Oftentimes, healthcare and education facilities face challenges in finding, recruiting, and onboarding the right talent who can meet their exact needs. That is why utilizing a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to take care of contingent staffing is becoming a more attractive option for employers. In this blog, we will break down what an MSP does, and how you can build a strong MSP partnership focused on meeting your tailored demands.
What is a Staffing MSP?
An MSP is an external firm that takes over some or all of a healthcare or educational facility’s staffing functions. They manage a facility’s contingent workforce, which includes temporary, contract, and project-based professionals. MSPs offer their clients a wide array of benefits, including:
- Cost reduction: MSPs leverage their network, negotiation skills, and economies of scale to reduce the cost per hire, saving institutions valuable resources.
- Streamlined processes: From sourcing candidates to onboarding and compliance, MSPs optimize workflows for maximum efficiency.
- Access to a wider talent pool: MSPs often have a deep network of pre-vetted professionals, giving institutions access to top talent that might otherwise be difficult to find.
- Improved quality of hire: With specialized recruitment expertise, MSPs are skilled at identifying candidates who are not only qualified but also align with a facility’s culture and values.
- Risk mitigation: MSPs ensure compliance with labor laws, handle payroll complexities, and minimize risks related to contingent workers.
How to Build a Strong Partnership with Your MSP
One of the most vital factors in building a successful staffing partnership with an MSP is building an environment of open and frequent communication. By fostering a collaborative relationship, you can help your MSP more intimately understand you and your needs, which in turn allows them to better strategize how they can effectively address those needs. These are some of the factors you should consider when trying to build a strong MSP partnership:
- Emphasize clarity and transparency: Meticulously define your staffing goals, outline your ideal candidate profiles, and highlight any specific or unique needs your facility has. Maintain open and frequent communication with your MSP, ensuring they always understand your current requirements and any upcoming staffing challenges. This clarity promotes efficiency and prevents misalignments.
- Forge a collaborative spirit: Don’t treat your MSP as just a staffing vendor, view them as an extension of your team. By creating a collaborative relationship with your MSP, you can promote innovation and continuous improvement in your staffing processes. Your MSP can analyze your current staffing methods, share market insights, and proactively develop solutions to staffing challenges you might not have foreseen.
- Build mutual trust: A strong partnership thrives on trust, so make sure you find an experienced MSP partner you are comfortable working with. This allows for open and honest communication, discussing both successes and any roadblocks encountered along your staffing journey. With trust in your MSP’s expertise and data, you can make well-informed staffing decisions with confidence that promote positive staffing outcomes.
- Ensure strategic alignment: Make sure your MSP understands your long-term vision and shares your company’s values. When they grasp your big-picture goals, they can proactively identify candidates who not only possess the required skills but also align with your company culture. This translates to hires who contribute to your long-term success.
- Prioritize responsiveness: A top-notch MSP adapts to your evolving needs. Whether you need to quickly scale up for a project or find a niche-skilled replacement in a short timeframe, your MSP should be agile and responsive to your changing demands. This ensures that they can meet your staffing needs in any situation.
- Embrace vendor neutrality: Ask your MSP about taking a vendor-neutral approach. A vendor-neutral MSP isn’t limited to working with specific staffing agencies or databases. This guarantees your MSP is focused on finding you the best fit for your open positions, rather than being restricted by pre-existing partnerships. By embracing working with a vendor-neutral MSP, your facility can get access to more diverse talent who are well equipped to meet a wide range of healthcare and educational needs.
When searching for a staffing MSP for your facility, it is important to find a partner who is committed to these factors. By embracing an open relationship focused on collaboration, alignment, and trust, you and your MSP can build a successful partnership that ensures your workforce management needs are being continually met.
Other Considerations for Building a Strong Partnership
In addition to how well you and your MSP collaborate, other factors can help determine whether your MSP partnership will be a success. Employers should inquire about the specific services their MSP offers, to learn how their partnership can help ease hiring burdens. To determine if your MSP partner is equipped to build a successful staffing partnership, employers should consider these factors:
- Compliance expertise: Choose an MSP with a deep understanding of the regulations specific to your sector, whether it is healthcare or education. This will reduce risk and help ensure that you always have continuous staffing.
- Background checks and screening: Ensure your MSP has a rigorous process tailored to the sensitivities of healthcare and education placements. Picking an MSP partner who conducts thorough background checks can give you peace of mind that the professionals they staff for you are qualified and compliant.
- Culture fit: MSP recruiters should prioritize understanding your unique institutional culture to find the best person for the job, not just the best person on paper. When your MSP intimately understands you and your culture, it can help them quickly find you the right talent who fits your facility.
Partner with Sunburst Workforce Advisors
By carefully selecting a reputable staffing MSP, like Sunburst Workforce Advisors, and nurturing a collaborative partnership based on trust and communication, healthcare and educational institutions can streamline their talent acquisition, gain a competitive edge, and ultimately guarantee the consistent delivery of their vital services.
Connect with the Sunburst team to find out how we can help with your staffing needs.
Partner with Sunburst Workforce Advisors for your staffing needs and gain access to strategic vendor staffing solutions that support your healthcare or educational facility’s core mission.
