AMN Healthcare Language Services Team Wins 2023 Stevie Award
Teamwork is an essential part of talent acquisition, and the AMN Healthcare Language Services team has found a formula for success. In fact, their collaborative efforts in recruiting, hiring and contracting medical interpreters were recently recognized with a Bronze Stevie Award in the Human Resources Team category of the 2023 American Business Awards.
AMN Healthcare Language Services, provides medical interpretation services to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. The division’s talent acquisition team is comprised of a dynamic and widely diverse group of human resource professionals—all of whom were honored to be recognized as a 2023 Stevie Award Winner.
Now in its 21st year, the American Business Awards is the premier business awards program in the United States. Each nomination is reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges. This year’s winners were officially announced on April 27, 2023, and will be honored at a special banquet on June 13, 2023, in New York City.
The anatomy of a winning team
In their nomination essay, the AMN Healthcare Language Services team noted that they have continually experienced rapid change and growth, and this past year was no exception. In fact, 2022 was a record-breaking year for AMN’s recruiters, with an increase of 57 percent in the number of interpreters hired and contracted over the previous year. Much of the increase was attributed to process improvements and a collective effort to create an impactful new-hire experience for everyone.
During this past year, the team also deepened their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The division’s talent acquisition leader, Susan M., obtained her Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) certification and has been incorporating these themes throughout the team’s day-to-day duties. The entire team attended DEI training in November, which has helped establish awareness of behaviors and practices that foster a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.
The talent acquisition team also strives to keep equality and inclusion in the forefront of their recruiting. They currently hire individuals supporting many different languages and must be compassionate about the different cultures, religions, and environmental circumstances that are part of each interpreter’s story.
Overcoming challenges
2022 saw many challenges for AMN’s interpreter populations, many of whom came from regions of the world that experienced warfare, violence, genocide, and other humanitarian crises. The influx of refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Haiti, and Rwanda tested the Language Services team’s recruiting skills. It also forced them to think about recruiting not only in terms of hiring people, but in some cases helping them start fresh in a foreign country.
One team member noted, “The conversations we had with candidates tested our emotional capacity and reminded us that our job is so much more than just recruiting.”
With this influx of refugees came the need to create new service lines and teams to support individuals from Rwanda and Afghanistan. Starting from scratch, the team was able to develop two new Dari and Kinyarwanda interpreting teams. Both teams are currently delivering at service levels close to 100 percent, providing support to many refugees and communities in need. The talent acquisition team also expanded hours for the Haitian Creole interpreting team, which meant rapidly recruiting interpreters who were able to work in a 24/7 environment.
Reaching the blind and low-vision communities
Also during 2022, AMN’s Language Services team worked to expand their reach to interpreters who are blind and low vision. The division has long embraced accessibility and employs several blind and low-vision employees throughout the organization. This year, the talent acquisition team focused on becoming the employer of choice for these interpreters who otherwise might have limited opportunities.
Two of the team’s leaders attended the National Federation for the Blind convention in July. They were able to recruit potential interpreters, attend educational seminars, and make connections with schools and organizations that support the blind. The knowledge they obtained was instrumental in breaking down barriers for the recruiting team.
Work with our award-winning team
AMN Healthcare Language Services is actively recruiting both spoken language and sign language interpreters to serve healthcare facilities across the country.
Are you in search of a new opportunity as a medical interpreter? Search our medical interpreter jobs today!