Programmed’s Health team is focusing all efforts on supporting our Australian frontline healthcare services in the fight against COVID-19.
Hospitals across the country are freeing up beds and conserving PPE to make way for dedicated COVID-19 wards and fever clinics, with PHP Working closely with our nurses and healthcare employees to meet the surge in demand that is expected in the coming months. We’ve had a huge response to our call for nurses and healthcare workers to sign up for extra shifts.
PHP already have a strong workforce of 2,000 health professionals, with around 1,000 employees working each day across hospitals, aged care facilities and in-home care. On top of this, we have an additional pool of 6,000 healthcare professionals to draw from.
Multiple recruitment and marketing campaigns are underway through a range of channels to strengthen our relationships with existing employees, reengage with those who haven’t worked with us for a while and to attract new healthcare workers to Programmed.
Through the Skilled messaging platform, we have been able to communicate with a large number of currently working employees, making it easy for them to register interest in taking on the extra shifts expected to come. In addition, we’ve been able to use the technology to invite former employees to re-join us, which has already brought in another 800 positive expressions of interest.
Following the relaxation of visa restrictions already announced by the Government, our 200 student visa holders will now be eligible to work More hours per week in aged care facilities. There are also a range of digital campaigns in place via Facebook, Google and LinkedIn to target new recruits.
With the new social distancing measures, recruitment becomes more challenging, but PHP is actively changing and adapting new ways of operating. The resourcing team are now 100% working from home and have implemented a simplified ‘emergency recruitment process’ to speed up the rate of on-boarding.
And at the same time as getting ready to rapidly mobilise our healthcare professionals across the country, we are using our combined Health sector and Staffing knowhow to help find jobs for workers displaced from other industries. While we know that nurses can’t be created overnight, many people who have worked in other personal care and support roles will be needed to enable doctors and nurses in hospitals and aged care to be freed up to do their jobs on the frontline.
We’re proud to be able to play a part in supporting Australia’s health effort as well as helping people find work at this challenging time.
