Healthcare Human Resources (HR) Professionals Week, celebrated from March 10-14, is a time to recognize the vital role that human resources professionals play in the healthcare industry. These dedicated individuals ensure that healthcare organizations are staffed with skilled professionals, maintain employee well-being and uphold policies that create a positive work environment. This week, we acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and the essential contributions made by our HR employees.

• Mike Francisco, human resources business consultant, joined Magellan Federal in May 2013.
• Lisa Clarke, workday HR technologist, with Magellan since February 2020.
• Nicole McLain, director of talent acquisition at Magellan since September 2010.

Continue reading to learn more from Mike, Lisa and Nicole on their experiences as a healthcare HR professional:

Why did you want to pursue healthcare HR and what is the most rewarding aspect of working in this field?

Mike: I have been working in the federal contracting space for 30 years and until 2013, most of my work was in support of staff specializing in systems and equipment such as sensors, receivers, transmitters, logistics and intelligence support. As a veteran, supporting health related programs for the military service members and their families was a natural next step.

Lisa: My passion is to help employees find information and complete processes in the most efficient manner. Working in human resources has allowed me to do that. In my current position, supporting system processes, researching questions, creating reports that help provide insight and more are all very rewarding.

Nicole: I pursued a career in talent acquisition over 20 years ago because I found it to be a challenging yet fulfilling field. Specifically in healthcare because I need to be passionate about the industry and company that I work for to recruit people into it. I really enjoy all aspects of talent acquisition and how it has a direct impact on people’s lives. It’s extremely rewarding to help someone find their dream job!

What are some challenges you face in this profession and how do you overcome them?

Mike: Many of our employees are former military or spouses of military members and are deeply integrated into the military community. It’s only natural that they see themselves as working for the military. The best way to maintain employee engagement with Magellan is by frequent communication. Naturally, that starts with their supervisors, and as a human resource business consultant I work to help facilitate those communications. I also try to be readily available to employees in the field. Despite the push towards staff automation and self-service, people just want to talk to someone, and it is incumbent on all of us to make that effort.

Lisa: I would call them opportunities, not challenges! As we all know things change, and with these changes, our system workflows, process and data need to be updated. These changes can only be overcome by the collaboration of the amazing group of people within Magellan HR! I am so fortunate to be part of this team.

Nicole: I feel the biggest challenge in talent acquisition is finding qualified candidates that have the right skills, education and experience and that are a cultural fit within the organization, and most times I must find the right candidate on a tight deadline. I try and overcome this by leveraging employee referrals and using social media job boards, to source and expand the pool of candidates.

Is there anything you’d like to highlight about working in healthcare HR?

Mike: I can see that our team works hard to care for others. To avoid burnout, we need to do as much as possible to ensure that our employees have the necessary benefit information available to them. The online knowledge tool at Magellan has that information, and I can’t thank my fellow HR team enough for the work that has been put into creating a robust online library of resources.

Lisa: Employees working with customers here at Magellan have demanding jobs, it’s an honor and privilege to be able to support them in their HR needs.

Nicole: There is a preconceived notion out there about talent acquisition that anyone can recruit without having experience as a recruiter. While it might seem simple, there are a lot of nuances to the process. Talent acquisition professionals need strong interpersonal skills, empathy and an understanding of HR regulations, market trends and company culture. Additionally, the ability to negotiate offers, build relationships and manage multiple hiring processes requires specialized expertise.

What does National Healthcare HR Professionals week mean to you?

Mike: This week is designed to recognize HR professionals for their contributions to the industry. I’m happy to be part of a team of professionals doing what needs to be done to ensure that our clinical and non-clinical team received the support they need.

Lisa: It’s a chance for all of us to say, “thank you” and recognize those who work behind the scenes in all aspects of human resources.

Nicole: Healthcare HR Professionals Week is a time to recognize and celebrate the important role that HR professionals play in the industry. It’s an opportunity to acknowledge the unique challenges and impact HR professionals have in a field that directly influences people’s lives, health and wellbeing.

How does Magellan HR embrace a strengths-based culture?

Mike: Magellan fosters collaboration. Leaders make sure people have responsibilities based on their individual strengths and take the time to recognize their achievements.

Lisa: Magellan HR provides tools to help support an environment that focuses on employees’ natural talents and strengths through training, performance connection, internal career opportunities and peer to peer recognition opportunities like the High Five Friday!

Nicole: Magellan HR embraces a strengths-based culture by focusing on identifying, developing and leveraging the unique strengths of employees and understanding their talents and skills, which leads to more engaged, motivated and high-performing teams.

National Healthcare Human Resources Professionals Week recognizes the indispensable contributions of human resources professionals within the healthcare sector. Celebrated the week of March 11-15, these dedicated individuals serve as the backbone of healthcare institutions. Human resources professionals navigate complex regulatory landscapes, address personnel challenges, and cultivate environments that focus on employee well-being. We’re spotlighting three of Magellan Health’s HR professionals who each explain why they chose a career in healthcare HR, and the most rewarding and challenging aspects of working in this field:

• Angela Navarro, human resources business consultant, Magellan Federal
• Angie Pinto, compensation consultant, human resources, Magellan Federal
• Kathy Fox, senior director, payroll and Workday technology, Magellan Health

Continue reading to learn more from Angela, Angie, and Kathy on their experiences as healthcare HR professionals:

Why did you want to pursue healthcare HR and what is the most rewarding aspect of working in this field? 

Angela: My family consists of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. I knew those fields were not my passion, however I still wanted to help people and make a difference. Instead of saying, “I help care for people,” I can now say, “I care for the people, who care for the people.” I find it most rewarding to see how I can assist healthcare workers and take some of the weight off their backs during their times of need.

Angie: I love helping people! Working with people, solving problems, and coming up with a resolution together is so rewarding. That combined with my love of compensation has brought me to HR.

Kathy: HR found me, and it has been great! I come from a process improvement background and then transferred to HR. Working in payroll and HR technology provided me with the opportunity to help create a positive environment for company employees through timely pay and ensuring personal data is documented and protected.

What are some challenges you face in this profession and how do you overcome them?

Angela: In every profession there are both good and bad aspects. Employee relations may have challenges, but it is up to me to find the positive aspects and propose a solution for every challenge.

Angie: There are challenges (or adventures as I sometimes call it). It could be the market and specific jobs, new business and contracts, updated policies, etc. We overcome these challenges by working with leadership and fellow HR partners collaboratively. Working in this field requires a team effort!

Kathy: Working with a diverse group of individuals can be daunting, but by truly seeking to understand and address needs, it becomes manageable. I find that listening and providing guidance or education can go a long way to resolving issues. Many times, it just comes down to a misunderstanding or lack of knowledge about how something works.

Is there anything you would like to highlight about working in healthcare HR? 

Angela: At Magellan, the highlight is that our staff cares for members of our armed forces who are fighting for our freedoms and that is something to be proud of.

Angie: Working in healthcare HR is rewarding, and we have so many groups that include compensation, payroll, benefits, etc. I truly believe we are making a positive impact for our employees and continue to strive to improve our processes to ensure the best results.

Kathy: The Magellan employees have demanding jobs. We must make sure that they have the support network to address their HR needs. If we do it right, it allows our employees to focus on their clients.

What does National Healthcare HR Professionals Week mean to you? 

Angela: It is a time we say thank you to all those employees who pour their hearts into their HR support roles in the healthcare system. It’s also a time to recognize those who promote both the organization and employees in an unbiased manner.

Angie: It gives recognition to those that work in this field a moment to be seen when many times we are working behind the scenes. I love that it gives an opportunity for HR professionals to be recognized for their work and given a spotlight to shine.

Kathy: We are recognizing individuals who are normally working behind the scenes to help support the company’s workforce in so many ways such as talent acquisition, training, compliance, payroll, staffing levels, and so many more services.

Sharon Butler is our leader of people strategies at Magellan Rx Management and is an integral part of our thriving culture. She inspires our teams to use their strengths to overcome challenges and deliver a pharmacy experience unlike any other. We sat down with Sharon to talk about her love of human resources, the current state of the industry, how the pandemic has affected HR professionals and how people make the difference in any organization.

What’s your background, and how did you get into Human Resources?

I love sharing this story because it’s the last place I thought I would be. I grew up in a poor neighborhood in Albany, NY in a family that didn’t value education. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to attend college later in life that I met so many people who were resetting their path and going back to school after finding themselves in a job that didn’t fulfill them. It was then and there I realized my passion for people and believe there is so much more to illuminate a person if they are exactly where they want to be versus where they can be.

This realization led me to study organizations and leadership, dedicating my career to understanding the power of giving people an opportunity to do great things. There’s not an organization out there that’s great because of something other than people. If you think about it, organizations can’t achieve anything without people driving change.

How do you think your life experiences have shaped your work as a Human Resources professional?

I have learned through personal experience that some of the hurdles in your life are the ones you create and put in your own way. You can do anything if you have the passion and power to do it. You can’t just dream it. A dream isn’t a strategy, it’s the motivation that pushes you forward.

I’ve also learned that your career can have a huge impact on your overall wellbeing.

I have now been with Magellan for 14 years, and I’ve seen firsthand that when you tap into someone’s personal strengths, you unleash an incredible amount of potential within not only yourself, but your team as well. As a leader or manager, placing people in the right seat creates a highway for growth and development.

Our data tells us that we’ve had 455 internal promotions over the last 12 months and that we continue to focus on supporting effective career conversations and encourage every employee to start a conversation. I’ve seen a correlation between employee driven career discussions and success of achieving aspirational goals.

We can’t impact what we don’t measure. We are focused on pulsing engagement and investing in what makes our employees feel valued. Our pulse surveys provide us with data for leaders to use to ensure they are having the impact intended. This is one tool that should be used with a variety of tools to ensure we continue to understand each other regardless of role. These surveys allow us to have impactful conversations to gauge overall organizational wellbeing. Now that we are far more virtual than ever before, we must continue to create connectedness, check in with each other in a variety of ways and respond to the ever-changing climate of our work.

How has the pandemic impacted Human Resources professionals?

HR professionals have really had to stretch outside their comfort zones, beyond the predictable outcomes they are used to. What we’ve all seen happen over the last few years in our communities with regulations, politics, human behaviors and attitudes changing is also happening within organizations. We can’t build a policy to navigate it, we must lean in and care about it.

We have had to consider every perspective to make the right decisions for us as an employer, and to make the right recommendations for employees as one size does not fit all. While some organizations have used this as an opportunity to be defined by their policies, we’ve found that we’re too complex and dynamic to pick one side or another on many points related to the pandemic. The passionate people at Magellan Rx are navigating through every circumstance in the most caring way possible.

These last few years have impacted everyone. Leaders, managers and employees are recognizing the need to practice self-care first before care for others. I’ve been starting my day with MAGIC Mornings, which I’ve recoined for myself ‘Miracle Mornings,’ this practice affords me a margin of time to focus on myself and set my day through exercise, meditative prayer, affirmational writings, gratitude journaling and intention or goal setting. I’ve been doing this for four months now and have noticed a complete shift in how I approach and move throughout my day. I encourage teams and individuals to rethink how they start their days and prioritize their wellbeing to avoid burnout.

What’s your perspective on the Great Resignation?

My observation of what the data suggests is that people are reacting to what adds value to their lives. The notion of an employee leaving their job, and possibly their career, is changing attitudes and expectations. Employees have more of a voice than ever before in what they are willing to do, and not do, for a paycheck. We need to listen.

Do you think organizational culture plays a role in the Great Resignation?

Absolutely. For a long time, organizations have been trying to define an attractive culture with policies and programs like education reimbursement, wellness credits and unlimited PTO. What we are seeing during this Great Resignation is a shift in focusing on employee’s wellbeing and how they are treated. Cultures are formed by how leaders behave and employees feeling truly valued. It isn’t about a program; it’s about behavior.

What we’ve noticed at Magellan is that while our turnover rate has inched up, it isn’t at the national average, and we are still able to attract talent to our positions. We believe that this is a direct reflection of our strong culture of caring people who are leveraging their strengths in their everyday work and modeling positive behaviors.

What do you think is needed to create a thriving culture? 

First and foremost, authenticity and accountability from leaders. Then, you must focus on people because people make the difference. You do this by unlocking their strengths and unleashing their potential. Mix that with a little fun, and you’ve got a solid foundation to build a thriving culture.

Our secret sauce at Magellan Rx is that we don’t have a one size fits all strategy for any person. We start by focusing on an individual’s core strengths, which allows leaders and employees to deploy very tailored career development, growth performance and learning opportunities.

How do you think teams have remained resilient these last few years while some haven’t?

I think there is a lot of masked resiliencies happening right now – pushing through versus truly evolving through the challenges – which can be very dangerous because it means we are closer to burnout than we know.

You can tell resiliency is occurring when you are faced with the next challenge, and it energizes you because you learned from the last challenge and are able to use your learnings to evolve through the next obstacle.

For those that haven’t, do you have any advice?

There is no time like the present to pause and take inventory of all the things that you have pushed through, map those things to what you have learned, and really understand the impact of your work. When you are focused solely on what’s ahead and what’s not done, you deprive yourself the opportunity to pause and learn. Look back at the path you’ve laid and the wake you’ve made.

What should organizations do to invest in their people?
Create safe spaces and support systems for employees to stretch, learn and grow in their careers.

Think about their world, their environment and what they are trying to transform. Don’t forget to ask their opinion on what great looks like and listen, because at the end of the day it’s the people who make the difference in any organization.