Background
Founded in 1946 by the South Iowa Methodist Church Conference, WesleyLife is a not-forprofit organization operating a comprehensive health and wellness network that promotes the independence, health, and well-being of older adults, wherever they call home. Today, the organization operates 11 communities and serves more than 10,000 older adults in Iowa and Illinois, offering independent living, assisted living, memory support, and health centers that provide both long-term care and short-term rehabilitation services. A twelfth community will open in 2021 in Bettendorf, Iowa.
WesleyLife’s robust network of services also offers an ever-growing array of home-based solutions, including home health, hospice services, in-home services, transportation, Meals on Wheels, and public health nursing services. Further, WesleyLife operates adult day centers in Des Moines, Newton, and Washington, Iowa, that provide services, programming, and companionship five days a week to individuals 45 and older, mostly with memory issues.
Ensuring a stable, committed, and trained workforce is a top priority at WesleyLife. Indeed, WesleyLife prides itself on offering a fulfilling career experience to its 1,700 employees. What sets WesleyLife apart? It provides team members with the unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others and to connect with one’s purpose in life. WesleyLife also encourages team members to form deep relationships with one another while serving residents, clients, and participants.
Beginning in 2019, WesleyLife’s People and Culture leadership partnered with the Health Dimensions Group (HDG) Workforce Solutions team to assist with recruiting for several interim and permanent placement leadership roles. With the ongoing shortage of talent both in Illinois and Iowa, WesleyLife was looking for a talent acquisition partner that could support its HR team in periods of peak workload.
The initial search was for a permanent executive director for The Village, a WesleyLife senior living community, in Indianola, Iowa. Since then, HDG’s assistance includes securing talent for a variety of corporate positions in Johnston, Iowa, such as an interim regional clinical reimbursement coordinator, a permanent regional clinical reimbursement coordinator, and a permanent clinical excellence director. HDG also assisted with providing an interim director of nursing for Brio of Johnston and an interim and permanent executive director for Heritage House in Atlantic, Iowa.
“HDG provided us with solid candidates whose experience was a perfect match for the qualifications we were seeking. We wouldn’t hesitate to seek their assistance again.”
Janet Simpson, Vice President of Campus Operations, WesleyLife
Solution
HDG provides both permanent and interim placement services to WesleyLife. HDG’s approach to securing permanent leaders for WesleyLife includes:
- Creating an accurate search profile and related key success indicators thorough an extensive intake process with hiring managers and primary stakeholders;
- Conducting research and recruiting professionals;
- Working with client representatives to schedule interviews; and,
- Extending an offer to the selected candidate for the position.
For interim positions, HDG placed fully qualified and vetted interim health care professionals, and continued to oversee these professionals during the duration of the engagement to promote ongoing client satisfaction.
The specific recruitment strategy is depicted to the right.
Results
HDG was able to utilize our experience in recruiting, retaining, and engaging team members at our own communities, as well as our understanding of the challenges in finding qualified and dependable team members to aid in our search. By listening to WesleyLife’s needs, drawing from our own personal and professional connections, and applying best-practice human resources strategies, as well as industry knowledge, HDG was able to make the best placements possible for each role.
HDG quickly and effectively recruited qualified candidates for three permanent positions for WesleyLife: an executive director for The Village, a WesleyLife senior living community in Indianola, Iowa, an executive director for Heritage House, a senior living community in Atlantic, Iowa, and a regional clinical reimbursement coordinator. An active search is underway for a permanent clinical excellence director. Additionally, HDG successfully filled several interim leadership positions, including an interim director of nursing for Brio of Johnston, a senior living community in Johnston, Iowa; an interim executive director for Heritage House in Atlantic, Iowa; and an interim regional clinical compliance coordinator for the organization’s corporate headquarters.
