Hayes Locums’ Training Development Department has been recognized as one of the top training departments for four years in a row. Here’s how our DRIVE program works to set locums recruiters up for success.
At our locum staffing agency, we invest a tremendous amount of time and care in developing and training our employees––providing them with mentorship, coaching, and a supportive, collaborative environment in which to learn and grow.
Our award-winning team’s commitment to thoughtful, personalized training has resulted in nearly a quarter of our new hires being referred by Hayes Locums employees. Beyond external awards, we view that metric as one of our biggest indicators of success: that our employees are so inspired and empowered by the training they receive that they want to invite their friends and family to join the team, too.
Here are some of the benefits that set Hayes Locums’ training program apart:
We Don’t Just Teach Recruiting Skills. We Teach People How to Build Relationships.
The number one reason that providers engage with Hayes Locums is because they like their consultant: because they care, they listen to their providers’ needs and concerns, and they are diligent in responding to those needs. In our hiring process, we look for good people who have strong relational skills, and through our training, we build on those skills to ensure that they are prepared to support our providers at every step of the process.
At Hayes Locums, our number one rule is to always do the right thing for our providers and our facilities. Our training department lives up to this promise by focusing on providing relationship-driven service.
Our locums recruiters learn how to get to know and understand the different personalities they may work with, and how to tailor their process to best suit different communication styles, and career priorities.
We also prioritize active listening skills––how to engage people with interest, empathy, and genuine curiosity––which not only help them be better locums recruiters, but better communicators in general. Our goal at every stage is to train our locums recruiters to put providers’ needs first, so they are equipped to be the best possible partner to their providers.
We Tailor Our Training to Individuals, and Scale it So You Learn What You Need to Know, When You Need to Know it.
While many locum staffing agencies take a firehose approach to training, as with everything else we do at Hayes Locums, we prioritize quality over speed. Our goal is to make sure that our employees feel fully confident in their roles before they sit down at their desk to begin.
To accomplish this goal, the DRIVE program is designed to train new hires on what they need, when they need it. Instead of two weeks of drinking from seven different firehouses, material comes at you when it’s actually happening at your desk.
Here’s how our program structure works: In the first two weeks, we train our locums recruiters on everything they need to know about the locums industry, our mission at Hayes Locums, and the nuances and intricacies of the specialty to which they’re assigned, so they are fully equipped to support the providers within that specialty. Once they’ve grasped the basic knowledge and context for their roles, we provide hands-on coaching skills like talking on the phone, what questions to ask to ensure that they understand the individual needs and preferences of their providers, as well as practical skills like learning the tools and software applications their job involves.
After that initial two weeks, we begin a 90 day incubation period where we provide desk-level coaching. During this period, they’re able to practice and gain feedback and best practices in a safe, supportive environment. Learning is done collaboratively––we incorporate the Watch Me, Show Me, Teach Me method to enable new hires to progress through observation, practicing in groups, and then demonstrating their skills, empowering them to feel more confident throughout the process.
We also customize our training to individuals by designing a personalized training plan for each new hire. During the course of our 3-month training program, we develop a tailored monthly learning plan for each new hire, depending on their skills and needs. We build self-awareness and self-confidence by teaching them to do self-assessments of their strengths and how well they’re doing in our core competencies, and creating a plan together to build on their strengths and their areas of growth.
After that 90 day period, it’s time for graduation, where we have the opportunity to celebrate each other and how far we’ve come. This includes games, food, and reflections from coaches on how far each individual new hire has come, giving out DRIVE Hall of Fame awards––and, of course, some time with our golf simulator. Our goal is for every new hire to feel energized, aligned, and ready to join their team by the time they graduate.
Our immersive and thoughtfully designed training program helps new locums recruiters make connections, try new things, take chances, and develop new skills in a judgment free, comfortable space––so that by the time they’re ready to transition into their new role, they feel equipped and excited.
We Take Mentorship Seriously.
At many locums staffing agencies, mentorship is limited to veteran employees who take it upon themselves to mentor new hires. While this can be useful, at Hayes Locums, we believe in providing more structured mentorship. We do this by providing desk-level coaching from actual trainers––people who have experience with the job new employees are being asked to do, and expertise in how to train people most effectively.
At Hayes Locums, we have 40% more desk coaching time than similar locums staffing agencies, which translates to new hires feeling more confident, more prepared, and more equipped to succeed at their job.
In addition to the mentorship involved in the training period, we also take the time to thoughtfully transition new hires onto their individual teams. During their training period, employees are offered a variety of opportunities––like sit-ins and weekly meetings with their team leaders––to collaborate with their future teams and get to know the people they’ll be working with.
We also have some of our best and brightest locums recruiters visit our training group on a weekly basis. Through sharing their own experiences, these recruiters drive home some of Hayes Locums’ core values: doing the right thing, why it’s important to prioritize honesty and transparency, and how to treat providers right and maintain long term relationships.
Through these and other mentorship opportunities, new hires are able to absorb values they need to excel, and the skills that empower them to feel confident in their roles.
