The human resources landscape has been reshaped in recent years by many factors, especially in health care and addiction treatment. What has not changed is Spectrum’s commitment to providing a dynamic and supportive atmosphere for its employees—a mission that has kept HR leader Stacy Flanagan driven and enthusiastic for over two decades with the company.
Flanagan joined the Spectrum team in 2002 and was recently promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer, having served previously as Vice President of Human Resources. In her new role, she provides executive leadership and oversight of employee relations, recruitment, retention, compensation and benefits, and training. She is also responsible for ensuring compliance with a myriad of state and federal employment laws and regulations.
“I strongly believe in the mission of Spectrum, and that what I do contributes to the success of our organization,” Flanagan reflected. “It’s a company that has a soul and believes in what we do. I work with incredible teams at every level who embrace and value the work we do.”
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the strains it placed on health care providers has been felt most acutely in recruiting and retaining employees. Flanagan notes that over the last two years, the decrease in the workforce, especially among nurses, is unlike anything she has experienced previously in her human resources career.
“High unemployment rates are typically helpful for employers, but not in this case,” she observed. “People, especially young people, are leaving the workforce and not returning, especially in health care. They’re leaving the industry because of COVID.”
“It’s a nationwide issue, and no one industry or organization is going to fix it,” Flanagan continued. “For us, it’s back to basics. It’s really important that we empower our employees and show our appreciation, and I think we do an outstanding job of that. It’s all about embracing and nurturing professional development and valuing and listening to employees.”
Flanagan shared that Spectrum has been buoyed by an influx of returning employees, staff who had moved on to other opportunities but made the decision to return—something she also attributes to the company’s unwavering mission.
“They missed working with an organization that cares about and values its employees,” Flanagan said. “They mention salary and benefits, but also that they believe in our mission and our services. They feel very much respected and valued in this organization.”
The company’s recruitment efforts in the year ahead will focus on offering salary and benefit packages that Flanagan describes as “competitive if not ahead of the pack,” as well as ongoing employee appreciation events. Flanagan will oversee expanded recruiting efforts via social media channels, radio, and streaming services, in addition to revamping bonus and referral programs and continuing efforts to increase diversity in the work force.
“We’ve been here over 50 years and have stayed strong by staying ahead of the pack, including a long history of innovative efforts to recruit and retain employees,” she said. “In addition to compensation and benefits, we emphasize employee safety and offering advancement opportunities. We run regular wage analysis to offer increases as appropriate and have increased tuition benefits and even expanded this to offer loan repayment. The result is that we have exceptional talent in this organization, and we’re dedicated to ensuring that they feel appreciated and valued.”
For more information about working at Spectrum Health Systems, visit the careers page on our website.
