Why Not Me?

One of the questions we, the recruiters, get quite often is, “Why wasn't I considered for this position?” Some positions may require prior medical experience while others require specific educational and/or licensure requirements. Did you know that we receive a large number of applications? As a matter of fact, in the last 30 days, we received more than 1,200 applications; therefore, we are unable to interview each applicant who applies. However, we encourage applicants to apply for positions that meet their basic qualifications. Tanner Health System strives for excellence and we are looking for the most qualified job seekers out there. Please refer to our "FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions) for more information regarding our interview process. Should you have a question regarding the status of your application please refer to our website at http://www.tannerjobs.org/, click on "Apply Now!" and then click “Log In Now” followed by “Application History.”

Why Not Me?

Test? Did you say Test?!

A pencil and single sheet of paper.
Do you remember those dreadful words from high school that have often served as an infamous reminder of the dangers of procrastination:

"Class, clear yours desks and take out a pencil and one sheet of notebook paper - we are going to have a pop quiz"

Do you remember the universal groan that could be heard across the student body?  Pulses raced,  eyes widened and palms became sweaty as pupils prepared to face the music.

Testing is seldom fun.
That's the same emotion many people feel when they learn that their job-seeking experience will not only lead them through a grueling interview, but also through pre-employment testing.

At Tanner Health System, excellence is one of our service standards and that means that we set high expectations for ourselves.  We also set high standards for those that would like to join our ranks.  We want our patients and visitors to enjoy the best of care.  So our selection process will often require skills testing, sometimes a credit check, and always a criminal background check and a physical examination including drug and alcohol screening.  All aimed at helping us select the best person for the job.

This post will hopefully offer some insights into our testing process and alleviate some of that test anxiety.

Criminal Background
Criminal background checks are a staple in the health care industry, so if you apply for a position, you can expect one.  Various agencies are utilized to determine if a candidate has been convicted of any crimes. Honesty is the best policy where criminal background checks are concerned.  While an incident of criminal history will not necessarily get you declined - falsifying your information will.

Credit History Investigation
If you've applied for a position that requires the handling of money, you can expect a credit check.  The reason for this is based -  in great part - on our obligation to protect the organization's finances by evaluating potential risks.  Credit investigations are just another step toward finding the individual candidate best suited for the position.  Individuals with a shaky credit history may want to apply for positions that do not require a good credit report until theirs is stabilized.
If a good credit history is part of the job qualifications, the following message will accompany the job posting:

*Credit Report is required for this position*

Skills Testing
Typing test, Microsoft Word and Excel testing, and 10-Key calculator tests are all part of our battery of skills tests.  If any of these are required, the job posting will either indicate that a test is required or the job skill will be listed specifically (i.e. "must be able to type 35 words-per-minute").  These skill tests are usually administered in the Human Resources office at the time of the first interview.

It is always a good idea to review a position's requirements before completing an application and only apply if you are certain that you possess the required skills.

Physical Examinations
Physical exams are administered once an individual has accepted an offer of employment, these exams include a drug and alcohol screen and a Tuberculosis skin tests.

The road to a career with Tanner Health System may seem to be a little -well- testing ... but that is only because we strive to always hire the person that best fits the available position.  The desired result is that we will not only be a great place to work - but we'll also continue to have great people doing the work!

Test? Did you say Test?!

The Call

In his own distinctive style, country-western singer, Charlie Rich used to croon: "Don't sit by the telephone - waiting for a call . . . " .

In today's tight job market more and more people may think that employers have adopted that song as their theme.

When I have the opportunity to participate in a local career fair, invariably someone will walk up and ask what they have to do to get a job at Tanner. That inquiry is often followed by an account of how many years they have been applying for positions with us or just how many applications they have submitted.

Having spent some time on the "silent" end of those telephone lines myself, I can understand the frustration. I can also say that most compassionate recruiters are also frustrated by the fact that there are not a great deal of hard and fast answers to those questions. For many of the open positions in the healthcare field, there is a huge volume of applications and the recruiter's aim is to be able to hire the person that is the "best fit". So some very qualified candidates find themselves applying over and over again.

I thought that I would spend this posting on some ideas that may be helpful to those who have dutifully applied for every possible position and are now playing the tortuous "waiting game".

• "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" - Remember that old adage? Well it certainly has a useful application when it comes to applications. While Tanner Health System is a GREAT place to work - it is not the only place to work. We often recommend that while individuals apply for open positions with us, they should also continue to search other organizations as well.


• Treat your job search like a job - There is something fulfilling about rising from sleep each morning with a set of objectives for the day. It energizes. Make deliberate plans and set specific goals for enhancing your job search every day. Set aside time for networking, researching, and improvement. The state of being without employment is often very deflating - setting and accomplishing daily goals can give your confidence level a boost.


• Edit, edit, edit - Your resume or application is a "snapshot" of you - it should provide the reader with a good idea of your knowledge, skills and abilities. It should also say something about your character: your sense of commitment, your work ethic, your leadership style, how you work with supervision, your consistency and more. Be sure your application/resume says what you want it to say about you. Does it show how your skills are a match for the requirements of the position? Are there time periods that are unaccounted for? Are there any negative statements about former employers?


• Seek Counsel - It is not a bad idea to have someone else review your resume/application from time to time. Choose someone with a feel for what employers are looking for and choose someone that will be brutally honest. Ask them to look over your information with a critical eye.


• Get moving... - Someone once pointed out that it is much easier to get an automobile turned in a different direction, if it is moving rather than sitting still. If you are trying to get your career turned around and back on the right path, activity can be helpful. Volunteer, further your education, accept a less desirable position - even if you are over-qualified - there is value in getting active and getting out into the public sector.

We encourage you to visit the Career Center at http://www.tanner.org/ to view positions we currently have available. While you're there, log in and sign up for features like Job Agent to receive email alerts when specific positions are posted.

The Call

Does Tanner Offer Internship Opportunities?

"I am willing to work for free," she said "-anything just to keep my skills up...".

That's part of a conversation that transpired in my office recently. The speaker was a student that had recently completed a certification course and wanted to work - at a paying job if possible - but in any case she wanted to work; even if it was without pay.

About this time each year, we in Human Resources get a lot of questions about internships so I wanted to create a post to begin addressing the question. Some of my well-qualified colleagues in our Blog Mob may want to add to my response.

What's an Internship?

I should start by somehow defining an internship. Merriam Webster defines an intern as an advanced student gaining supervised practical experience in their professional field. Internships are usually short term (think summer intern) and they may or may not offer pay. Depending on the field, work of an intern may involve a great deal of observation, or it could include some very real hands-on experience. In some cases, an intern is called upon to help alleviate the burden of a stockpile of backed up work - things like filing, copying, entering data, etc.

Tanner Health System does, at times, offer internship opportunities. The availability of these opportunities will range anywhere from never in some departments to quite often in others.

I spoke with a department director this week about the possibility of internships in her area and she explained to me that because their work would require almost constant oversight, it just wasn't feasible for them to offer internships. If they did, a paid employee would spend most of their time just training and supervising the intern.

One Hand Washes the Other

This brings us to another question: who really benefits from the internship experience? Ideally, internships work out as a "win-win" situation for everyone. The intern receives some much needed "hands on" experience in the real world of health care. And the department receives the benefits of having an extra worker in the area; the possibility of learning some new ideas from someone fresh from the classroom; and a free look at a potential future employee.

If you are a candidate for an internship at Tanner (or anywhere else for that matter), it would behoove you to remember this and do what you can to make the experience profitable for both you and the employer.

How to Get Started

Now to the question that usually follows the "do you offer internships" question and that is: "How can I become a Tanner Intern?".

Tanner does not have a formal process for recruiting interns, so you will not generally find internships posted on our website. Instead we encourage students to contact the career services department at their school. Often they will have information about available slots, or they can initiate contact with Tanner Health System in an effort to explore internship opportunities.

If you have the good fortune of joining Tanner as an intern, remember there are no guarantees of future employment. However, you can count on the fact that you will have an opportunity to learn. And as that student in my office recently already knew - learning is always a very valuable experience.

Does Tanner Offer Internship Opportunities?

How Many Times Do I Need to Apply?

Blogging gives the Human Resources department at Tanner one more venue in which to hold a conversation; so frequently we will respond to questions here.

This is a question we get a lot ...

One question we often hear from potential-future-team-members is "How many times do I need to complete an application with Tanner?".

Back in the days when we used paper applications, we usually recommended that people apply once every six months. At the time, we held applications and considered individuals for any positions that seemed to fit their skills.

The problem was that our recruiters worked at a variety of locations and often could not gain immediate access to all applications when a new position opened. The problem was compounded by the fact that it was often difficult to get qualified applications in front of hiring managers.

So our old system of paper applications, twice per year was not very efficient.

Enter the A.T.S.

Now we use an A.T.S. or "applicant tracking system" to better organize our application process. With our system, it is important that applicants apply for every position for which they want to be considered. This requires more active participation from job seekers, since they will need to be aware of new jobs that are posted.

The applicant tracking system we use at Tanner offers several useful tools for the savvy applicant:

• Registration - Prior to completing an application, our system provides a registration opportunity. It takes a little time to complete and requires an email address and password, but once an individual is registered they can easily send a copy of their application to new jobs that are posted. This eliminates the need for going through all the details of completing an application each time a job is posted.


• Log In Now - This link can be found on the Search page of our ATS. Once registered, it allows the candidate to access other available features of the system.


• Check Status - Our applications go through a very defined process, well qualified candidates will have their application viewed by both a Recruiter and a Hiring Manager. The "Check Status" feature allows one to see where his/her application is in the process.


• Job Agent - The "Job Agent" feature monitors new positions being posted. Candidates who sign up for "Job Agent" will be notified by email when a position of interest is available.

So the answer is that applicants should apply often and for every position in which they have an interest. Then they should diligently utilize the tools available on the ATS to track their progress.

Stay tuned (are we supposed to say "stay tuned" when blogging??) to Opportunity Talks for more answers to your burning questions in future posts!

How Many Times Do I Need to Apply?