Recruitment Strategies for Covering Health Professional Vacancies

This project proposal, prepared for Central Queensland University, focuses on developing effective recruitment strategies for health professionals in the Australian market. Conducted for 1st Executive Pty. Ltd., the project investigates the current labor market dynamics, including the increasing demand for healthcare professionals and the challenges in filling vacancies. The proposal outlines the company's background, market segment, and competitive landscape. It defines the research aims, objectives, and justification, emphasizing the need for improved recruitment to address shortages and leverage international recruitment opportunities. The project aims to analyze factors affecting recruitment, propose strategies for attracting and retaining health professionals, and identify potential research outputs. The conceptual framework considers migration legislation, nurse's experiences, and the importance of cultural adaptation, particularly for international recruits. The proposal includes a schedule, literature review, and references to support the research. The project will contribute to understanding and improving recruitment practices within the healthcare sector.

BUSN20020 BUSINESS INTERNSHIP
ASSESSMENT 1 - Project Proposal
Project title: Recruitment strategies for covering vacancies of health professionals
in the Australian market
Host Company: 1st Executive Pty. Ltd.
Student’s full name:Adriana Aponte Velásquez
Student ID: 12062312
Campus: Central Queensland University – Melbourne
12th of April, 2019

Table of Contents
1. THE COMPANY................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the Company..........................................................................................1
1.2 Company structure..........................................................................................................1
1.3 Market segment...............................................................................................................1
1.4 Market share....................................................................................................................2
1.5 Key competitors..............................................................................................................2
2. THE PROJECT...................................................................................................................3
2.1 Background.....................................................................................................................3
2.2 Research aims and objectives of the project...................................................................4
2.3 Justification of the project...............................................................................................5
2.4 Schedule of the project....................................................................................................5
2.5 Literature review.............................................................................................................6
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................7

RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOR COVERING VACANCIES OF HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS IN THE AUSTRALIAN LABOUR MARKET
1. Introduction
This research project aims to analyse the strategies that the company can use to increase the
recruitment of health professionals to cover the demand of the Australian businesses.
The recruitment of health professionals suffers some delays as frequently the processes to
complete all the accreditations such as job placements, experience or visa requirements
requires time and third parties response. For example, the assessment pathways that
international medical graduates (IMGs) must follow to have a valid registration.
This project proposal is structured by chapters, thus this introduction is the first, followed by
a second chapter that outlines the internship host company as it is 1st Executive Pty. Ltd., the
third and last chapter is about the project and all its components such as problem statement,
research aim and objectives, justification of the research project, expected research outputs,
conceptual framework and research hypothesis, methodology, the schedule to execute this
applied research.

2. The Company
2.1 Background of the Company
1st Executive Pty. Ltd. was established in 2000 focus on providing talent to medium sized to
large organisations, specialised in Strategic Consulting, Human Resource Consulting and
Recruitment with a headsquare office in Melbourne that works in alliance with a network
spread over 250 locations throughout Australia and overseas. The firm provides business
strategies, people performance consulting and recruitment services for its clients with
principals from business and senior management backgrounds.
2.2 Company structure
Director/Owner: Andrew Thoseby and, Suzanne Whitmarsh
Marketing Manager: Daphne Cauchi
HR Consultant: Kate Turner
HR & Recruitment Consultant: Alma Duval
2.3 Market segment
1st Executive Pty. Ltd. works focus on medium sized to large companies that require services
such as Strategic Consulting, Human Resource Consulting and Recruitment, being part of the
7,400 recruitment agencies across Australia that according to the Australian Recruitment
Industry 2016 Report commissioned by the Department of Employment to a consulting firm
KPMG Australia (2016), which based on the research conducted by IBIS world about
employment placement and recruitment services in Australia, revealed that the commercial

recruitment industry has shown an annual growth approximately of 3.2 percent with over
7,400 recruitment agencies and an estimated of $15.0 billion in revenue in 2019.
The Figure 1 illustrates that roughly 80 percent of recruitment agencies in Australia operate
in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Figure 1 Geographic distribution of recruitment establishments in 2015-16 as a
percentage
NSW, 35.60%
VIC, 26%
QLD, 19.50%
WA, 8.90%
SA, 6.30%
TAS, 1.10%
ACT, 2.10%
NT, 0.50%
Figure 3.4 Geographic distribution of recruitment
establishments (%) 2015-16
Source (of graph): IBIS world, Employment Placement and Recruitment Services in Australia
Market Research1
The Figure 2 shows the market segmentation of the recruitment industry per sector.
Figure 2 Market segmentation of recruitment industry in 2015-16 as a percentage
Construction,
engineering and
trades
21%
Healthcare and
medical
12%
IT and
telecommunications
12%
Hospitality, tourism and travel
10%
Retail and
wholesale
8%
Manufacturing,
transport and
logistics
8%
Banking, finance
and insurance
6%
Other sectors and
businesses
23%
Figure 3.11 Market segmentation of recruitment
industry (%) 2015-16
1 IBIS world, (2016) Employment Placement and Recruitment Services in Australia Market Research. Available at:
http://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/default.aspex?indid=569

Source (of graph): IBIS world, Employment Placement and Recruitment Services in Australia
Market Research
2.4 Market share
The market share represents the percentage of the industry, market’s total sales that is
fully earned by the business in the specific time. The market share is mostly calculated by
taking the company’s sales over the period and also dividing it by the entire sales of the
company within the same period of time.
2.5 Key competitors
The market position of the 1st Executive Pty. Ltd. is second as compared to Drake
International Melbourne, Michael Page Recruitment Agency, Melbourne, Alecto Australia
Medical Recruitment although it is entering in the business market, it has the capability to
compete with these business. The market position of the business is very low as compared to
the MACRO Recruitment, people2people Melbourne, Hays Specialist Recruitment job
employment agency, Medical staff, Locum Doctors & Nursing Agency. These company has
achieved great position in the business market compared to other business. For rest of the
business the marketing position of the business is average that is 1st Executive Pty. Ltd. By
going through few improvements the business can bring effective competition with this
business.
Recruitment Consultancy Market position
1. Hays Specialist Recruitment job employment agency 4
2. Drake International Melbourne 9

3. MACRO Recruitment 1
4. Hobson Healthcare Recruitment 7
5. Frontline Health Melbourne 5
6. Alecto Australia Medical Recruitment 8
7. Michael Page Recruitment Agency, Melbourne 9
8. SMAART Recruitment 5
9. people2people Melbourne 3
10. Alpha Services Australia PTY Ltd. 5
11. Medical staff, Locum Doctors & Nursing Agency 4
12. Aktrapid Nursing Agency Australia 6
1. Hays Specialist Recruitment job employment agency
2. Drake International Melbourne
3. MACRO Recruitment
4. Hobson Healthcare Recruitment
5. Frontline Health Melbourne
6. Alecto Australia Medical Recruitment
7. Michael Page Recruitment Agency, Melbourne
8. SMAART Recruitment
9. people2people Melbourne
10. Alpha Services Australia PTY Ltd.
11. Medical staff, Locum Doctors & Nursing Agency
12. Aktrapid Nursing Agency Australia
0
2
4
6
8
10
Chart Title
Recrutiment Consultancy Market position

3. The Project
3.1 Background
The Australian labour market has experienced an increase of the demand of health
professionals due to an increment of the population and a higher use of certain medical
services as Australian population is aging, whereas the supply of resources remained fairly
static.
3.2 Problem Statement
Currently, only 15 percent of job vacancies in Australia in accordance with IBIS world about
employment placement and recruitment services in Australia are covered by employment
agencies (private agencies, labour hire companies and services providers for Australian
public employment) (KPMG, 2016). Also, according to diverse labour market research’s for
health professionals in Australia, the Department of Jobs and Small Business (2018) clearly
presents a shortage of four professions nationally and two regionally, out of nine professions
evaluated for the period 2017-2018.
3.3 Research aims and objectives of the project
This research project aims to analyse the strategies that the company can use to increase the
recruitment of health professionals to cover the demand of the Australian businesses.
Research questions:
 What are the factors affecting health professional’s recruitment in the Australian
labour market?

 What are potential strategies to increase the recruitment and retention of health
professionals in diverse Australian organisations?
Search terms: Global Health, Emigration and Immigration, Recruitment - Methods,
Personnel Selection - Methods, Foreign Professional Personnel - Supply & Distribution,
Nursing Staff - Supply & Distribution, Nurses – Recruiting.
3.4 Justification of the project
A migration consultant Anna Gorna manifested that “…there was a post-Brexit increase of
about 30% in inquiries from nurses planning to leave for Australia, mainly from European
nurses working in the NHS” (Dean (2016, p.8)). However, changes in the Australian
immigration requirements interferes the arrival of nurses from the UK as they lack a degree
from registering in Australia whereas another nation accept nurses educated without a
register.
Additionally, according to the Australian Jobs 2018 Report the Healthcare and Social
assistance sector is projected to grow by 16.1% over the 5 years to May 2022, being the top
occupations Registered Nurses, Aged and Disabled Carers, Child Carers, Nursing Support
and Personal Care Workers (Department of Jobs and Small Business (2018)). The
distribution of employment for this highly educated industry is as Professionals (42%) and
Community and/or Personal Service Workers (31%). The Figure 3 depicts projection of
changes for the recruitment industry by 2020 mainly propelled by the healthcare and social
services.
Figure 3 Projected change in industry size as a percentage, 2015 versus 2020

-20.0 -15.0 -10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0
Health Care and Social Assistance
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Education and Training
Accommodation and Food Services
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
Arts and Recreation Services
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
Financial and Insurance Services
Retail Trade
Construction
Administrative and Support Services
Public Administration and Safety
Other Services
Information Media and Telecommunications
Wholesale Trade
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Manufacturing
Mining
Figure 3.10 Projected change in industry size (%) 2015 vs. 2020
Source (of graph): 2015 Industry Projections
Likewise, Stankiewicz & Am (2014) mentioned the scarcity of evidence about Australian
cultural adaptation of foreing nurses while Yu Xu (2010) emphasises the importance of a year
of transition under the Australian Clinical context. Thus, any international recruitment
program should be evaluated as was done by Chun et al. (2018) who studied the experience
of international registered nurses working in the Australian healthcare system identifying
relevant elements such as the support in the transition process towards practice in campus,
practices variations between the clinical and the local context, facing some cultural prejudices
and how through diverse programs the organisations can find a cultural balance.
The reasons previously manifested open a niche market for 1st Executive as it is international
nursing recruitment opportunities in donor countries such as the United Kindom, the
Philippines, China, New Zealand, etc. Afterwards, the comprehension of the Australian
population allow recruiters to understand how culture influences the health professional staff
composition and willingness to migrate, as Javanmard et al. (2017) said in reference to the
2017 Australia Bureau of Statistics "6.1 million Australians (26% of the population) were

born overseas and 11.5 million (49%) were either born overseas or have one parent who was
born overseas". Hence, to migrate as a midwife or without a register in nursing can be
challenging as they mentioned the Australian College of Midwives.
3.5 Potential research output
This research aims to generate the following outcomes:
 To outline barriers of international nursing recruitment towards Australia based on
migration legislation and nurse’s migration experiences to clarify failures in the
recruitment or engaging process in the workplace.
 To propose recruitment strategies to entry in a new niche market as it is the health
professional’s recruitment.
3.6 Conceptual Framework
Giblin et al. (2016) discuss a project that was focused on improving the effectiveness of the
Canadian migration process of nurses educated overseas applying for a register and based on
that Stankiewicz & Am (2014) expressed the opportunity that Australia will have by
establishing an Overseas Qualified Nurses Association (OQNA) to support nurses’ transition.
On the other hand, Jones-Berry (2017) cited Professor Buchan who highlighted nurses
payment rates as a factor of desertion from the UK, benefit recruiters in the United States and
Australia countries that also have been successfully incrementing student intakes in nursing.
No less important, is the nursing talent war between Australia and China manifested by Wang
(2017) as both countries have a shortage of nurses, being aware that the largest group of
international nursing students is composed by Chinese citizens.