Erin Wright, Manager of Recruitment & Onboarding, sat down to discuss the 2017 Lean Human Capital Raving Fan Award, as her team was recognized by candidates not selected for a Lakeland position.

Tell us about Lean Human Capital. Where did your journey with them start?
In 2011, we began working with Lean Human Capital to analyze and build process improvements for recruitment. Nationwide, more than 550 health organizations are part of this community.

What significant improvements have you made to the interview process over the years?
Our follow-up with candidates is one improvement that sets us apart. Each interviewed candidate receives a phone call from a recruiter even if he or she is not offered a position. If applicants are never interviewed, they still receive an email informing them of the decision. We have also made our recruiter responsibilities more job category specific, improving our ability to sell to potential candidates.

What has inspired and motivated you to make these improvements?
As the unemployment rate decreases, the race for talent increases. We see and feel it every day. While the tight market can make our jobs more challenging, we know the importance of ensuring the candidate experience is a top priority, because exposure to Lakeland’s culture begins with us.

Our recruiters build strong relationships with the managers and departments they support; when they find a great addition or lose someone to a competitor, the recruiter goes through the rollercoaster of emotions with the leader.

Now that you’ve won this award, how do you see the interview process improving in the future?
The candidate experience will always be our top focus, and we’ll strive to continue to be recognized for positively impacting each person interested in working here. Looking ahead, we will implement prerecorded video interviews as part of our process, giving candidates the opportunity to answer a few questions before they speak to a recruiter. We are very excited about this!

We also need the help of Lakeland team members. We partner with Glassdoor, a leading website for job seekers to research companies. I would love for everyone to briefly review Lakeland Health by clicking here. Job seekers want to hear from those working at an organization, so please be an ambassador and leave a review!