Human Resource Management Challenges in Healthcare: A Report

This report analyzes the human resource management challenges faced by Baxter Inc, an American healthcare company. The report identifies key issues such as difficulties in recruiting skilled healthcare professionals in Australia due to supply and demand imbalances. It also examines the challenges of selecting appropriate recruitment strategies (internal vs. external), demographic issues, and managing a diverse workforce. The report recommends a focus on internal recruitment, employee engagement, effective recruitment strategies, and improved candidate assessment methods. It emphasizes the importance of developing the existing workforce to enhance their skills and knowledge, ultimately improving patient care. The report concludes with a detailed overview of the challenges and suggests recommendations for Baxter Inc to overcome these issues.

Managing human resources in health and
social care

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Challenges for recruiting workforce in organization...................................................................1
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION..............................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Human resource management in health and social care is most crucial. The present study
is based on Baxter Inc which is an American healthcare company headquartered in Illinois.
Baxter Inc. has to face a large number of challenges while satisfying its human resource need.
The key human resource issue faced by Baxter Inc is labor supply and demand where it has been
found that in Australia demand for skilled healthcare professionals is high but on the other hand
supply on the basis of that is limited. Another issue is recruitment strategy such as which mode
to adopt like internal or external for hiring the candidate. It is recommended to rely more on
internal source of recruitment such as promoting the existing employees to higher level
INTRODUCTION
Human resource management plays most important role in health and social care as it is
well-known fact that employees are the real asset of every company and its effective
management leads to favorable results for the business. Further, all the operations carried out by
the health care enterprise are most crucial as they have to render various services to the patients
as per their needs (Bartram, Stanton, Leggat, Casimir, & Fraser, 2007). Therefore, it is necessary
to recruit right employees who have proper knowledge and skills for the betterment of the
company. Apart from this, large numbers of challenges are faced by companies at the time of
recruiting efficient workforce such as finding the skilled workforce, inappropriate recruitment
strategies, etc. The present study carried out is based on Baxter International Inc which is an
American healthcare company headquartered in Illinois. The company renders the wide range of
services where the main focus is on treating diseases such as kidney, immunity disorder,
hemophilia, acute medical conditions, etc. The entire report focuses on the challenges faced by
Baxter at the time of recruiting new professionals along with other human resource issues.
MAIN BODY
Challenges for recruiting workforce in organization
Baxter International Inc carried out all the operations on the wider basis, and this is the
main reason due to which company has to hire the workforce that posses right skills and
knowledge. Further, it is a well-known fact that all the operations performed in healthcare
organization are crucial and they need to be carried out properly (Alfes, Truss, Soane, Rees, &
Gatenby, 2013). This is the main reason due to which right talent has to be hired within the
company. Baxter Inc. has to face a large number of challenges while satisfying its human
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resource need. The first main issue is finding the right talent as it becomes difficult to identify
whether the person is fit for the position. The key requirement of the company is the professional
who have high experience in the medical field and can treat different patients. So, at the time of
searching for any new professional company focuses on recruiting the individual who have high
experience.
But sometimes individuals with high experience do not possess right skills, and this
generally leads to unfavorable outcomes for the business (Boon, Paauwe, Boselie, & Den
Hartog, 2009). No doubt, the healthcare sector of Australia is competitive, and this is the main
reason due to which every company is in search for the skilled workforce. In the hiring, process
company has undertaken various stages such as every candidate who applies in Baxter for any
specific position has to undergo examination through which knowledge and skill level is tested.
So, this sometimes proves to be beneficial for the business. In case if the right talent is not
available in the workplace then patients have to suffer a lot where right treatment is not delivered
(Brewster & Mayrhofer, 2012) to them. The absence of right talent negatively affects brand
image of Baxter where sometimes patients does not prefer to access healthcare services of the
company. Therefore, in this way finding right talent as per the business need is the major
challenge that influences overall productivity of the company.
Another key human resource issue faced by Baxter Inc is labor supply and demand where
it has been found that in Australia demand for skilled healthcare professionals is high but on the
other hand supply on the basis of that is limited. The imbalance present in between demand and
supply is regarded as the main hurdle. Baxter Inc. is in search for skilled employees but due to
the presence of inappropriate supply company is unable to render effective services. No doubt
large numbers of people are present who are not having the job but the level of skill employee
required by the healthcare company is not available (Harris, Cortvriend, & Hyde, 2007). In case
if the proper supply of the knowledgeable employees is present then in such case the internal
operations of the Baxter Inc can be carried out smoothly, and in turn, it acts as the development
tool for the business. Baxter Inc. focuses on the treatment of diseases such as kidney, immunity
disorder, hemophilia etc so in this case supply of skilled professional who can treat these types of
patients is limited in Australia.
Further, at the time of hiring candidates within the workplace organizational image is
considered to be most where the image of Baxter Inc. in the entire market is positive and due to
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this reason a large number of individual approach company at the time when the specific
requirement is present (Leggat, Bartram, & Stanton, 2011). But on the other hand, considering
the high requirement of the business no individual is easily selected by the company. In short,
Baxter Inc. strongly focuses on analyzing skill and knowledge level of the candidate who applies
for any specific position in the company. In case if any candidate meets the requirement then
only individual is given a chance to work otherwise not.
Recruitment strategy is also another challenge for the business where Baxter Inc. has to
design effective recruitment strategy for hiring the most suitable candidate. Different modes of
recruitment are present that are mainly divided into internal and external.
Considering the internal mode of recruitment Baxter Inc. satisfies its human resource
need internally such as transferring professional from one department to another, hiring with the
help of employee referral, etc (Myers & Dreachslin, 2007). On the other hand, external sources
of recruitment are also present where advertisement, educational institutions, former employees,
etc. are the methods that are undertaken by Baxter Inc for hiring professionals. Generally, both
the sources are undertaken by the healthcare company while recruiting any candidate, but they
have not supported in satisfying its actual need. So, in this case, Baxter Inc has to search for
some other alternatives so that skilled professionals can be hired for serving patients with
different needs. Many times company has hired new employees with the help of advertisement,
but this has to lead to unfavorable results for the firm as such staff members were not at all able
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to satisfy the business needs regarding serving patients (Rodwell & Teo, Strategic HRM in for-
profit and non-profit organizations in a knowledge-intensive industry: The same issues predict
performance for both types of organization. , 2004).
In order to understand the concept of recruitment in better manner different models are
present, that involves contingency hiring, retained search, exclusive requirements, executive
search and recruitment process outsourcing. In contingency hiring whenever any organization
comes across any specific requirement then it gives to the consultant at the same time. In this
method, there is no assurance given to recruiter regarding their salary (Stanton, Young, Bartram,
& Leggat, 2010). In retained search method the recruitment consultant works for specific
business need, and the payment is given into two parts where the fixed amount is paid by the
business for search activity. The exclusive requirement is another effective strategy where the
company gives requirement to the recruitment agency and in this strategy recruiter assist the
client to close specific position within the specific date (CiteHr, 2015). So, in this way, these are
some of the well-known recruitment strategies that are employed by the companies to satisfy
their human resource need. Further, it depends on every organization which recruitment mode to
select considering the entire cost and benefits associated with the every strategy (Vermeeren,
Steijn, Tummers, Lankhaar, Poerstamper, & Van Beek, 2014). Sometimes it is possible that
company is not able to select appropriate recruitment strategy and the results derived from the
same are not at all favorable for the company.
Demographic issue is also critical that acts as hurdle at the time when Baxter Inc hires
any new employee for any specific position (Townsend, Wilkinson, & Bartram, Guest editors'
note: Lifting the standards of practice and research‐Hospitals and HRM., 2011). For instance, if
healthcare company wants to hire the experienced professional of 4 years who lies in the age
group of 35 to 45 for treating kidney patients. Then in such case challenge is faced when
professionals lying under this age group are not present. Along with this professional of 60 years
and above age are present who are about to reach in the retirement age so this acts as the main
issue for the firm. Further, diversity is another major issue where at present the employees who
are working in Baxter Inc are different form background in the form of culture, religion,
preference, etc (Rodwell & Teo, The influence of strategic HRM and sector on perceived
performance in health services organizations, 2008).
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Therefore, managing diversified workforce is the main challenge for the healthcare
company as their perception varies from each other and sometimes situation of conflict arises
within the company such as at the time of taking decision, etc. Moreover, same is the case when
new employee has to be hired in the company then the first challenge is to decide what type of
professional is needed in terms of background, culture, etc (Townsend & Wilkinson, Managing
under pressure: HRM in hospitals, 2010). Generally new employee face lot of difficulties in
adjusting to the internal environment of the company and sometimes high diversified workforce
acts as challenge.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The entire study carried out has supported in knowing about the key challenges that are
faced by Baxter Inc at the time of hiring new employees within the workplace. Further, the areas
that act like the issue for the healthcare company involves recruitment strategy, finding the right
talent, the demographic issue that involves age, diversified workforce, etc. It has the direct
impact on the productivity of the company. No doubt Baxter Inc has to serve different type of
patients as per their actual need, and due to this reason there is a need to hire skilled
professionals within the workplace. On the basis of the conclusion there are some
recommendations to the company and they are as follows:
 It is recommended to rely more on internal source of recruitment such as promoting the
existing employees to higher level as it is reliable as compared with the outside source of
recruitment. Through this motivation level of present employees can be enhanced easily
 For management of diversified workforce they must be encouraged to involve in the
business at maximum level
 The best recruitment strategy is to post requirement on the website of the company and
along with this company can take assistance of the large recruitment agencies that can
assist in finding right talent
 In order to analyze the skill and knowledge level of the candidate company can redesign
its interview system where different situations can be given to the candidate on which
individual has to act. So, this can assist in knowing whether individual can serve different
type of patients confidently or not.
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 Further, main focus must on developing the present workforce of the company and their
knowledge development can surely assist in serving different type of patients as per their
real expectations.
 Company can take suggestions from its employees in relation with the best way to hire
new candidate
 Approaching professionals who are working in other healthcare organization and offering
them higher pay can surely support Baxter Inc to deal with the issue linked with the
recruiting talent employees within the workplace.
So, in this way, these are some of the suggestions through which Baxter Inc can surely deal
with the issues that are faced at the time of recruiting new professionals and experts for serving
the different type of patients in the workplace.
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