British Columbia Provincial Health Authorities

Global Integrated Talent Solution

ASSESS

In 2004, when the British Columbia Provincial Health Authorities realized they were facing both human resources limitations and a lack of coordinated structure for planning and service management between them, they created the Provincial Specialized Perinatal Services Program (PSPS). Central to the program’s overall success was the need to develop and implement an active recruitment strategy that supported strategic program recommendations, aligning its singular, collaborative focus of attracting and retaining specialized nursing staff with a strategic provincial bed plan. This complex recruitment strategy would be provincial, national and international in scope.

By November 2005, the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) was designated as the lead on this recruitment plan to attract Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and perinatal (maternity and neonatal) nursing specialists to opportunities available throughout British Columbia. PHSA, the other provincial Health Authorities and Health Match BC, a general health care recruitment service, partnered with the aim of achieving leading, comprehensive and standardized NICU and perinatal services throughout the province within three to five years. They also set an overall hiring target of approximately 500 nursing specialists.

STRATEGIZE

PHSA came to Bernard Hodes Group for help. Representing itself and the other five Health Authorities in British Columbia, including Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Vancouver Island Health, Northern Health and Interior Health, as well as Providence Health Care (a non-denominational health care organization), PHSA tasked Hodes with producing both the media strategy and creative materials required to bring the PSPS recruitment plan to life.

The PSPS needed a name or “brand” that not only set it apart, but helped develop name recognition and understanding in the candidate marketplace. The theme “Baby BC: Birthing, Babies and New Beginnings” was born. This new name spoke not only to the area of specialty, but drew in meaning from both the patient care and career development aspects.

IMPLEMENT

Creative templates were then developed, representing the specialty nature of the nursing opportunities and spotlighting the variety of choices in career paths and locations available to interested candidates. Our objective was to market Baby BC and its opportunities to qualified nurses, as well as the different lifestyles available throughout the provinces. We then worked with our Health Care Division. Hodes UK and our Global Network partner is Australia and New Zealand, Adcorp, to develop a global media plan.

International media placements centered around a career fair event in London held in June 2006. They were aimed at developing prospective candidate interest and gathering applications for prescreening and pre-qualification prior to the UK career fair. The media mix for this campaign was comprised of niche print and online vehicles, including banners and targeted e-mails. Supporting marketing materials included a trade show booth, a banner display system, ambassador cards and information/fact sheets about relocating to British Columbia. The Baby BC team arrived in London with approximately 30 candidates pre-qualified and booked for face-to-face interviews prior to the career fair.

MEASURE

Building on the success and momentum of the London career fair, media placements in Australia, the United States and Canada followed. The media mix continued to include career event participation, niche print ad placements and a variety of online media. The dedicated Baby BC website (http://www.perinatalcareersbc.ca/) went live in January 2007 and a sustained Web presence in the UK has been in place since October 2006. Working with the Baby BC team to keep an eye on both budgets and results, the media strategy is adjusted after assessing the impact of each placement. As of March 2008, Baby BC has received over 200 applications, referred 90 qualified nursing candidates to the Provincial Health Authorities, and made 41 hires. In addition, 25 candidates are pending hire and are currently active within the recruitment cycle.