Healthcare organizations in many parts of the world are struggling to retain workers at every professional level. As Gina Temple says, high turnover rates have especially been seen among registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, and patient care techs. There are many reasons for the high turnover, including an ageing workforce, pandemic-related burnout and fierce competition to attract qualified people.
Gina Temple underlines strategies to improve workforce retention in the healthcare industry
Employee retention in healthcare comes with a range of challenges. With time, many healthcare professionals may face burnout and become disengaged. A range of thoughtful, creative strategies must be employed by healthcare organizations to retain professionals in this highly competitive labor market. Here are a few strategies such organizations may follow:
- Hire the right people in the first place: Employee retention starts with the right recruitment. It is vital to identify qualified and skilled individuals who can be a good fit for the culture of the organization. Professionals who are a good fit are likely to be engaged and find satisfaction in the work they do. Healthcare organizations may use artificial intelligence (AI) and cultural assessment tools to select job candidates who are the right fit for a hospital, while also removing unconscious biases from the hiring process.
- Onboard people with purpose: A large number of new hires quit within the first six months across industries. This happens because the employees may feel overwhelmed, underappreciated and neglected. Hence, healthcare organizations can benefit from having structured on-boarding programs that give new hires the confidence to succeed out of the gate. At the minimum, the on- boarding process must make it easy for new hires to get trained on systems, policies, and procedures, which are critical in the highly regulated healthcare industry. Healthcare organizations also must apply a personal touch to help new hires build lasting relationships, like assigning each new hire a mentor or organizing a tour of the premises.
- Offer some scheduling flexibility: Compelling healthcare professionals to work extended hours without adequate support can lead to burnout and drive them away to competitors or different career paths. While some medical personnel prefer a consistent schedule, others appreciate flexibility and diversity in their work hours and locations. Ultimately, everyone desires a balanced work-life dynamic. Hence, it would be prudent for healthcare organizations to provide their practitioners and support staff the flexibility of nontraditional schedules, including staggered start times and overlapping shifts. Certain hospital systems are additionally exploring the option of putting “virtual nursing” into practice that allows remote staff to handle more of the patient admission workload.
As Gina Temple says that while many healthcare professionals view their work as a noble calling, fair compensation remains a significant concern for all of them, especially with the demanding nature of the job and the competitive industry. HR departments in healthcare organizations must make use of external bench-marking data to regularly update compensation plans for both permanent medical staff and contractors. Financial incentives, apart from competitive salaries and benefits, can be provided to the professionals. This includes signing and merit bonuses, tuition reimbursements, subsidies for childcare, and student loan repayment programs.
