Getting open shifts filled quickly and with qualified staff can often be a more arduous task than it should be.
Low fill rates can plague a staffing office, especially when the cause, or causes, of those rates are unknown.
However, there are a few simple tricks and tips a staffing manager can use to boost fill rates and make everyone’s lives a bit easier!
1. You get what you ask for
Make sure you are asking for the kind of contingent staff you really need.
It sounds so simple, but confusion happens often and clarity is important.
The job title is usually the most basic search criteria, so asking for the right kind of contingent staff can cut down on confusion, and will give you a better pool of candidates to choose from.
2. Know your audience and your needs
A good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your supplier pool can be a life-saver. If you normally use contingent staff for Nursing, be aware that your suppliers may need time to adjust to new allied orders.
If you plan on posting a need that is a little more specialized, or rare for your organization, you may need to post it earlier to give your suppliers time to find the perfect candidate.
3. Use your pool — all of it
Having a large pool of staff to choose from can seem like a great way to ensure a need will be filled. However, if you typically only book staff from a select few suppliers in a larger pool, you may find yourself wanting down the road.
Why? Because suppliers notice a trend of not being selected for orders, and may find the effort of updating credentials for your needs not worth the frequency of being passed over for positions.
So try to spread bookings between several clients. This also prevents a sudden drought of candidates when an often-used supplier cannot fill an urgent need.
4. Don’t oversaturate
As mentioned , suppliers notice when they submit to needs and are often not selected. Therefore, make sure orders are posted as needs, not as wants.
Don’t oversaturate your pool with orders that you may wind up not needing contingent staffing to fill. Cancelling, or posting too many orders may cause your suppliers to get gun-shy with candidates.
5. Be flexible with the market
Is your facility far away from a metro area? Do you have highly specialized training, or a policy against travel reimbursement?
If so, you may need to be flexible with your bill rates in order to entice suppliers to fill your orders. Needs often go unfilled because candidates can be lured to facilities that may be easier for them to reach, or that provide extra incentives like travel reimbursement or paid orientation.
If you find yourself with low fill rates, you may need to take a look at your rates compared to the market, and factor in what could be a difficult location.
6. Use a VMS
Our clients will attest that a VMS can make a staffing manager’s life much easier. Reporting features can tell you where your staff are going, what suppliers they are coming from, and which orders you have historically had difficulty filling.
A VMS often allows for better and more accurate order management, which means needs can be posted earlier, and candidate pools can be more easily managed.
Overall, a VMS allows for a greater amount of flexibility and control, which can be helpful for the facility struggling to fill needs.
