Health care organizations are dependent on an engaged staff. It would help if you made staffing, engagement and retention top priorities, especially during a pandemic when staffing is a severe issue. You must have a plan. Unfortunately, many health care organizations lack strategies for retaining staff during the pandemic. Here are five ways to retain health care professionals during a global pandemic.
Offer a Competitive Wage
Offering a competitive salary is a great way to save money long-term. Increase wages, and you will better satisfy and retain your staff. Ultimately you will cut turnover costs significantly. There is a considerable demand now for quality personnel. If a pay raise is not an option due to the pandemic, you can look at alternative options such as an employee discount program to extend employees’ disposable income.
Employee Recognition
It is vital that you, the employer, communicate positive recognition where it is due, especially during trying times. Positive reinforcement is crucial for high patient satisfaction. It improves morale and inspires staff to continue to work hard and stay loyal to the organization. Recognition is contagious, and it makes employees feel good when recognized and when they get to recognize someone else.
Invest in Ongoing Education
Medical treatments and methods continuously evolve, so health care workers must continually learn to keep up with new research and technological developments. Continuing employees’ education will further advance and develop their skills while improving the patient experience and increasing productivity.
Continuing education offers a clear path for growth within an organization. Create plenty of training opportunities to allow your employees to work toward their goals.
Connect Your Team
Communication is vital for success in health care. It is also a tremendous challenge. You might think you are communicating, but it is rarely enough. You can never over-communicate. To connect with employees, think mobile. It is ideal for workers who are constantly on the go, working long hours, and usually not at a computer. A mobile employee engagement app can help fill the gaps by connecting peers and managers right from their smartphones.
Boost Engagement
The pandemic makes it easy to lose touch with your staff. To increase retention, find opportunities to improve engagement. Consider these ideas:
- Host a monthly lunch
- Encourage excitement around sporting events
- Organize volunteer opportunities
- Ask for regular satisfaction surveys
- Offer dress-up contests at different times of the year, like Halloween
Employee retention is vital for any organization and is particularly challenging for the health care industry. High turnover does not benefit employees, patients, or the organization. When you recognize, connect and communicate with your team, you can improve employee engagement and retain valuable employees.
Power Personnel can deliver a workforce solution for your health care organization.
