Uniquely yours

But recruiting doctors to rural communities is possible, just as it’s possible to attract and retain talent in any industry. You just have to define who you’re looking for and offer total compensation packages that fit the needs of your targeted people.

Following are three organizations that have come up with unique incentives and benefits to attract the best and brightest to their teams.

Ashland Health Center: Paid time off to do international mission work
Nestled in the Red Hills of southwest Kansas lies the rural town of Ashland. With a population of just over 850 people, Ashland struggled for nearly 20 years to attract medical administrators and healthcare professionals to work at its local hospital, a 24-bed critical access facility that also serves as the town’s medical clinic. Things were so bad that by early 2009, the hospital had been without a doctor for eight months and an administrator for six months. For more than two years, the medical care of Ashland’s residents fell mostly to a sole physician assistant who worked around the clock.

In January 2009, Benjamin Anderson left a lucrative job as a physician recruiter in Dallas to become Ashland Health Center’s new CEO. Anderson recalls that when he interviewed for the job, the hospital board’s chair told him that he would be dealing with an older building where finances were extremely limited, and he’d be faced with a staff plagued by high turnover, low morale and vacant critical positions.

Anderson accepted the position. As someone who considered a job that helped make a difference as being more rewarding than the actual paycheque, the opportunity proved the right fit. 

His first priority, and challenge, was to recruit a physician—and, hopefully, more than one. After considerable research and consulting with colleagues, Anderson came up with a plan to entice medical talent to work in the rural community: every year, he’d give his doctors eight weeks of paid time off to allow them to do international mission work. Anderson believed that he needed to appeal to healthcare professionals who knew deep down, just like he did, that their job was about more than just the money.

Within six months he had two impressive candidates who expressed an interest in joining his team. 

One of them was Dr. Dan Shuman, an internationally experienced family physician who had most recently practised in Georgetown, Texas. Shuman was already working for a great organization, but after several discussions and a visit to Ashland, Shuman knew it was where he needed to be. 

“My wife and I were attracted by the strong sense of mission in Benjamin and the others we met, and also by Ashland’s need for a physician,” says Shuman, whose considerable experience also includes four years as a military physician, with a one-year tour in Iraq.

In addition to the appeal of working where he is really needed, both at home and abroad, Shuman notes that the recruiting incentive of paid time for mission work has worked to both his and the Ashland community’s advantage.

“Serving in challenging conditions abroad teaches me creativity in problem solving since there’s not always another test, modern imaging or a specialist to help me diagnose and treat a patient,” he explains. “Bringing back that creativity in problem solving and improved diagnostic skills helps me serve my patients in Ashland with greater quality and efficiency.”

Anderson agrees, noting that the Ashland Health Center is regaining the community trust that had been lost over so many years of high turnover and instability. Year-to-date, the clinic is seeing 30% more patients than it was a year ago. Anderson believes this is due, in large part, to the mission-focused professionals he has attracted who strive to provide compassionate, competent medical care.

Anderson’s unique benefits offering continues to attract people who want to serve, including Dr. Brianne Clark who recently joined the team. And, it’s been such a win-win scenario that has worked so well for both the organization and the individual employee that the mission-related paid time off has been extended to all the employees in the organization, allowing them between four and eight weeks to use at their discretion. In fact, taking the time off is not only allowed, it’s encouraged.

“In the last three years, our employees have participated in three mission trips to Zimbabwe,” says Anderson. “Included in these groups were a hospital maintenance worker and a nursing home aid. Their lives were changed by this experience, because, by serving orphans, widows and people who are suffering in Zimbabwe, their eyes were opened to the needs of these same types of people suffering in their very own community. It has changed the way they work and live in their own community.”

Ceridian Canada: Something for everyone
Many companies that offer group benefits plans extend that coverage to employees’ dependents. Ceridian Canada goes a step further, offering protection for four-legged friends, too.

As HR specialists providing services such as payroll, employee assistance programs, recruiting and HR consulting, Ceridian knows how important it is to satisfy and connect with its employees. 

“We have world-class engagement levels at our company,” says John Cardella, executive vice-president and chief people officer. “We believe it’s very important. When you’re engaged with your people, they’re more connected, they’re happier, and, therefore, they’re more productive.” And, when employees are more productive, the organization is more profitable, he says.

Paying attention to employee needs is an important piece of the engagement puzzle at Ceridian Canada. The company recognizes that its workforce spans four generations, and it spends a significant amount of time listening to employees through yearly surveys and multiple follow-up focus groups. The company’s goal is to accommodate each of its employees so that everyone can gain something from the benefits offerings. 

“We listen to our people and really try to understand what they want, and what works and doesn’t work for them,” says Cardella. “We’re constantly making adjustments along the way. Now we’re at a point where we offer an unbelievable suite of benefits that can accommodate every employee and age group. And, to us, that’s very, very important.”

For example, through interacting with its employees, Ceridian came to the realization that some have pets whose health—and the veterinary costs associated with that—is a source of stress. To address this concern, Ceridian partnered with Petsecure, a Canadian pet insurance provider. Now, employees who opt to purchase pet insurance receive discounts of up to 10% off the cost of premiums, depending on the level of coverage they select. And while there may not be a large percentage using this benefit, it’s a valuable and important offering for those who do.

Cardella says pet insurance isn’t the only interesting coverage option among Ceridian’s benefits offerings. The company also offers a flex benefits package that lets employees choose the level of coverage they need, and then allows any unused portion of their allotted flex credits to be transferred to a personal tax-free savings account or RRSP.

For example, Ceridian offers $1,000 in flex credits per year, per employee. But if the employee only needs to allot $500 to his or her health spending needs, the additional $500 is shifted into savings. “People don’t lose out just because they don’t need as much coverage,” says Cardella. “That’s another example of what we do so that our benefits really mean something to everyone.”

The company also contributes an amount equal to 4% of an employee’s salary toward their pension plan. It offers maternity leave top-up to 95% and one week off, with pay, for new fathers; it covers adoption-related costs up to $5,000.

“To truly be a best employer, you have to have a culture of appreciation,” says Cardella. “The take-away is that you really have to really listen to what your employees value. We offer so many unique benefits that, in themselves, may not be showstoppers. But when you offer a unique blend and variety that somehow hits the mark for all of your people, you’re onto something.”

Red Frog Events: World’s best benefits
The instant you visit Chicago-based Red Frog Events’ website, you realize this isn’t an ordinary company. Carnival-inspired graphics fill the screen, and the company’s information is presented in a fun, casual tone under headings such as How We Roll and Red Frog Family.

The list of accolades on the awards page also tells a story: Red Frog Events was recognized in 2011 Top Places to Work and 2012 Best Places to Work for Recent Grads. In 2012, the company ranked ninth on the Inc. 5000 list, which recognizes the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S.

The company’s growth and success can be attributed to the fun, and sometimes extreme, international events Red Frog is known for. Take, for example, the Warrior Dash, a gruelling five- to six-kilometre running race with obstacles such as crawling through mud with barbed wire hung overhead. Or there’s the Great Urban Race, where teams of two to four people solve clues and participate in exciting mental and physical challenges while racing around to various points in the city.

That focus on having fun while battling through tough environments is carried through to the company’s credo: “work hard, play harder.” But the number of hours worked by Red Frog’s employees—also known as froggers—far exceeds the average. During race events, near 100-hour workweeks are typical.

Red Frog hires solely from within, so the only way a person can become a full-time frogger is to start from the bottom as a “tadpole.” Despite the heavy workload and expectations, Red Frog has no shortage of applications for its tadpole positions—paid three- to five-month internships. In fact, the company receives more than 2,000 resumés a month for the event co-ordinator tadpole position alone.

Red Frog’s unique office environment and culture—the “play harder” aspect of the credo—may have something to do with this. The office, dubbed Camp Red Frog, consists of themed conference rooms and plenty of play areas and toys, including a tree house, zip line, foosball tables and dodge ball tournaments.

“We have lots of office shenanigans constantly taking place,” says Stephanie Schroeder, director of HR. “We have a ‘fun and morale team’ that is always thinking up and implementing theme days, company-wide field trips and other things to make our employees want to jump out of bed in the morning and come to work.”

Red Frog also claims to have the “world’s best benefits” package. It includes unlimited vacation days; 100% medical insurance coverage; 100% match of up to 10% contribution on 401(k) retirement plans; a fully paid, month-long sabbatical of the employee’s choice to Africa, Asia, Europe or South America, every five years, with spouse and children or any other one person the employee selects; an office bar for those 21 years of age and over; a once-a-week catered family lunch; free dinner if you’re at the office past 7:30 p.m.; and free snacks and Red Bull in the office. And that’s just a sampling of the perks.

“During our orientation for new, full-time employees, we consistently see jaws drop when they hear what they’ll be receiving from their new employer,” says Schroeder.

When company co-founder Joe Reynolds started Red Frog Events, he wanted to create not just a great workplace, but a place that felt like home and that was filled with people who were like family. He wanted the best people, and he firmly believed that treating people well attracts the cream of the crop and motivates them to work harder and with more passion. 

“Our benefits package keeps happy, healthy employees,” says Schroeder. “It also works as a great recruiting tool. When you have the best benefits and work environment, the best employees will want to work for you.”

Tony Palermo is a freelance writer based in Smiths Falls, Ont. tony@tonypalermo.ca

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