Tightening labor markets, heightened competition for talent, increased penalties for poor performance…yep, it’s pretty much the perfect storm for healthcare HR.
As discussed in our article, Three Ways Non-Clinical Employees Are Critical to Your HCAHPS Scores, non-clinical employees are playing a larger role each day in the quality of experience being received by your patients and their families. And, as the actual quality of care improves and becomes less of a differentiator among hospitals, the importance of your patient’s overall experience – driven typically by non-clinical employees – becomes tremendous.
Nothing impacts the delivery of service, in a hospital or anywhere else for that matter, more than employee turnover. Consider the real impact. Lost revenue potential, replacement costs, destruction of culture – and in this case perhaps the most serious – the inevitable impact on service delivery and customer/patient experience.
Recruit Less, Retain More
Yes, recruiting and hiring are the life-blood of any healthcare organization…and you can never stop. But, in most facilities, the conversation is out of balance – lots of time spent worrying about finding new employees and not enough focused on keeping the ones who already work for you. If your exit door is revolving as quickly as your entrance door, you are a hamster.
If you don’t already have one, or if it’s not making a positive impact, it’s time to shut your door and start working on your retention strategy and plan. Want a place to start? Begin by addressing these three key areas:
Share the Mission
For most facilities, the clinical staff understands their mission – they are there to save lives. It’s noble. It’s inspiring. It’s uplifting. Even on a bad day, healthcare providers still feel good about what they do.
But what about your non-clinical staff? Do they understand their role in saving lives? Have you shared your mission with them and clearly spelled out their role in achieving success? From billers to kitchen staff and receptionists to accountants, they play a supporting role in making things work, which means they’re in the life saving business too – make sure they know it. Inspire and challenge them accordingly.
Shine a Bright Light
Tie the mission to recognition. People are more likely to stay where they are appreciated. It’s human nature.
If you want non-clinical employees to embrace their role and feel like an integral part of the process, you have to treat them that way. Compliment them. Thank them. Include them in existing programs or create a new one for them. Yes, we can hear the eye-rolling from here, but it doesn’t have to be a major undertaking with a big budget. Start small and simple. The key is to do it. Consistently.
Pay More, Save More
If you rolled your eyes before, you’re most likely groaning now. But hear us out. The question isn’t whether you can afford to pay a little more per hour. The question is can you afford not to.
Turnover cripples an organization. Turnover creates workforce shortages. Shortages result in lost revenue opportunities, increased overtime, existing staff burnout, and higher hiring expenses. It hurts morale and productivity. Investing in increased wages is a pre-emptive strategy. By spending the money upfront, you reduce the likelihood of turnover in a highly competitive labor market, while improving moral and enthusiasm.
Your rank and file employees might be non-clinical, but they certainly aren’t non-critical to your future scores, rankings, and revenue. It’s time to make sure you’re doing what you can to make them feel that way.
GHR Technology has worked with hundreds of healthcare facilities across the nation, helping them better understand and solve their staffing challenges.
We specialize in placing non-clinical personnel in temporary, temp-to-perm and direct hire positions. Through our consulting services, we streamline your hiring processes, identify areas for cost reduction and help improve your staff retention – objective advice helping you do more with less.
We would love to do the same for you.
