Five tips for recruiting — Hiring great quality and quantity at great speed can be done

No matter the industry, if a company is going to stay strong and productive, it has to be able to adapt quickly. It’s one of our core values at Molina Healthcare, and it’s never been tested more than in the past year.
As the state started rolling out My Care Ohio, which is the integrated care model for members who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, Molina needed to hire 300 skilled and professional workers to meet the demand — expanding our workforce by nearly one-third.
Because this population requires far more medical, behavioral, long-term, and home- and community-based services to support its independence, our new employees had to be efficient and capable from day one.
The solution for us was a recruiting plan that combined both proven and innovative techniques.
 
Be the employer everyone wants
Aside from traditional benefits like 401(k) matching, paid time off and health insurance, appeal to potential employees — and make current ones feel appreciated — with unique perks like volunteer time off, a free state-of-the-art gym, local walking trails and an on-site café.
At Molina, we also provide an upbeat working environment supported by an Employees Activities Committee, and hire people who share our company mission to serve those in need.
 
Train and certify your own
If you find candidates who have great experience and fit, but fall short on certification, it may be more cost-effective for your company to train and certify them than to keep searching.
Molina has trained many new hires to be community health workers, giving us a full roster of newly certified community connectors.
What’s more, the time and energy we’ve invested in our people inspire them to do their best on the job.
 
Provide firsthand experience
It’s a good idea to hold job fairs and interview blitzes to encourage face-to-face meetings.
By inviting potential employees to our offices, they can experience the Molina culture firsthand. It’s also allowed our hiring managers to interview candidates on the spot, eliminating the back-and-forth that can slow down the recruiting process.
 
Research candidates year-round
Naturally, we don’t always have 300 positions to fill, but we do need new talent frequently. Since those who already have jobs often make the best employees, our recruitment staff continually monitors online job boards — many people have resumes posted online even when they’re not looking.
We also tap industry trade associations, like those for case managers and nurses, to advertise open positions to a highly targeted audience.
 
Involve current employees
Molina’s Six Degrees program rewards employees for referring new hires, which is great for morale. Our staffers have even found candidates simply by searching their social networks for possibilities, because embracing emerging technology is another way Molina embraces change.

After all, as the saying goes: Change is inevitable. Progress is optional. Though if you want to succeed in business, progress is required.