HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency: HPRT Consultation

In 2012-2013, Karen and Judit conducted a consultation for HealthForceOntario’s Marketing and Recruitment Agency (HFO MRA) on their Health Professionals Recruitment Tour (HPRT). The purpose of the consultation was to gain an understanding about priorities, best practices, gaps in services, and the best use of limited resources related to the recruitment and retention of health-care professionals in Ontario.  The consultation process included three key components: 

1) Three online surveys, building upon one another, with Ontario’s physician recruitment community; 

2) A one-time online survey conducted with recruiters of other health-care professionals; and

3) A survey of the 2012 HPRT learners at each stop of the tour. 

The consultation process distilled the learnings down to four main areas: the future of the HPRT (recommendations for enhancing HPRT), opportunities in rural and remote communities (support recruitment needs in these communities), HFOJobs (recommendations for improving website, including making it more user-friendly and opening it up to all regulated health professionals), and support for community-based recruitment efforts (sharing best practices and educational modules, hold more regional events, increase focus on the recruitment of high-need professions). 

As described by HFO MRA, Karen and Judit, “Approached the project with a great balance of professionalism and enthusiasm, and they maintained that balance throughout numerous surveys, project team meetings and drafts of the report.”