HEDIS Hiring Doesn’t Start in January
HEDIS season has a habit of arriving faster than expected.
One minute, your team is wrapping up submissions and reviewing results. The next, deadlines are looming and important roles are still sitting open.
A last-minute January scramble is not a workforce strategy.
Organizations that navigate HEDIS season successfully plan ahead. They assess their needs, identify gaps and begin hiring before everyone else is competing for the same experienced candidates.
Measurement Year 2026 Brings More Change
For HEDIS Measurement Year 2026, NCQA added new measures, retired others and continued moving toward digital reporting.
In other words, the workload is not getting simpler.
For health plans, this is not just a reporting challenge. It is a people challenge.
Organizations may need professionals with experience in HEDIS operations, quality improvement, medical record review, clinical data, analytics and project management.
Finding candidates who understand both the technical requirements and the realities of health plan operations takes time. Waiting until the workload becomes urgent does not speed up the process. It just makes everyone more stressed.
Start With an Honest Assessment
Now is the time to look back at the last HEDIS cycle.
Were deadlines consistently tight? Did managers spend too much time covering vacancies? Did a temporary staffing gap quietly become someone’s permanent second job?
Those are signs your workforce plan may need attention.
Look beyond current openings, too. Consider upcoming departures, promotions, new initiatives and roles that may become necessary as requirements continue to evolve.
A position does not need to be officially open before you start planning for it.
Strong Candidates Have Options
Experienced HEDIS professionals are often passive candidates. They may not be actively applying, but they could be open to the right opportunity.
Reaching them takes more than posting a job and hoping for the best. It requires relationships, market knowledge and the ability to move quickly when the right person is identified.
Starting early gives your organization time to define the role, reach qualified candidates, interview thoughtfully and complete onboarding before peak workloads begin.
It also keeps the calendar from becoming the loudest person in the room.
Build the Team Before the Pressure Builds
HEDIS staffing should be part of a year-round workforce strategy, not an annual January emergency.
Executive Staffing Solutions connects healthcare organizations with professionals who understand HEDIS, quality and health plan operations.
The next HEDIS season is coming.
It always does.
The question is whether your team will be ready. Need some help? Let’s chat. info@ess123.com