Healthcare Staffing Plan

Healthcare Staffing Plan

This paper presents a staffing plan for a healthcare organizaton called, Kelly Service Employment Agency, which is planning to open a healthcare organization in Sweden and is eager to provide job opportunities to Swedish nationals.

Healthcare in Sweden

With a per capita income of $29,800, Sweden is the 27th richest nation in the world. After rebounding from a global downturn in 2000-2002, the economy is growing at a rate of 2.7 percent. Inflation is well under control at 0.5 percent, and unemployment currently stands at 5.8 percent. Income is fairly well distributed in Sweden, and the country ranks 25 on the Gini Index of Inequality (World Health Organization, 2007).

Sweden has an extensive welfare system that provides healthcare services to the entire population. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Reports rank Sweden fifth in the world n overall quality-of-life issues (World Health Organization, 2007).

The Swedish government spends 3 percent of the total budget on health. Of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 9.4 percent is earmarked for health-related programs, and the government allots $2,704 (international dollars) per capita to health. More than 85 percent of total health spending is covered by the government. The private sector supplies 14.8 percent of health funding, and 92.10 percent of that amount is derived from out-of-pocket expenses. There are 3.28 physicians, 10.24 nurses, 0.70 midwives, 0.82 dentists, and 0.66 pharmacists per 1,000 population in Sweden (World Health Organization, 2007).

The National Health System, financed by taxes, is compulsory, and the number of Swedes opting for voluntary insurance is minimal. Direct healthcare services are provided at the regional level through healthcare districts composed of a hospital and several primary healthcare units. Swedish cities have been given the responsibility for providing social welfare services that include school health services, nursing home care, and in-home care (World Health Organization, 2007).

Staffing Plan for Kelly Service Employment Agency

Staffing strategy flows from the firm's (Kelly Service Employment Agency's) mission, strategic plan, goals, and objectives that, in turn, influence human resource planning efforts. Human resource plans are developed for the organization as a whole and, in larger organizations, for each business unit. From the staffing perspective, the human resource plan examines an organization's demand for labor and the current labor supply to determine whether any gaps exist (Wanous, 2006). Plans are devised to address the gaps and achieve the desired staffing levels. At the department level, such action plans identify the number of hires and the positions that will be filled within a specific timeframe. Plans must also address economic conditions, the labor market, and skill and technology changes as part of ongoing environmental scanning. Finally, the plan should address issues of diversity and affirmative action.

Recruitment

When human resource planning indicates that additional employees need to be hired, the organization engages in recruitment activities. The initial goal of recruitment efforts is attracting a pool of potentially qualified applicants to the organization (Heneman, 2003).

There are a number of strategic choices that the Agency can make regarding the recruitment process. Does the healthcare organization in Sweden want to develop employees by promoting from within, or are needed employees brought in from outside of the company (i.e., internal vs. external recruiting)? Does the human resources department handle recruitment activities, or is an outside recruitment agency retained for this purpose? What role does technology play? How much discretion do business units and managers have in recruiting employees? How is the recruitment budget developed? Is the recruitment budget administered in a centralized or decentralized fashion? How does the company incorporate diversity issues in the recruitment process? Who is responsible for the success of recruitment activities? (Bowen, 2004)

Once the organization sorts out its recruitment strategy and plan, recruitment is generally conceptualized as sources of recruits and methods utilized to attract recruits. Recruits can be found inside and outside of the organization. Internal candidates, who are already employed by the organization, might be considered for promotion, transfer to another unit or location, job rotation, or other assignment.

Often internal job openings reflect a career or mobility path where the open position is the typical next step for the employee. Internal methods include job postings, skill inventories, nominations, and succession plans. Consider job postings (Arvey, 2008).

Kelly Service Employment Agency may need to augment the pool of qualified applicants from Sweden by looking outside the company. Recruits from the outside may bring new ideas and increase diversity. External sources of employees include referral programs, walk-ins, employment agencies, temporary help agencies, trade associations and unions, schools (high schools, colleges, and universities), and foreign nationals. External methods include advertisements in the media (print, TV, radio, Web), employment agencies, open houses/job fairs, executive search firms, direct mail, and so on. The mix of methods will depend