6 Top Tips for Improving Staff Retention in Healthcare

If you’re constantly on the recruitment roller coaster, you face:

• Significant hiring costs for replacement staff.
• Time and money spent training new candidates.
• Team disruption and potential loss of staff morale.
• Burdening staff with extra work while a replacement is found.

Your medical centre or health practice thrives when staff enjoy their work and patients have a positive experience when visiting. So, how can you fulfil, develop and reward valuable employees to increase your staff retention?

DISCOVER WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES THINK

You can’t improve the situation until you know what’s wrong. Consider using anonymous surveys to find out what’s really happening in your organisation. You may be surprised by the issues this reveals. Once you know what could be driving staff away you can take steps to solve the problem.

INVOLVE YOUR STAFF IN DECISION-MAKING

Don’t impose arbitrary changes. Instead, work with staff to ensure you get the best possible solution to road blocks in your practice. This has three advantages. It takes the burden of decision-making off you, creates more lasting, viable solutions, and gives staff fewer reasons to leave you for a competitor. Share survey results with employees and ask for their feedback on how to improve the situation. Giving staff ‘ownership’ of procedures is a great way to win their loyalty.

BUILD AN INCLUSIVE COMPANY CULTURE

A healthy work culture goes a long way to building strong teams and encouraging staff to stay. Successful companies, in whatever field, know the importance of including, valuing and respecting their staff. Make sure everyone feels recognised. Treat staff to morning and afternoon teas, organise team lunches, and even some extra-curricular fun activities.

MAP CLEAR CAREER PATHS

It’s vital to keep employees motivated and on track by providing them with ongoing work goals and clear career paths – otherwise they will simply go elsewhere. We all need incentives to help us grow. Show employees they have a definite role in your business going forward. They are likely to pay you back with loyalty as well as increased productivity.

REWARD YOUR EMPLOYEES IN DIFFERENT WAYS

At the end of the day, everyone wants to work in a fair, supportive and encouraging workplace. Consider the many ways you can reward your staff beyond the obvious pay increase. This includes flexible hours, family-friendly workplace, personal thanks and accolades with prizes for ‘employee of the month’ or ‘outstanding patient service’.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT RECRUITER

Of course, you will be interviewing in healthcareat some point. Choosing the right agency makes all the difference to the quality of your health sector employees. So, be sure to select a specialist recruitment agency with extensive experience in the field.

Happy staff make a happy workplace, so why not start improving yours today?