Healthcare is all about working and making people better. I have worked in many industries in my HR career but working in healthcare has been the most fulfilling.

“I have worked in many industries in my HR career but working in
 healthcare has been the most fulfilling.”

 

 In our next edition of #IAmCrossCountry acknowledging and supporting Black
 History Month and some of our strong, powerful, passionate employees (<a
 href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/dr-kimberly-wallace"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 target="_blank"
 >you can read the first one here</a
 >
 if you missed it), we are proud to shine the spotlight on Colin McDonald — our
 Chief Human Resources Officer. (Humble bragging moment before we get started:
 <a
 href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/cross-country-healthcare-executive-named-most-influential-HR-executives-to-watch"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 target="_blank"
 >Colin was recently recognized</a
 >
 as one of the 10 Most Influential HR Executives to Watch in 2022 by CIO Views
 magazine. Read on to learn more about Colin. Even if you know him you might
 learn something new!

 

 <img
 src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fec23c65f480b4f8699dc832816bf2973%2F56789ac2fb4a4944b5d1922c4b675332"
 width="40%"
 />

 

 
 Q. What initially led you to pursue a career in the healthcare industry?
 


 A. I know many people often make this statement: “I enjoy
 working with people.” I can truly tell you I pursued the field of HR because I
 enjoy solving problems and interacting with employees. Healthcare is all about
 working and making people better. I have worked in many industries in my HR
 career but working in healthcare has been the most fulfilling.

 

 
 Q. Tell us about your Cross Country journey. What attracted you to the
 organization?
 


 A. This is a company built on entrepreneurship. I consider
 myself an entrepreneur, and knowing this company believes in new and creative
 thinking made it the ideal destination for me. In speaking to the CEO and
 other executives, I saw their vision of where they were taking Cross Country,
 and eight years later we have done wonders for our employees and investors.

 

 
 Q. What’s your favorite thing about working for Cross Country?
 


 A. Working with my fellow executives and translating their
 vision to our incredible workforce. The culture is unbelievable, and our
 ability to work where we are most productive is unmatched.

 

Q. What inspires you in your position from day-to-day?

 A. Knowing I am working on meaningful tasks. My work affects
 our employees and provides value for our company. Seeing our employees advance
 in their careers and having the greatest culture of any company while
 maintaining our profitability is amazing.

 

 
 Q. In your opinion, what do you find the biggest challenge working in the
 healthcare staffing industry?


 A. The changing regulations. Not only are the healthcare
 regulations constantly changing, but we as HR need to adapt our policies and
 procedures to match.

 

 
 “Our leadership team was exceptional during COVID. There was never a day
 when they did not ask HR to provide them with an update on our employees’
 well-being.”
 

 

 
 Q. Since so many of us work from home these days, do you have any tips or
 practices for “taking a break” (i.e., not going crazy!) during the day?
 


 A. Yes, get out of your seat, stretch, walk, talk to a
 friend or family. Take your lunch break. Too many times we forget to take
 breaks because we are remote. I personally try to block off two hours per day,
 where I do not answer calls or emails. I use that time to catch up on work
 undisturbed.

 

 
 Q.What’s one fun thing about you most people would not know.
 


 A. I truly like to do yard work. I try not to hire people to
 do work that I can do myself. Mowing my lawn, painting, gardening, washing my
 car, laying tiles and so much more. I am very handy with tools, and I enjoy
 working with my hands.

 

 
 Q. What’s one of the biggest changes you’ve noticed or encountered in the
 recruiting industry during the time of COVID?
 


 A. I noticed how patient and considerate my team members and
 colleges were. If someone on the team got ill, team members were sending
 flowers, food and providing support to their family members while their
 colleague fought the illness. Our leadership team was exceptional during
 COVID. There was never a day when they did not ask HR to provide them with an
 update on our employees’ well-being.

 

 
 Q. If you had once piece of advice for someone looking to get into
 healthcare recruitment, what would it be?
 


 A. Be prepared to work after hours. If you are a
 nine-to-five recruiter, healthcare recruitment will not be for you. Our
 healthcare professionals work many different shifts. Mornings, nights, and
 weekends. If you are truly interested in healthcare recruitment, you must be
 flexible in your working ours. If you are flexible, you will definitely be
 successful.

 

 Did you enjoy that journey getting to know Colin? We’re certainly glad to have
 him on the Cross Country team and appreciate all of his contributions and
 leadership. And we’ve even heard him utter the phrase, “I Am Cross Country!”

 

 If you’re interested in being considered for a future #IAmCrossCountry profile
 or know someone who has a great story and would be a great feature, fill out
 the information on the
 <a
 href="https://share.hsforms.com/18SgIj5fPQ4euVLeE_6H5sgcb5sd?fbclid=IwAR37V7BSzNFpow2CB5X1N7TC2lZjieVAqCmFxudc24iLt9GPKYJxsRRJ85s"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 target="_blank"
 >campaign landing page</a
 >.

<h2 style="text-align: center;">#IAmCrossCountry</h2>

Colin McDonald #IAmCrossCountry