Your hospital or clinic administration probably can tell you how many providers and support staff are employed and under contract. But do you know how productive these providers are? How well they perform? What are their short- and long-term goals, professionally and personally?
If you cannot answer these questions, then you do not have a complete picture of your current staffing and will not accurately anticipate future staffing needs. Understanding your providers’ performance gaps and satisfaction levels guides professional development planning and aids retention efforts. Considering that 25 percent of physicians leave within three years of hire, a focus on retention improvement methods is worthwhile. Evaluation of current staff can be accomplished by many methods, including systematic performance appraisals and use of a “stay interview.”
Complete Performance Appraisals
Performance evaluations need not be punitive in nature; rather, they can indicate areas for professional development and opportunities for improvement. Performance appraisals can connect physicians with organizational supports, enhancing the relationship between providers and administration, improving quality of care and hopefully leading to greater retention of staff.
Feedback to newly hired providers is especially important in recruitment and retention efforts. Structured opportunities for evaluation of the new provider’s performance, as well as communication from the provider, help set the stage for his or her ongoing employment and help build a career development plan.
Elements of effective performance evaluations include:
- Job-specific criteria such as timeliness for appointments, efficient use of electronic health records, clinical care and effective interaction with support staff and other providers
- Adherence to a schedule of regular evaluations
- Use of qualitative and quantitative criteria
- An opportunity for self-evaluation
- Alignment with strategic practice objectives
- Mutual development of a performance plan
In addition to formal appraisals, a culture of ongoing and immediate feedback is recommended. Open channels of communication between providers and administration benefits both.
Conduct Stay Interviews
You’re likely familiar with the exit interview, in which a departing employee is asked questions about the reasons for leaving, experiences with working there, etc. A more proactive version aimed at those still employed is the “stay interview,” which helps you understand an employee’s concerns and obtain feedback while she or he is still on the job. The stay interview is designed to identify both the positive and negative aspects of individual provider job satisfaction, highlighting potential areas to address in order to enhance retention.
Desired outcomes of a physician stay interview include:
- Improved communication between administration and providers
- Advanced knowledge of anticipated departures to support recruiting efforts
- Increased job satisfaction for providers
- Partnership in problem-solving
- Retention of provider staff
Specific questions will vary by workplace, but might include:
- What are your professional and personal goals for the next 12 months?
- What are your professional and personal goals for the next 13 to 36 months?
- What can the organization do to support those goals?
- What makes for a great day at work?
- What about your work would you change?
- Why do you stay?
Answers to these questions can inform the steps you take to improve relationships with your providers, retain staff and better recruit new physicians.
Are there gaps in your current staffing? Are you aware of upcoming vacancies to be filled? Contact Adaptive Medical Partners, a premier physician recruiting agency, to discuss current and future staffing needs.
