What are the solutions, if any, to minimize unprecedented staff turnover in healthcare?
The Great Resignation has reached the healthcare industry. Nationwide, healthcare employers are feeling the effects. A record-breaking volume of workers left their jobs in November and December of 2021, and one of the most affected industries, if not THE most affected industry, is the healthcare sector, according to multiple reports.
Healthcare facilities have weathered unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic while dealing with burnout and illness among their staff, and now healthcare employers face record levels of attrition.
What can healthcare leaders do to respond to the Great Resignation and perhaps minimize the turnover? Is there anything they can do, or are they at the mercy of their staff who wish to resign?
According to one survey by Morning Consult, a staggering 18% of all healthcare workers have left their jobs during the pandemic, and many more respondents indicated that they’ve considered leaving or wish to leave in the near future.
How can healthcare employers respond to the Great Resignation?
Obviously, employers can’t stop workers from quitting, especially ones who are leaving medicine altogether or who are retiring, for example. However, there may be some ways that employers can try to slow the rate of turnover and keep people from seeking out other healthcare employers.
Health Evolution recently explored some potential solutions for employers to help minimize the Great Resignation, presented by healthcare administrators across the country. Some of the suggestions ranged from providing better benefits (real benefits, not a pizza lunch!) to improving technology and other resources that help make healthcare workers’ jobs easier or less stressful.
Most experts agree that a strong strategy is needed to weather the Great Resignation, and more money likely isn’t the only answer. However, pay for healthcare workers needs to be competitive, and it’s imperative for every organization to evaluate their compensation model in order to respond to the current market conditions by accepting the fact that pay will NOT reset to pre-pandemic levels. But simply throwing additional money at burned-out employees doesn’t fully persuade them to stay. It doesn’t make their jobs any less stressful, nor improve their burnout and mental health status.
Immediate triage is necessary to slow this trend. Healthcare leaders must communicate with their staff with humility, acknowledging the burden they’ve asked them to absorb, and commit to actionable solutions with defined timelines. Solutions should be collaborative and based on input from staff. Communication and acknowledgement leads to buy-in, which will foster a culture of ownership and accountability, making it more difficult for your staff to make the decision to leave.
If you want to attack the issue at the root, the best way to avoid mass resignations is to reevaluate how you hire…. to recruit with retention in mind. A seasoned recruiter may be able to help you with this endeavor. An Alabama Family Health Center Executive Director was able to remark on this strategy executed by Adaptive Medical Partners:
“With the COVID-19 pandemic and the advanced tenure of some of our physicians, I decided to begin a search…AMP worked to ascertain our needs and the physician that would best fit our health center…”
A BEST FIT provider is one whose goals and values align with the healthcare facility and community. When an organization recruits best-fit providers, they are recruiting with retention in mind and thus reducing the likelihood of high turnover periods for their facility.
“While we cannot prevent turnover for our clients, we can offer our expertise, support, and services related to mitigate the risk of future staffing challenges, to help employers identify appropriate best-fit candidates for their organizations,” said David Fontenot, President of Adaptive Medical Partners.
He adds that under the current circumstances and market conditions, positioning each practice opportunity as competitively as possible is more vital to recruiting success than ever before.
“In addition to sourcing suitable candidates, we can also help to determine how each of your employment opportunities compares to the market and help you to optimally position your openings to be as interesting and attractive as possible to potential candidates.”
Conclusion:
Although employers cannot completely stop turnover, nor prevent the Great Resignation, there are many ways healthcare organizations may potentially minimize attrition or slow it down to a more manageable level. Additionally, stepping up recruiting efforts to help balance out the turnover is another proactive way to help reduce the impact of the Great Resignation.
To speak with a consultant regarding your staffing needs and potential solutions to your healthcare recruiting challenges, contact Adaptive Medical Partners at inquire@adaptivemedicalpartners.com
