The Target Department of the John Hopkins Hospital - Essay Example

? Healthcare interview August 18, Healthcare interview Introduction The John Hopkins Hospital is afacility for teaching and research. It focuses on biomedical research and its case services are highly regarded nationally and globally. Such a level of achievement in customer satisfaction identifies effective role of the institution’s human resource management that recruits, selects, and manages employees for the level of services that the hospital offers. This paper reports on an interview with the facility’s human resource director. The interview aimed at understanding the scope of the department’s activities, and the director’s position. Description of the target department The target department is the human resource department. It deals with issues that relate to employees and operates independently from other department in the hospital. Its operations however interrelate with other departments and require sensitivity to operational scopes of each department as knowledge of employees’ needs. Reports of customers’ utility that has highly ranked the organization identifies effectiveness of the department and the director attributes this success to effective leadership from the department and from across the organization’s management levels (Personal interview). Type of work done in the department The department does extensive scope of work that relates to employees and their welfare in the facility. Its work begins with evaluation of each department in the facility to understand human resource need for appropriate measures. It determines the overall level of human resource in an organization with the aim of detecting possible scarcity for reinforcement. It also notes employees’ turnover for gaps to be filled in order to sustain the capacity to offer the facility’s services. Another type of work that the department does is recruitment of potential employees into the organization. The human resource director explains that the department owns the responsibility of attracting the hospital’s employees. It makes decisions on recruitment strategies and times at which the organization can implement the strategies. The internet is the most preferred medium for recruitment and its advantages such as a wide target market and speed of communication are the rationale behind its preferences. Advertisements for job openings are placed in the hospital’s website and in other job placement websites. The department also advertises its vacancies in print media because of the wide audience that still uses the media. Another work that the department does in relation to recruitment of human resource is liaison with learning institution for internships and research programs that allow it expand its recruitment base. The department also selects employees into the organization and develops criteria for such selection. It organizes for interviews and establishes panels for conducting such interviews. Its selection role also involves review of recommendations from the panels for final decisions on employees to be hired (Personal interview). The human resource department also organizes for orientation of new employees, the director explains that personal initiative, and involvement in orientation exercise has been fundamental to the level of success of employees’ integration into the facility’s system. It is also the duty of the department to evaluate employees’ performance and organize for seminars and training for employees’ empowerment and developmental programs. The department does not have direct customers because its work relates to the organization’s internal environment, employees, and not the services that customers receive (Personal interview). Interesting information about the department The extensive scope of the department that transverse to the entire facility is one of the interesting thing about it. Unlike other departments that are centralized with defined areas of operations, the human resource department is dependent on all other department and must cooperate with the departments for effective operations. The department also holds the key to the hospital’s success because it ensures selection of suitable employees and integrates the employees into the system for outstanding services that establishes the hospital as one of the best in the global set up (Personal interview). Targeted interviewee, responsibilities and perception on the position The interviewee’s primary responsibilities are development of policies and strategies for development and management of human resource base. These are however implemented in supervisory approach as the director offers guidelines for policy development and facilitates processes for developing the policies. The directors also supervises human resources management processes such as recruitment, selection, orientation, and training and in most cases play direct roles such as in orientation processes. The director also informs the facility’s management of the department’s state and influences organization’s decisions on matters that relate to the organization’s employees. The director reported a path of hard work into his career with sacrifice and discipline in academic pursuit and towards achieving a high level of competence, which has identified him for promotion through management levels in the organization. Besides his medical training, the director has attended academic and professional training on leadership and human resource management and he attributes his career success to developed knowledge from the trainings (Personal interview). Educational requirements for the position are academic qualification in medical field with additional background in management. The director’s education informed him of basic concepts for identification and resolution of problems within the scope of his work. He is also informed of the types and levels of stress that personnel may face and therefore knows how to prevent and manage stressors for employees’ effectiveness. The educational background was however inadequate for the actual work environment and mentorship, experience, and professional training has played a significant role in empowering him for the job. The interviewee recommends academic preparations in medical and management fields with focus on communication skills and psychology. Similar position in other organizations requires same competence level and academic background but directors’ efficiency level vary because of difference in organizations’ cultures, structures, and internal environments. The interviewee believes that leadership potentials, interpersonal, and communication skills are the most significant attributes for his position. He acknowledges dynamism in healthcare but believes that his position will remain relevant because significant level of human resource will always be necessary for service delivery. The director is a social person with direct touch with employees. He identifies with a leadership role in the broader health care industry as he is actively involved in professional networks (Personal interview). Conclusion The interview, with human resources director at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, identifies significance of human resource department in development and maintenance of effective human resource force for the facility’s outstanding services. The interviewee performs supervisory role, informs the facility’s management of progress, and needs in the department. He has academic background in medical and managerial fields and believes that communication and interpersonal skills and knowledge of psychology are necessary for the position. He explains that internal environment determines success of human resource directors and that the position will remain relevant despite dynamism in health care. The interview plays an active role in leadership through professional networks. Read More