In recent history, few events have disrupted the world on the scale of COVID-19, as every individual, community, organization, and industry faces significant challenges and adjustments in a landscape that seems to shift daily.
Healthcare organizations, in particular, are confronted with unimaginable pressure and an uncertain future, with leadership that is facing the enormous challenge of supporting their communities and protecting their clinicians, non-clinical staff, patients, and families. In the midst of this uncharted territory, these organizations continue to have internal human capital needs, as well, and executive gravitas and world-class talent become even more crucial.
Firms like Quick Leonard Kieffer that are dedicated to assisting healthcare organizations with executive recruitment are learning firsthand about the stresses that the sector is facing and are recognizing that the results of their efforts have become increasingly consequential in supporting them. Clients are relying on trusted executive recruitment partners more than ever to guide them through searches that began before the pandemic and to best fill newly vacant positions, allowing them to focus their energy where each day requires.
As has been true in numerous settings, traditional search processes have required adaptation during this time, with investment in new technological resources and the flexibility to ensure that expectations are still met. Mike Quick, Vice President of Client Relations and Business Development at Quick Leonard Kieffer, comments, “While in-person interviews will always be our first choice in vetting candidates and establishing a long-term relationship that extends past a single search engagement, we continue to be impressed with the extraordinary adaptability we have seen while engaging with our candidate pool. Although we have had to get creative in engaging in conversations, we continue to be able to execute on previously agreed-upon timelines.” Communication platforms such as Zoom and LogMeIn’s GoToMeeting have enabled healthcare recruiters like QLK to forego all unnecessary in-person contact and safely conduct client and candidate interviews without negatively impacting efficacy. Steve Derks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quick Leonard Kieffer, notes, “While strongly encouraging adherence to public safety guidelines among all of our staff and peers, we have remained steadfast in representing our clients who have entrusted us with building out their teams.”
Unique to Quick Leonard Kieffer is its Of Counsel talent, professionals who have long been embedded in all sectors of the healthcare industry. As healthcare leaders struggle to balance the demands of their roles with novel circumstances that they could not have foreseen, QLK has offered the informal and pro bono guidance of these subject matter experts. Gwen MacKenzie, a former health system senior executive and current Of Counsel partner to QLK, comments, “If there is any capacity in which my experience can provide a leader any measure of value, I sincerely hope that it will be taken advantage of.”
The Quick Leonard Kieffer team wishes to extend its sincerest appreciation for the exceptional leadership, judgment, and execution demonstrated by the healthcare industry throughout what will be remembered as one of the most challenging times in our collective memory.
