Shaker Unfiltered: Ep.3 – Aaron Jones

All right, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Shaker Unfiltered live at the Vision Lab at Recfest Nashville, Tennessee 2025. It is it is popping out here, man. It is there’s it’s a good energy. Uh we’re having some great conversations and this next one is sure to maintain that standard of amazingness. No pressure. Uh Aaron Jones, welcome to the hot seat, my friend. >> Thank you. Yeah. Appreciate that. >> So, so I would love for you to tell the people who you are, where you are, and what you do. >> Sure. >> Uh again, Aaron Jones. Uh I am the system director of talent acquisition for Baptist Memorial Healthcare, based out of Memphis, Tennessee. >> Yes, sir. >> Uh uh that is new for me. I’ve been there about a year and a half >> and uh loving life in the South. >> Yeah. Listen, it’s a change up from where you were cuz you were in St. Louis before Memphis. >> That’s correct. >> And talk to me about that change. >> Well, we uh we stepped out and trusted, right? And uh >> took a shot and said, “Worst case, we’ll move back home.” And uh it’s been an amazing experience. >> I love it. I love it. So, how how did you get into the talent space? >> Oh, man. Man, clearly you got your undergraduate degree in >> communication, [laughter] not recruitment. Um, >> sure. >> I had a friend that was a recruiter. >> Okay. >> So, I knew of it, but uh I’m going to show my age. I applied for a staffing agency job on Craigslist. >> Whoa. And got it and uh the rest is history. So, so that was like the one ads in the new digital market. That was >> for those who don’t know what Craigslist is, >> we have to explain this. So, there’s this thing called the internet. [laughter] Uh, got it. Okay. So, so you got into the recruitment space by way of an a recruitment marketing ad. >> Yes. There we go. >> Love that. Maybe Shaker placed it. Who knows? >> The olden days of a job post. >> Got it. So, so you show up to work for the first time and you’re like, “Okay, what am I doing?” >> Had never been a recruiter. Um, my boss would write me boolean search strings >> that I would go and search on careerbuilder or monster or even dice way back then. And um, we would search for it >> IT uh, talent. >> Okay. Okay. >> And so at what point did you know I I’m not going to any other industry like I’m here for life? >> I don’t know. It was questionable back then, but >> I can imagine. >> Um, it’s it gets back to the same core thing of being able to offer people jobs. I mean, changing people’s lives, I think, is what’s important in my and is what has kept me in the TA space for, man, almost 20 years. Yeah. A few years. >> I love that. I think the the way that I’ve always explained it was we are the bridge between aspiration and opportunity. >> And I think that that’s fulfilling work. it is, you know, uh you are truly making a difference in people’s lives. So, so to that point, um you’re in the healthc care space, uh booming industry, uh which I I don’t know if we could say that’s a good thing, but it’s a good thing that we have the people to provide the services. Not that that the people need the services more so than ever before. Talk to me about how you’re seeing recruitment marketing because I know there’s a massive shortage for health care professionals. So what are you doing that’s you know making a difference uh in this competition for the same talent that all the healthcare space is going >> the war on talent try to keep the violence out of it but you know it’s competition but >> uh friendly competition yeah um even in St. Louis or Memphis. We have other health systems that are right in our back door. >> Yes. >> Um that we are continuing to compete with. Um it comes with recruitment marketing. >> Hey, >> hey, there we go again. >> Talk to me. But we didn’t pay him, folks. I promise. >> Telling the story. >> Okay. >> Why you want to come work for us? What we can offer you. >> Um you know what sets us apart from the health care the other health system that’s down the street. >> Yeah. um and making sure that we can offer a meaningful career. >> Um and I think, you know, ensuring that we’re setting ourselves apart that way. Um and then it gets to candidate experience, right? So, >> we can lure you in, but then how do we treat you once you get there? Um and I think that’s >> that’s probably the soap box I stand on most often with my team. Um is making sure that we’re following up and not ghosting. Um as you hear as a 25 over and over. >> Well, there’s so much volume, right? Like you’re I’m sure your team is getting inundated with applicants. >> That would definitely be a word that I would use. Yes. >> So, how how are you still providing a a pleasant a memorable and impactful candidate experience and handling the volume >> that what’s your favorite whiskey >> as a connoisseur? Ubans Yeah, >> but you [clears throat] know, I think we have to continue to look at ways to innovate, right? And as we’re here at Refest today, you’re going to hear the word AI >> thousand times. [laughter] >> Never heard of it. >> They were calling it A1 earlier. If anybody had heard of that, but um >> good steak sauce. >> What can we do to continue to innovate? How can we make the candidates experience even better? How do we not ghost candidates and and ensure that we’re following up and I think looking at new technologies to help us work smarter and not harder >> um is important. >> Sure. Sure. Yeah. And and I I can imagine that um well I won’t put any I won’t lead the witness here but what uh tech stacks have you looked at that have really started to improve that or or help with that innovation? >> We’re working on that slowly but surely. >> You’re in the mix now. Okay. We in April went live with Oracle Cloud. >> Okay. >> Um which I looked I looked at really improved the overall experience. Sure. And I mean we we went live with the ERP system. So we went full boore Oracle which is great. >> It’s definitely helped us from a recruiter experience compared to what we had um which you know we had tool that was great and >> will remain nameless. Great. And probably 95 or 2,000. >> Sure. >> Um, >> it’s helping us not make 40 clicks to look at a candidate’s resume. Um, and I think that part’s important, right? >> Yeah. >> How do we more simply get candidates resumes in front of hiring managers and keep track and and really, you know, even metrics, all of those types of things? >> Those are those are super helpful. I think um the other side of that is the human processes, right? So you’ve got tech, you’ve got people and then people have to use the tech but I think you’re working on the behalf of other functions in the business right they are your customers that is correct so how have you raised the profile the importance of what you do to people who are not talent focused per se but also from the business case standpoint uh because I’m sure your budgets aren’t getting bigger every year right you have to fight for the dollars at every How are you connecting the importance of what you’re doing to the bottom line and making that business case every every day honestly but every every year I think a lot of times and you’ll see in healthcare like nurses or you know allied health professionals that’s a big bucket >> um >> they don’t necessarily have to apply to a job because there are so many jobs recruiters are reaching out to them. >> Yeah. Um sometimes it’s leveraging technology to ensure that we’re getting an app or in rural markets I we even get two. >> Sure. >> Um and those two, you know, are going to are going to work. Um I look at leveraging programmatic job postings. You know, Baker has definitely helped us in rural Mississippi get uh for a job as an example. We didn’t get any applicants for five months. Five months. five months we put this job on the critical list and we got three applicants and we hired not one but two. >> Oh wow. >> Um so that’s a you know that’s a win. >> And those are the types of examples that I’m providing to the business to say >> we need to make sure that we are investing in that. >> For sure. >> Yeah. And and I I will not uh miss a good opportunity to to to plug Shakers programmatic services. Uh, we too can help you >> be like Aaron. >> That’s right. >> So So, so I want to know I want to know though um because it’s not just where you are locally. You have to get talent from all over the country. >> That’s correct. >> And so how are you making that enticing? What kind of storytelling are you doing for somebody who may live on the coastal cities or uh you know uh up north or whatever the case may be and coming to uh Memphis. >> That’s a work in progress, you know. Um, but ways that we’ve touted it is the southern life. I’ve been new to it. >> Sure. >> It’s slower. >> It’s slower. It’s uh >> way more intentional. I think >> the cost of living is much much cheaper. >> Yes. Yes. >> Um I’ve really been enjoying that life too. >> You and I both. >> And um you know just really selling that story of you know Memphis has deep rich history. Um, while you know, every big city is going to have their blemishes. Sure, >> I will use that word. >> It’s a good word for it. >> There’s a lot of great stuff there, too. Um, and you know, I had that negative connotation coming into it like I heard all the the bad things about it of Memphis, but it’s been amazing. >> I love >> um and those are the types of our recruitment marketing. Um, I want to tell that story better. So, I I love that and I think that is a differentiator. I would love to hear your experience with Shaker uh if we can be a bit uh self-promotional for a moment, but but no, in all honesty, and I I was formerly a client myself before coming to the other side uh for nearly 10 years, so I I know that experience, but what have you found to be the most uh helpful in unlocking, right? whether it be innovation or whether it be uh you know attraction or tal talent uh awareness talent branding. >> Well, I too was uh have been a client of Shaker um I think since I started at at a health system back in 2017. >> Wow. >> And I think that’s whenever you and I crossed paths. >> That’s around that time. >> Around that time. >> Sure. um they’ve always been a trusted adviser um and someone that uh you know I fully trust and if they say you need to to talk with this company >> um or listen to this product uh demo then I’m going to do >> I love that that we have the trust there um but not just trying to sell >> Nope not [laughter] at all >> it’s what’s your issue we’ve got somebody you should talk to yes >> yeah I love that um is has there been a a win for you recently uh that you’ve been able to share with uh with leadership based on the work that we’ve done together. >> I think the referencing back to the programmatic win like that was one of probably five that I could think of that >> have helped us in the war for talent. >> Hey listen and it is it is heating up folks. uh you know we’ve got a lot of uh technology solutions out there. uh in some cases, you know, you have to be very clear on what your challenge or your your problem statement is, what is your opportunity to to address. How have you really sort of narrow down quieted the noise to be able to say this is the problem we’re trying to solve and then evaluating what are the options? >> Sure. That has been one thing throughout my career that I’ve always um as a leader been trusted with helping to drive that tech stack conversation. >> Yeah. >> And it’s a big it’s it’s big shoes to stand in >> because those aren’t cheap, by the way. >> They’re not. Um, you know, and I think where I’ve from lessons learned in the past, I’ve taken those and looked to now put those in place in the in the in the in the present tense. >> Mh. >> Um, and even what we need to do in the future. >> Sure. Um, and I think, you know, going to conferences and listening to podcasts and ensuring uh like being at Recfest today, >> um, we’re hearing lots about new technology. Um, and I want to make sure that I do everything in my power to stay stay on the cutting edge. >> Absolutely. make sure that we’re serving the business as >> and and I think a part of that uh one you stepping into the space and seeing what’s available and then also um the collection of data right to then help inform your insights uh and then those insights informing your business strategy. >> Um how are you sort of narrowing that data field down to what’s important and then drawing those insights out to make better decisions? That is the area that we’re working on to improve. Um because if you don’t have data, >> you can’t tell the story. >> Well, need the insights. >> Uh you need the insights. Um and those insights help you tell that story that then lends the dollars. >> Absolutely. >> Um and I think now that we have went live with Oracle, I think we’re now better able to track >> all of the metrics that we need um and to better tell that story. Well, Erin, we we like to leave off with a vision for the future. So, if you can dream out loud for us right now, just five years into the future, looking back, what will you have changed or improved at uh BJMCC? I am working currently uh on centralization of recruitment for the entire system. I think that once we get that to uh a good spot to where we’re going to centralize and standardize all processes um because as you know uh we do have just now 25 hospitals. Um each one has its own >> processes where they’re similar u but it’s it’s we’re going to get it to where it where it needs to be. Um, and I think that’s what makes me tick. Uh, current state is fixing these all the words, optimizing, overhauling, >> uh, all insert >> jargon here. Yes. >> Insert >> jargon. >> Yes. >> Well, thank you so much. Uh, we are we are certainly pleased to be part of that vision, bringing that vision to life with you. Uh, thank you so much for stopping by for for sharing some of the experience and uh, and the road that you have ahead of you. >> Absolutely. I appreciate it. >> Absolutely. Well, folks, this has been another episode of Shaker Unfiltered live at the Vision Lab at Recfest 2025. We’ll catch you on another episode soon.