With the economy still in a lacklustre mood, healthcare is one area that has remained relatively stable, with private hospitals offering attractive recruitment packages

With the economy still in a lacklustre mood, healthcare is one area that has remained relatively stable, with private hospitals offering attractive recruitment packages

As the healthcare industry remains one of the least affected by the current global downturn, a career within it could prove to be very interesting and fruitful at the present time. In particular, a number of positions within the private healthcare sector have opened up.

The Hermitage Clinic in Lucan, Dublin is one hospital that has been recruiting over the past six months. The Hermitage opened just three years ago, and as it continues to expand its services, it is growing its headcount to meet service-user needs.

<p>For Anne Goodall, human-resource (HR) manager with the Hermitage Clinic, it has been an interesting time.

"We have been continuing to expand the organisation, and coming up to the end of quarter one in year three, our activity is growing. In order to support that activity, we have been actively recruiting for quite some time, predominantly seeking nurses with specialities in medicine, surgery and orthopaedics."

Goodall says the hospital is looking for people with a couple of years' experience, who want to enter a challenging and rewarding environment.

Another available position is that of theatre manager. Very surgically driven, the Hermitage Clinic has five major and two minor theatres, catering for both adults and children. Disciplines include ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology; general surgery; ophthalmology; orthopaedics; neurosurgery; and plastics.

During this recruitment drive, Goodall has noted a change in the quality of applications.

"Certainly the external environment has changed. We've noticed there has been a difference in the volume of applications and also their calibre. I'm happy to say we are getting good-quality applications through."

For candidates considering jumping ship from the public to the private sector, Goodall says there are many benefits to working in the latter.

"What we say to candidates is that the Hermitage is a different environment. We are a business, but we have to provide the utmost in quality care. So, while the absolute priority is on high- quality patient care, it's an opportunity for anyone to contribute to the growth of the organisation as a whole. That gives people the opportunity to participate in projects they wouldn't have been able to get involved with in other organisations.

"A career in the Hermitage Clinic helps people to develop an alternative skillset and be more effective in their core role; as well as this, it definitely engenders a sense of pride, ownership and a sense of belonging," adds Goodall.

From a HR perspective, she says there are also many differences between working in the public and private sector.

"We're a small organisation in comparison to some of the big public hospitals, so we have to learn to adapt to changes in a faster-paced environment."

Indeed, Goodall adds that through working in a smaller hospital - the Hermitage has just over 300 staff members - one can deliver things more promptly. One can create policies and procedures and then work with people to get them implemented quickly, she says.

Goodall says that as the organisation is maturing, the uncertainty that goes along with any start-up is diminishing.

"The staff turnover is very low here now, so that means that the teamwork is growing and employees are getting to know each other a lot better. There is more effective communication and a greater sense of security.

"For anybody who's thinking of moving to the private sector, particularly to a hospital like the Hermitage, I would say it's a high-tech hospital and a tremendous environment to work in. If people are up for a challenging, rewarding career, this is certainly the hospital in which to work."

Indeed, the Hermitage is committed to innovation and is constantly endeavouring to bring new and pioneering services to its patients. It is currently in talks with Sanford Healthcare in the US about the provision of the first paediatric primary-care service in Ireland.

Last year, one of the biggest challenges from a HR perspective was the fact that the organisation was going through Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. The contribution to this from the HR team was for all the relevant policies and documentation to be completed and rolled out to JCI standards, which resulted in the hospital successfully achieving accreditation.

"Prior to the JCI accreditation assessment, the HR team had to have all the policies and documents at the appropriate standard. It was a big, big project for us to do, and the organisation achieved the accreditation last November," says Goodall.

Linda Daly
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