Trends That Matter

We include developments from the Staffing Industry Daily News and The Staffing Stream to help you focus on emerging movements that could shape your business for the better.

Temp Nurses Are Lifesavers

They may be temporary, but engaging these nurses could mean the difference between life and death, says a new study.

Supplemental nurses could be “lifesavers” during times of critical nurse shortages in U.S. hospitals, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

“These nurses could be lifesavers,” says Linda Aiken, lead researcher on the study. “Hiring temporary nurses can alleviate shortages that could produce higher patient mortality.”

Buying the Competition

Acquiring its rivals allows Bullhorn to work on a platform that will be faster and more efficient.

Bullhorn has acquired two rival vendors of software to the staffing industry — MaxHire Solutions and Sendouts. The combined customer base will total more than 5,000 staffing and recruiting agencies, according to Bullhorn.

The MaxHire and Sendouts products will continue to operate and users won’t need to migrate to another platform.

Meanwhile, Bullhorn is working on a next-generation system that will incorporate innovations from Bullhorn, MaxHire and Sendouts.

Positive Culture = Profitability

It does not involve bucks, but creating the right company culture could enhance your bottom line and give you happy employees.

Creating a positive company culture as a management priority has trended up over the past few years, according to a new report by Staffing Industry Analysts. And that may mean more profitability.

“On average over the past three years, 'creating a positive company culture’ has been the third-most correlated with profitability among all the priorities that we track,” says Theo Vadpey, author of the report.

Have Problem? Look Beyond Temps

A 2011 study suggests that though temps were twice as likely as staff to be involved in serious medication errors, the problem is likely the result of issues within the facility’s system.

There are usually two sides to every story. When it comes to contingent staffing in healthcare, that certainly is true, with a 2011 Johns Hopkins study suggesting that temporary employees in unfamiliar environments were twice as likely as staff employees to be involved in serious medication errors that harmed patients, but the facility’s system could be the problem.

Alternatively, extensive studies commissioned by the American Staffing Association concluded that higher use of temporary nurses does not lead to safety and quality problems that negatively impact patient care.

The list of research studies examining the effectiveness of temporary employees is long and daunting. Despite these varying opinions, healthcare staffing firms will continue to hold an important responsibility to make certain contingent staff receives the training, site acclimation and certifications needed to maintain high quality patient care.

— Source: “Two Sides of the Story: Contingent Staff’s Performance,” The Staffing Stream, by Janet Elkin, president and CEO of Supplemental Health Care

Employ T-V-A

Creating a loyal customer base that sticks by you is not just the privilege of collegiate sport teams.

Imagine if your company enjoyed the type of loyalty from customers that collegiate sports teams boast. In spite of occasional failings and shortfalls, they stick by you, your relationship transcending any one transgression or problem. Such loyalty is not only possible, it should be the goal of every business of every size. To achieve this, your organization must employ T-V-A:

• Trust: Make promises that are ALWAYS kept.
• Value: Provide value customers need along with value they didn’t know they couldn’t live without.
• Amends: While you must never fall short on promises, mistakes will happen. Own them, without making excuses, and while making things right use it as an opportunity to deepen your relationship with the client.

— Source: “Building Unconditional Customer Loyalty,” The Staffing Stream, by Scott Wintrip, president of the Wintrip Consulting Group and StaffingU