunities• Embrace change