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June 2017
Policy&Practice
19
Photo illustration by Chris Campbell
RECRUITING
RETAINING
&
TALENT
Working Your
Way Upstream
By Phil Basso and Angela Pittman
aving the talent you need
to be successful is as impor-
tant as ever—and even
more so if you are changing
the definition of that talent
as you evolve your service design and
overall ways of doing business. In a
survey of APHSA members that we
conducted this spring, the gap between
organizational needs and workforce
capacity was rated highly significant
by 52 percent of our respondents, and
only 8 percent rated this issue as not
being significant for them. Associated
issues included an aging workforce,
changing attitudes of those entering
the workforce, leadership changes, and
capacity or knowledge gaps.
H
In this article we’ll focus on
three things:
First, describe some current
challenges and opportunities in
our field regarding staff retention,
and suggest a shift in the general
approach we most often see
being used.
Second, introduce a practical and
adaptable model for defining all
the drivers of staff recruitment and
retention, which is a critical first
step in moving toward a more
strategic approach.
And third, outline both in general
and through 10 specific steps how to
move forward with your recruitment
and retention efforts.