In a world driven by automation, healthcare staffing stands apart as an industry built on connections that technology simply can’t replace. When lives hang in the balance, you want to know that your patients are in good hands. That’s why it’s important to rely on humans instead of algorithms to choose the right providers for your facility.
The human element in healthcare staffing
Healthcare staffing is about more than filling gaps in a schedule. Healthcare recruiters deal with the reality of patient lives, communities, and consequences. This reality necessitates a strong relationship between staffing partners, facilities, and providers. Facilities want to know their patients are in good hands—and that means having confidence in their staffing partner, too.
Building strong relationships with our clients has been the most important aspect of our business from the very beginning. As our co-founder, Bobby Moses shared during this year’s Hayes Locums’ annual summit—
“This business [healthcare staffing] hasn’t changed fundamentally. We’re still solving the same core problems as 20 years ago. It all comes down to working hard, finding the right people, taking excellent care of them, and being true partners and consultants to our clients.”
It’s this straightforward approach that keeps the quality of our providers and the satisfaction of our clients high.
Why relationships outshine technology every time
While technology is and always will be an important ingredient, it’s just that: an ingredient. But like a good recipe, it’s the human touch that makes it come together.
“The relational human-to-human, consultative expertise is always going to be essential to locums,” noted David Richardson, VP of Operations. “Being accessible as staffing partners is what puts us ahead as a company, and the importance of that becomes undeniable in critical moments.”
Human connection is also crucial because consultants pick up on things that technology may not. They don’t just understand the technical requirements of the position, they know which of their physicians have experience in rural settings with limited resources, and whose skill set will be the right match for a hospital’s unique situation.
Those human instincts can sometimes be the difference between life and death for a patient. For example, when a hospital asked neurology consultant Tim Moses to send a neurohospitalist, Tim took the extra step to recommend someone who he knew had neuro ICU experience, even though that wasn’t a requirement of the facility—because he knew the hospital didn’t have any neuro ICU doctors on staff.
That expertise saved a patient’s life when a patient crashed and the critical care doctor didn’t know how to respond “Our locums stepped in and was able to stabilize the patient within 10 minutes,” he said. “Another doctor we had at the same facility called me afterward and said, ‘This provider saved that patient’s life. And if she wasn’t there, this patient wouldn’t have survived.’”
It’s these kinds of human instincts that can’t be replaced by technology.
Find a healthy balance with technology
Digital platforms can streamline administrative processes, reduce paperwork, and create efficiencies in many aspects of staffing. But technology works best when it supports relationships rather than attempting to replace them.
The most effective approach isn’t choosing between technology and relationships, but finding the right integration of both. It’s like getting all the organizational benefits of a VMS without giving up the relationship approach that delivers results. That means investing in technologies that reduce the administrative headache not just for staffing agencies, but for facilities, too.
While vendor management systems can be helpful for staffing facilities, they also can be chaotic for facilities. Especially during a time of increased shortages and stress, healthcare facilities want partners who use technology to enhance service, not create additional barriers.
For this reason, investing in solutions that streamline administrative processes while preserving direct relationships is crucial.
Build stronger connections with your staffing partners
True partnership in healthcare staffing is based on relationships—and all good relationships begin with good listening. A good staffing partner should take the time to truly get to know your facility’s challenges, culture, and community needs. The more they understand what makes your facility unique, the better equipped they’ll be to find providers who will truly fit—especially when time is of the essence.
As every recruiter knows, in healthcare, we’re not just moving pieces on a chessboard. We’re connecting real human beings who will work together to save lives, ease suffering, and keep communities healthy.
When minutes matter, when lives hang in the balance, and when your community is counting on you—that’s when the strength of your relationships truly shows. And in those critical moments, there’s simply no technological substitute for the human connection that has always been at the heart of healthcare.
That’s why healthcare will always run on relationships—because at its heart, that’s exactly what healthcare is all about.
