We are recognizing and celebrating the achievements of our Black employees. Our Recruiter Ricardo Cameron partnered with us to discuss his career in Human Resources. Ricardo’s passion for people led him to Corporate Recruiting.
Read on to learn more about Ricardo’s career and his thoughts on recruiting Black and African American students to help diverisify the healthcare field.
How long have you been with Restore?
I have been employed by Restore for 6 ½ years.
What led you to a career in recruiting? What was your educational/career path?
My passion to help people reach their full potential and to be gainfully employed, along with my desire to see the organization succeed, led me to the recruiting (Human Resources) field. I have always wanted to give back to the organization in a positive way, and the best way to do that is to recruit great talent (human capital) and make sure they have the ability to thrive within the organization. I have a very interesting educational background. I have a bachelors degree in Business Administration/Management, which also includes many Accounting courses (Associates in Accounting) and I have a Masters in Human Resources Management. My career path started out in the Accounting and Finance Department at UPS Capital in Atlanta, GA, where I worked in Global Trade Finance and in our Operations Department for our Trade Protections Division. After my tenure with UPS, I transitioned into the Finance Department at Southern Progress (Time Inc.) in Birmingham, AL. During my tenure at SPC, one of my mentors said that I should pursue a career in Human Resources (had an opportunity to work with our HR team in regards to a few projects). At that time I decided to return to school to obtain my Masters in Human Resource Management, which led me to a position at a Staffing Agency as a recruiter. In 2015, I joined Restore Therapy as a recruiter and have had the pleasure to recruit some of the best therapists in the business. In addition to my recruiting role, I have also had the pleasure to assist students, as our Clinical Coordinator, with their clinical placements; along with assisting our HR VP with multiple Human Resources projects.
When I was younger, I was not exposed to many of the careers in healthcare that I am aware exist in today’s market (Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Speech Language Pathologists); therefore, I would implore the recruiters in the medical field to go out into the rural and urban communities, visit the college campuses (including HBCUs), and have the open discussions regarding these careers. It could open a whole new world of possibilities to someone who never knew they are available.
How do you believe the industry can encourage more Black and African Americans to join the medical field? To join the PT/OT/SLP programs?
I believe that the industry can encourage more Black and African Americans to join the medical field by providing the students with more exposure to the field at a younger age. If we connect with the students during their high school and early college years, and provide them with information regarding these healthcare careers, they can make an informed decision in regards to their potential career path in the healthcare field. When I was younger, I was not exposed to many of the careers in healthcare that I am aware exist in today’s market (Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Speech Language Pathologists); therefore, I would implore the recruiters in the medical field to go out into the rural and urban communities, visit the college campuses (including HBCUs), and have the open discussions regarding these careers. It could open a whole new world of possibilities to someone who never knew they are available.
Can you discuss what you see as a recruiter visiting PT, OT, SLP academic programs and the challenges of recruiting?
During my tenure with Restore, I have had an opportunity to visit with Program Directors on several college campuses that provide these professional degrees, and we’ve had many discussions regarding the challenges that exist in our field. One challenge that I’ve experienced, along with many other recruiters in the industry, is the changing dynamic in the workforce. Whether it’s the significant number of resignations during this COVID period, or the immense number of Baby Boomers that have retired over the past few years that has impacted the supply versus demand metric in the industry, we are on the precipice of a rapidly changing, and challenging, workforce shortage in the healthcare field. We have had many conversations with the programs in regards to their ability to increase the number of students who matriculate through their academic programs; but we also understand the challenges that these institutions experience with attempting to increase these numbers. We must be strategic in regards to our recruiting efforts during these times, and from an organizations perspective, continue to provide candidates with an outstanding value proposition that will – not only attract, but retain some of the students from these programs.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience as a recruiter?
I have had many great experiences as a recruiter, especially in the healthcare industry and here with Restore; and I would encourage anyone who’s considering a career in recruiting to pursue it with vigor, and… have a passion to see the organization and the candidates experience success.
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