When It Comes to Recruitment, Mayo Clinic Eschews Fads for Something Bigger
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When looking for new recruits, how do companies attract the best and brightest? According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, some of today's popular recruitment efforts include the obvious (competitive salaries), the day-dreamy (limitless vacations), and, well, three-story-high slides. (Yes, office slides are a thing.)
But there's another important element in hiring efforts: company culture. And what it may lack in Silicon Valley-style perks, Mayo Clinic more than makes up for in the culture department. "Mayo does not have a slide or air hockey table," reporter Marcia McMullen writes in her piece, "A Culture of Legacy." What Mayo does have, however, is "an elegant 7-word statement by the one of the founders … 'The needs of the patient come first.'" And that beats slides any day. (Although we may have to convince Cory.)
McMullen writes approvingly of Mayo's ability to stay true to the "founding values" of the organization. She also gives credit to "the torchbearers that embody" those values and who "seek to preserve and model those early tenets." Specifically, she highlights the example set by Sister Generose Gervais, who recently passed away after devoting most of her 97 years to Mayo Clinic. "For decades Sr. Generose did naturally what all rock star leaders do," McMullen writes. She "found a way to leverage" her own values and "to nurture the founders' vision, or in her case the rich tradition of value-based service set forth by the Mayo brothers."
Those values, McMullen points out, include innovation, teamwork and respect. She goes on to share a story about Sister Generose that underscores her understanding of the importance of all three. "Long before we knew of the longitudinal impact of secondary infections, superbugs and high-risk readmission penalties, Sr. Generose was heralding the vital role of the hospital housekeeping staff. 'Your work is as important as the doctors and nurses — you are also saving lives,'" she writes.
McMullen's article points out that the organization's primary value is a touchstone "from which every single employee, no matter their role, can always get their bearings." It's the focus on the patients' best interest that has helped Mayo attract and keep its share of the best and brightest for more than 150 years. (Including, we guess, Cory.)
You can learn more about Mayo's culture and hear what some employees like best about their jobs here. Then share your comments below, and use the handy tools atop this page to share this story with others.