Hiring Talent

In an effort to continually improve patient safety, employee engagement and other key outcomes, UHS identified the need to develop a more selective process for hiring new talent to join the company. As a result, in 2009 two programs were implemented called START and ACE. Both programs were developed primarily from feedback that we received from employees across UHS. The feedback from these employees resulted in the creation of selection programs that are unique and highly customized for UHS.

START Overview

START: “Selecting Traits and Acquiring the Right Talent,” helps HR select new staff members by comparing them against key organizational competencies that are likely to lead to success on the job. The START program is used for hiring in both the acute care and behavioral health divisions.

Key to the START program is a website that contains a library of interview questions that have been developed to address specific skills and competencies. Before interviewing any candidates for a position, the person planning the interview goes to the website and selects several questions to develop an interview script. The same script is used for every applicant so that each applicant’s responses can be compared to an answer guide. The results of the comparison are combined with other information gathered by HR to help select the best candidate for each available position.

ACE Overview

The ACE program is used exclusively to help evaluate candidates for mental health technicians and resident counselors at UHS behavioral health facilities. ACE, an acronym for Assessment of Care Effectiveness, is an online test that scores candidates on their responses to questions on several topics, including boundaries, conflict resolution and dealing with conflict.

After scoring, job candidates are given a letter grade of A, B, C or D. Those who score a D are disqualified from consideration, while human resources focuses on hiring those who received an A or B grade.

The ACE program was developed specifically for UHS, and has been in effect since 2009. More than 5,100 applicants have already been screened through the program.

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