When it comes to healthcare staffing, it appears that staffing suppliers may have some misconceptions about what staffing buyers want.

For example, while saving money is important, it’s not always about the lowest price, said Kristen Mussman, national program director, operations — Contingent Talent Management Program at Kaiser Permanente and a panelist at the upcoming Healthcare Staffing Summit.

“One of the primary objectives of a staffing supplier, or even an MSP model, is to minimize cost to the organization and provide supplemental labor at reduced costs,” Mussman said. However, “it’s not always about money, and we see that come to light in the nonclinical sector where the actual quality of delivery or the integration of multiple talent acquisition channels becomes more valuable than the actual price tag associated with it.”

Another potential misconception is that staffing suppliers are only there to send people. In fact, buyers are often interested in staffing suppliers taking a more consultative approach — using the knowledge they have from working with many healthcare organizations. For example, advising on how tight the labor pools are and consulting on workforce planning tools.

“You have to really identify the unmet user needs and look for those opportunities to innovate with your client and outpace the competition,” Mussman said.

A one-stop shop with the ability to offer multiple services such as RPO, direct hire, temp-to-hire and temp staffing among other things can also be a benefit. “Being able to have one-stop shopping to meet all of your clinical needs, that is of extreme value to healthcare systems now,” she said.

One other point: There is often a misconception among buyers about what makes their organization attractive to a traveling healthcare professionals, and this is an area where staffing suppliers can help.

For example, on the surface it would seem a mid-winter assignment in Southern California might beat one in Buffalo, NY. But if a staffing supplier understands what makes a position attractive and what healthcare professionals are looking for, Buffalo might be more attractive. It might be a magnet facility, there may be a completion bonus or better housing plan that makes it attractive. Staffing firms need to know what makes a healthcare organization attractive to workers to sell them on it.

During the panel at the Healthcare Staffing Summit, Mussman will also be joined by Susan Abram, director, Diversified Care Inc./Aurora Health Care and Stephanie Hopgood, contingent labor program manager, BJC Healthcare.

Moderating the panel will be Dawn McCartney, director, contingent workforce strategies and research, CCWP, at Staffing Industry Analysts.

More information on the Healthcare Staffing Summit is available here.