Employee Retention
By Montanna Hanson, AHI RN Consultant
Ask anybody what some of the greatest challenges facing their industry, and staffing needs are sure to be within the top 5. In the current climate, operating with a less-than-desired level of staff has become normal. Changes in the workforce and the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to this trend.
Companies can, and should, take this time to assess their policies that apply to employees for potential improvements. Pew Research found that the low pay, feeling disrespected, too few advancement opportunities, and not enough flexibility were among the top reasons that Americans left their jobs in 2021. (KIM PARKER, n.d.) Increasing wages is easier said than done, so improvements should be searched for within communication between employees and supervisors, employee engagement, and flexibility.
The best interpersonal relationships boast healthy, productive communication as one of their greatest strengths. Similarly, great relationships between leaders and staff embody this quality as well. Staff should feel comfortable bringing concerns, questions, etc. to any supervisor. However, every leader will have to deliver information that staff may disagree with and be frustrated over. The goal is for this information and frustration to not have a permanent impact on the relationship between parties. Management teams should focus on creating a transparent environment that strives to educate and empower staff. If a team member states they are upset about a policy change, initiate a conversation, and ask questions. Why are they upset about the change? How will this change impact their day-to-day role? Consider explaining the reasoning behind the change. Offer more in-depth training on the changes. Look into the need to re-assess workflow and revise standard operating procedure. Ideally, these options could lead to a better prepared, more efficient team with improved employee engagement. At the least, employees will feel respected and valued, making them more likely to reach out in the future.
The changing policies and guidelines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on staff. Employees want to be notified of changes, kept up to date on guidelines, and feel comfortable with the precautions being taken. Now, as the pandemic continues to wind down, and for much of the world is a non-issue, the health care industry remains impacted. To promote compliance with PPE, symptom reporting, etc., staff should be kept up to date with requirements and changes. Ideally, staff would all be updated each time a change is made, but rarely is all staff reached. Consider having a team member discuss current guidelines briefly at your daily meeting. Another option could be to create easy to read signage for the employee break room.
There continues to be a trend within the workforce from a motivated by money mindset to a motivated by time mentality. The pandemic exacerbated what had previously been a gradual shift, to a drastic change with significant impacts. Workers want more flexibility and greater benefits, as evidenced by the increase in calls for the U.S. to transition to a 4-day work week, even if it means a decrease in pay. Long term care settings operate 24/7, so imagination is required to increase flexibility and accommodations for staff. One option is to consider utilizing an online scheduling system that allows staff to trade shifts independently. After both staff members submit their change requests, managers only need to approve this. This saves time for everybody involved, as well as prevents employee call ins. Supervisors should ask their employees what changes they would like to see and discuss the potential of these changes.
The difficulties in finding and keeping employees has affected most within the health care system. This can be very discouraging to companies and leaders, in addition to clients. However, there are steps that organizations can take to take on this challenge. With input from team members, opportunities for change can be explored and implemented.