Bad Hospital Optics – Hustling Job Candidates in Fundraising Efforts

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

If you’re a hospital CEO or a Board of Directors member of a tax-exempt hospital, you’re not going to like this post.

I know hospitals don’t care much about optics unless they get caught, but there are times where an action crosses the line of ethical behavior. No matter how well-intentioned the idea was of the senior leader in the hospital who thought of or approved the idea, it’s still wrong.

There is a growing trend in hospitals in adding job candidates to their fundraising efforts by Development departments. I don’t know who the rocket scientist was in the hospital that came up with that idea, but it’s a breach of trust and confidentiality.

Especially after receiving the standard HR “thank you for your interest email” and never hear another word from the hospital. Until, of course, they receive a communication from the hospital Development department asking the applicant to contribute to the latest Capital Campaign or give us some money because we do good things.

Image by Peggy_Marco from Pixabay.

Consider for a moment. 

• Is this action supporting your brand messaging?
• Does the message support all the “we care about you” messaging?
• How does this action support the employee experience?
• Does this action reinforce your portrayal of the hospital culture in your HR materials?
• How much damage have you done to your reputation?
• What do you think the job applicant says about the hospital to their peers?
• Why wasn’t marketing involved in the initial discussion?
• How do you think the job applicant feels?

It is not uncommon for this type of action to occur when there is a group-think problem within the hospital’s leadership. Ideas such a sending job applicants fundraising materials are not fully vetted. If it had been, someone should have spoken up at the table during the discussion about the ethical implications and concern for the potential employee.

Two final thoughts.

1. If no one spoke up about the ethics of such an action, then there is a leadership problem.
2. There is a vast chasm of disconnect between the understanding by the leadership of the hospital brand and reputation by hustling job applicants for contributions.

You’d be correct if you think this is a hot button issue for me. It is disingenuous, disrespectful, and breaches the confidentiality and trust of the job applicant.

Think twice about hustling job applicants for fundraising. Discuss openly and honestly in senior management meetings as long as necessary. Then, don’t do it.

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Michael is a semi-retired healthcare business, marketing, communications strategist, and thought leader available for interim leadership opportunities. As an internationally followed healthcare strategy blogger, his blog, Healthcare Business & Marketing Matters, is read in 52 countries and ranked No. 3 on 100 Top Healthcare Marketing Blogs & Websites to follow by Feedspot.com. Michael is a Life Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives.  For inquiries regarding interim strategic engagements, you can email me at michael@themichaeljgroup.com. 

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Opinions expressed are my own.