Founder and CEO, Rob Rioux, shares why 330Talent created the FQHC Readiness Assessment Tool:

Why did you create the FQHC Readiness Assessment Tool?

Workforce is such a critical issue in the industry right now. In fact, I don’t see an end in sight to the many talent acquisition issues in community health. I feel an obligation to do everything I can as a valued partner to health centers to help them make an informed decision as best they can.

I created this tool so that the decision to hire is less opaque. This tool contributes to the set of knowledge a health center has on any candidate we put forward for consideration. This increases the likelihood of making a better hiring decision, especially when comparing two or more candidates for the same role.

What criteria do you look at?

We assess a candidate’s level of knowledge and experience with various aspects of the FQHC business model. In addition, we explore all of the essential qualities any one of us would have looked for in a candidate when hiring for our health center. All candidates are evaluated for experience, education, interpersonal skills, collaboration, and team dynamics.

The assessment is dynamic based on the position the candidate is seeking. To the extent we are able, we further examine levels of competency in the areas of Section 330 Program Requirements, governance, compliance, UDS reporting, sliding-fee, integration of behavioral and oral health, specialty services, and other topic areas.

The assessment produces a numerical value on a scale of 100 to establish a consistent comparative methodology between candidates.

The tool gives a numerical value to each candidate – on a scale of 100 – but what do you consider to be a “good” score that triggers a recommendation to a client?

There isn’t a guideline per se. We designed the tool to be used in a comparative way so that a hiring manager can easily compare two or more candidates and get a sense of which one has a greater level of understanding of the FQHC business model.

It’s important to know that the results of this tool are another data point in the decision process. It’s not intended to be the final answer. Rather, it is intended to be one of many interpretive elements to the overall fact-finding a hiring manager conducts through resume review, interviewing, interpersonal interaction, reference checks and so forth.

Do you have any client feedback on the tool? Has it resulted in positive candidates and good hires?

Yes. Our clients love it! They have told us the tool and the information it provides has given them more confidence in the hiring process. And it has reduced their level of uncertainty.

Hiring is still very much a combination of art and science. When health centers don’t get it right, it can be disruptive and expensive. So, anything that helps a hiring manager reduce the likelihood of making a less than favorable hiring decision is a good thing.

Is this assessment part of the standard contract when working with 330Talent or is it an add-on service?

This is absolutely part of our standard work process. Every recruitment we conduct on behalf of our health center client includes our FQHC Readiness Assessment Tool. There are no fees or add-on costs.