Regina Temple’s Important Insights on Employee Retention
Prior to COVID-19, healthcare in general was already struggling. One of its main issues was the chronic and high rate of worker turnover.
Today, healthcare organizations and institutions all over are scrambling to find ways to keep their employees happy. .
Below are some of Regina Temple’s choice strategies for helping employees find happiness and satisfaction in their jobs. .
Don’t rush to come up with a plan. .
Management systems in healthcare are always crucial. They make sure a hospital has the proper resources in the proper places at the proper time. .
Not having an employee retention strategy can cost the institution a lot of money, warns Regina Temple. .
Allow workers to exercise authority with their schedules. .
Regina Temple says an appealing feature of any healthcare job is a predictable and reoccurring schedule. .
Giving employees a voice and a choice in the scheduling process is an effective way of keeping them engaged. .
There are technologies today that can be used for employees to have a voice when planning their schedules. When employees are engaged and when they feel they have control, they’re more likely to stay. .
Always communicate sincerely and compassionately. .
Many front-line managers rate difficult conversations with team members, as well as coaching and engaging their teams, as three of the biggest challenges they face. .
Leadership competencies and skills ought to be an essential component in the recruitment process, especially for front-line leaders. In fact, Regina Temple mentions that leadership skills and technical skills should be considered when it comes to internal promotions. .
Balance out the coaching on performance and development of staff with recognition for contributions and achievements. .
Front-line leadership skills include the ability to recognize employee performance and milestones, both personal and professional, to make employees feel valued. .
Plan for any expected changes in the number of incoming patients. .
Employees don’t like surprises at work. That means that coming up with plans for changing patient volume is critical to workforce management. .
Even with the pandemic over, times are still volatile. Hospital volume can still be reasonably anticipated. However, some managers are still surprised. .
A majority of events that drive patient volume, as well as management systems, can be anticipated. According to Regina Temple, these events should be incorporated into projected staffing plans. .
Even when hospital volumes change in the blink of an eye, a lot of last-minute staffing changes can still be avoided. Efficient management systems can recognize these patterns, and they can quickly respond to the necessary changes. .
Regularly examine staffing plans and follow up accordingly. .
Regularly following up on staffing plans helps make sure workers deliver what they need to deliver on time. Effective scheduling systems don’t only measure the outcomes; they can tell a manager how to adjust in order to improve results. .
Regina Temple also reminds everyone that balancing patient demand with efficient staff schedules is a continuous process. Avoid last-minute schedule changes and give employees a voice in their schedule so they feel better about staying on board. .
Regina Temple has served in the healthcare community for over 30 years with experiences ranging from for-profit to not-for-profit organizations, unionized to non-unionized facilities and acute care settings to outpatient centers. Read similar articles on healthcare and leadership from Regina Temple by clicking here.