Talent Solutions: Employee Experience – Why People Stay

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 | Dave Bontempo and Rachael Battin

onboarded_final-2
Illustration: Lee Sauer

RoundTable Strategic Solutions powers MedAxiom Talent Solutions, which connects healthcare organizations with seasoned cardiovascular experts backed by the entire MedAxiom team.  

As a leader in delivering innovative staffing solutions to the healthcare industry, RoundTable Strategic Solutions shares a unique perspective on workforce challenges, opportunities and trends to help MedAxiom member organizations thrive in the new normal.

The 2020 decade started with a bang as COVID-19 disrupted employers across all sectors. As leaders struggled to adapt, employees struggled to adjust to the overwhelming circumstances the pandemic set in motion. While analysis of the Great Resignation continues, the need for committed, talented and motivated staff has become top priority for companies to remain functioning and profitable. The ‘talent acquisition war’ has pushed organizations to become employee experience pioneers, exploring new ways to engage employees and build lasting relationships.

So how do you inspire loyalty in employees? (Hint: it’s not always about the money). It’s important to make every employee experience personal and that’s where good managers and leaders come into play. Leaders need to treat their employees as individuals by knowing what’s important to them and using that information to create a personalized employee experience that supports retention. Does that take more time? Of course, but finding and training a new staff member takes much longer. Key areas to focus on include:

  1. Trust/Value/Inclusion  Does an employee feel their worth? Do you trust them with projects and allow them to take initiative? Do they trust that management will follow through on promises? Employees want to feel that they are a part of something and that their contributions are valued.
  2. Appreciation/Recognition  When people are recognized they tend to shine. Most of us want to feel appreciated and be recognized when we work hard and complete tough projects. This doesn’t necessarily mean a bonus every time. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a sincere ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’. Better yet, maybe it’s lunch with the boss, a gift card to dinner, a shout-out on LinkedIn, a paid day off or a happy hour to recognize an entire team. Be creative; the important thing to remember is that most employees will feel more attached and motivated if they are recognized.
  3. Educational Assistance  Of course, there’s tuition reimbursement (up to $5,250 annually of tax-free education help), but how about offering to pay for certification courses or specialized training in exchange for working at least a year or more after completion? There are also industry conferences providing concentrated learning in just a few days. There are no perfect employees, but by identifying weaknesses and missing skills, and providing training for shortcomings, you’ll help employees develop and set them up for higher-level positions within your organization. This is a very personalized benefit, and it promotes loyalty as well as instills a sense of confidence that the employee can grow within your organization instead of looking elsewhere.
  4. Flexible Schedules  Can’t increase pay? Shorten the work week! Not every company can afford wage increases right now. However, there are other ways to retain employees. Some organizations have reduced the number of hours worked while keeping compensation the same. Others have compressed the work week into four days, giving employees three days off per week. This model works for both virtual and required on-site employees. Managing on-site employee schedules within the shortened work week schedule will obviously be more challenging, but it’s another great way to attract and retain talent. An alternative option is a 9/80 work schedule that consists of a total of eight nine-hour days, one eight-hour day, and one day off spread over a two-work week period.
  5. Physical/Mental Wellness Programs  Employees who take care of their physical and mental well-being are more likely to be productive and successful in their careers.  Increasingly, companies have implemented programs to help employees achieve this goal plus it helps reduce absenteeism and healthcare costs. Here’s a good sampling of the variety of programs:
    1. Wellness programs – weight loss, smoking cessation, mindfulness programs
    2. Health risk assessments/screenings
    3. Exercise programs and activities – physical activity breaks, employee activity clubs, discounted/subsidized health club memberships, activity tracker step challenges
    4. Nutrition education – onsite healthy food vending machines, offer healthy food/snacks at meetings, provide healthy food messaging for employees. I know one company with a small garden that provides tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and herbs free to their employees!

Attracting and retaining employees will be the defining business issue of the 2020s. For healthcare organizations, which rely heavily on a highly skilled workforce, getting staffing right is the difference between thriving and obsolescence. As you consider some of the ideas we’ve covered here, you may want to evaluate your supervisors and managers who need to build and lead this engaged and motivated workforce. These leaders need to be committed and well-trained to take on this responsibility. This new focus on employee experience needs to be embraced and appreciated from the top down.

Need to fill a key role temporarily while you find a permanent hire? Need a resource to fill today's gap and help train and onboard a future hire? MedAxiom Talent Solutions delivers interim cardiovascular experts to fill critical staffing gaps, including administrator and leadership roles. The full-service staffing solutions model ensures you have the right candidate for the right position at the right time. Learn more.

Leave a Comment

« Back