Shifting Job Market Spurs Innovation in Work Arrangements

Millions of Americans have left their jobs in the past two
years as part of the pandemic‑driven “Great Resignation,”
and Samaritan has not been immune to the challenging job
market and shifting priorities of the workforce.

“We consistently have 200 more job openings at any one time
than we did pre‑pandemic,” said John Heffron, director of
talent acquisition. “Like most organizations, we have had
to re‑evaluate our recruitment and retention strategies to
ensure our organization is not only attractive to job seekers
but a place where our employees want to continue to work.”

One way Samaritan has transformed to meet post‑pandemic
employee expectations, including a greater emphasis on
work‑life balance, is by embracing remote or hybrid work
models and flexible schedules, knowing that those are big
job satisfiers.

“There are many roles across the health system that don’t
require employees be on site, and we have been able to
transition those to remote‑only positions,” said Heffron.
“Not only is this appealing for employees who live in our
communities, it has allowed us to cast a wider recruitment
net around Oregon and out of state.”

Today, nearly 700 Samaritan employees, primarily administrative or technical roles, are working in a remote/
hybrid model, including employees who live in Samaritan’s primary service area and as far away as Michigan and Florida.

“Samaritan is a special place to work, and actively
evaluating our benefits and compensation packages,
and ways in which we can support our employees, is a
high priority for us,” said Gail Worden‑Acree, vice president
of human resources.

One way Samaritan invests in employees is through the
Workforce Pathways Program, which offers on‑the‑job
training opportunities, including a pathway for
non‑clinical employees to transition into clinical roles.

“We believe in lifelong learning and supporting
continual personal and professional development,”
said Roxanne Shaw, director of learning & development.
“Workforce Pathways provides paid training and career advancement opportunities. For example, an employee in a non‑clinical role who has an interest in patient care can be trained and certified as a certified nursing assistant through our CNA Pathway Program or as medical assistant by participating in our Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program.”

In addition to supporting employees with learning and career
opportunities, Samaritan has created groups to provide
social support, mentoring, networking and community
participation, and has worked to promote cultural awareness
and employee engagement.

Samaritan employee resource groups launched earlier this
year to advance equity and inclusion within the organization
and to foster practices of respect and appreciation for
multiple cultures, experiences, interests and perspectives.

The groups — Pride Alliance, Employees of Color, Veterans
and DiverseAbility Alliance — work collectively to create
informal spaces for employees with shared identities or
common interests to gather and build community.

For more information about working at Samaritan, visit
samhealth.org/Careers.