Britt-Angela Williams-Ward ran her own boutique staffing firm for over eight years, then took her talent acquisition career in-house at one of the largest health systems in the country. Today she leads talent acquisition at Cape Fear Valley Health in rural North Carolina, where her team ranks among the top AI-powered sourcing tool users in the world. In this episode, she talks with Colleen about her "four E's" framework, why remembering the details about a candidate is the most underrated recruiting skill, and how a rural health system went from outside the top 100 to the top 20 healthcare employers in its state. She also explains how her team uses AI to resurface past applicants, why she always asks nurses why they got into nursing, and what it means to be both the gatekeeper and the ambassador for the people who care for your community.
Takeaways:
- Keep a file on every candidate, even the ones who aren't right for the role today. When a new opening comes up, reaching out with details they shared shows them they were never just a number.
- Ask hiring managers what isn't on the job description. Work those intangibles into the posting and the intake form, and sit in on a couple of their interviews to learn the why behind their questions.
- Before you spend a dollar on job ads, use AI to resurface past applicants already in your ATS. They've shown interest before, so they're far more likely to say yes to an interview, and it can shave about two weeks off a hire.
- Ask candidates why they chose their field, then listen for the personal story. If they can get to the why, you likely have the right person, and if they can't, that tells you something too.
- Get out from behind the video call and spend time where your hires actually work. Rounding on units monthly builds credibility with hiring managers and helps you describe the culture to candidates with real authority.
Quote of the Show:
- "We are the shining lights that are bringing people in the door, but we're also the gatekeepers." - Britt-Angela Williams-Ward
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittangelaward/
- Website: https://www.capefearcareers.com/
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