BRAD SCHOENFELDER

Senior Executive Director of Human Resources

Sanford Health

Sioux Falls, S.D.

IMAGE: Sanford Health

Q. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY YOU’VE FOUND TO LET PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES LEARN ABOUT OPENINGS?

A.Sanford Health’s footprint stretches across the Midwest and even around the globe, so we use many different tools to share our various employment opportunities.

Digital marketing and social media are a crucial part of our daily strategy. We are very active on job service sites and work to cultivate relationships with colleges and technical programs to connect in-person with job seekers.

Our teams attend professional and national conferences to extend our reach with candidates for high-demand professions.

We know it’s imperative to build awareness early, so we partner with HOSA – the national health-care career organization – to expand students’ awareness of available health care careers and help them explore potential career paths.

Q. WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, DOES SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY IN RECRUITING?

A.

Social media is a key recruitment tool. It lets us share not only job opportunities, but also our story as an organization.

We can present a more comprehensive picture of our culture, mission and values, using profiles, videos and behind-the-scenes images.

We have more than 28,000 employees, which means our staff is one of our biggest assets on social media. Sanford staffers serve as brand ambassadors, helping to spread the word and share our successes across their networks. Social media is a very powerful tool in the recruitment toolbox.

Q. HOW DO YOU COMPETE WITH BIGGER METRO AREAS WHEN YOU’RE RECRUITING IN HIGH-DEMAND HEALTH CARE FIELDS?

A.We offer unique opportunities for health care professionals looking to work in the Midwest and be on the cutting edge of health care technology and research.

As an integrated health care system, we offer opportunities to work in large cities or small towns. In all our communities, employees can raise their families and enjoy all the benefits of living in this part of the country, including great school systems, safe and affordable housing, competitive wages and outdoor recreation.

At the same time, Sanford Health is making strides on the national stage with medical advancements, research and the latest technology. This combination is appealing to many candidates in high-demand health care fields.

Q.

HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAVE A LOT OF TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS TO FULFILL. CAN BENEFITS IN THOSE AREAS SERVE AS RETENTION TOOLS?

A.Yes! Offering knowledge and skill advancement opportunities close to home serves our employees in many different capacities.

Sanford offers diverse continuing education programs that not only support health care licensure requirements but also support our employees’ desire for continuous learning and development.

During the past year, Sanford offered more than 5,000 hours of continuing education credit. Employees have direct access to world-renowned experts in health care without having to take time away from their personal life to meet their professional educational needs.

Providing these local opportunities for growth and development is key for employee retention.

Q. HOW DOES SANFORD KEEP A COMMON ‘WORKPLACE CULTURE’ ACROSS ITS MULTIPLE LOCATIONS?

A.Our workplace culture is strongly influenced by the quality of our leadership. At Sanford Health, all employees enter our organization learning about our mission, vision and values. We insist on a culture of service and believe that all of our employees are caregivers, no matter their position or location. We are all responsible for the care of our patients and their families, and our mission – dedication to the work of health and healing – is ingrained in the fabric of our organization.

This common thread unites our employees, in all of our locations across the Midwest and beyond.