Problems In Today’s Healthcare Employee Climate
- By Michael W. Hill, Author of Measuring to Manage

• Worker Burnout - Unplanned Turnover: the latest figures show that employees in the healthcare industry experience burnout more than those in many other industries. Unplanned turnover can be very costly to your organization.
• Low Salaries: many employees are frustrated because they do not feel they are being paid fairly, considering the demands of the job.
• Organization Problems: overall inefficiencies in the healthcare industry frustrate many employees.
• Slow to Adapt to Technology: everything moves at a very fast pace now. Your technology needs to be up-to-date.

Many of the problems facing today’s healthcare workers are the same as workers in other industries are experiencing, but there are some that are unique to healthcare workers. In this article, I will address four issues management must address if they want to retain workers and have them be as productive as possible.

Worker Burnout - Unplanned Turnover

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2020 to 2030, careers in the healthcare industry are forecasted to grow by 16 percent. Where your organization finds its employees and how it keeps the employees it has are two very important issues that, when solved, will streamline recruiting and improve turnover.

It is difficult to put a dollar figure on worker burnout but it can be addressed by helping to facilitate a work/life balance. Just this morning, I was to have some bloodwork done but with two employee no-shows, I had to leave the physician’s office without getting the blood drawn because of a prior appointment.

What is my next step? Looking for another physician? When measured against other industries, the healthcare industry has the number two highest turnover rate, with the hospitality sector being number one. The latest figures show that unplanned turnover can cost as much as three to five times the annual salary of the individual involved.

The need to keep top talent cannot be overemphasized. Unplanned turnover can be devastating to an organization.

Employers must become proactive in retaining their top talent. They must come up with new ways to counter the reasons for employees leaving. At the same time, they must keep their clients happy and make a profit. This is quite a plateful.

Low Salaries

Many workers in the healthcare industry feel that they are underpaid. Although the hourly rate may be higher than for some other industries. The workers feel that the combination of hours worked and the demands of the job justify higher wages. Do your workers feel like they are compensated for the work they do? Are there other benefits other than money that you can give employees that will make them feel satisfied with the job? Most importantly, have you asked?

Organization Problems

Poor organizational structure can be frustrating to your workers. How your organization handles such issues as increased costs, coding updates, feedback on employee performance, to name a few, affects employee satisfaction. All these issues can lead to poor performance from your employees. When an employee is frustrated, their performance goes down and their stress level goes up—both cost the organization a lot of money. Many employees are frustrated because they are not being given the direction or support they need to succeed in their jobs. These days many employees are brought into companies for one particular job but within months or years, they end up with new responsibilities and tasks assigned to them.

Slow to Adapt to Technology

Most organizations have a hard time keeping up with the world of ever-changing technology. Employees hear about new technology and don’t understand why they don’t have access to it. In healthcare this can even be life-altering or life-saving technology. If employees are concerned about lack of or slow pace of new technology implementation address it by keeping them informed of future implementation plans. Due dates and even just general updates to keep the employees informed can go a long way to eliminating employee stress.

To get the solutions to the above issues, you will need help. Consider reaching out to a professional firm that specializes in the type of research that can assist your company in employee retention. Mobius’ Employee Experience, EX Consulting Employee Experience—Mobius Vendor Partners (mobiusvp.com)—support your goal to implement an effective employee experience strategy. From assessing through measurement (using their world class EX feedback management system, CustomerCount®) of current staff sentiment to managing recommended improvements, Mobius will help you motivate your team to higher productivity, greater retention, and healthy engagement.

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About the Author

Mike Hill has over 30 years of experience in privately owned and publicly traded companies and is currently an Executive Consultant at Mobius Vendor Partners, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also a Birkman Professional focused on employee experience. His work with Mobius focuses on increasing employee performance leading to increased company performance. As a consultant and workshop presenter, he has worked with hundreds of managers in organizations ranging from Fortune 1500, mid-size companies, startups, and nonprofits. Mike received his BA and MBA from St. Bonaventure University in New York.

About Mobius Vendor Partners and Patients-Count

Formed in 1999, Mobius Vendor Partners specializes in business process improvement through design, management, and performance, with a focus on feedback data collection and analysis. Today, by utilizing its cutting-edge technology platform known as CustomerCount®, Mobius Vendor Partners is regarded as a leader in feedback surveys for both consumers and employees. Our solutions allow users to measure experiences for a wide range of areas including Health Care Patients, Employees, and Hospitality Guests. Mobius Vendor Partners is a highly valued resource with a reputation for taking the simple and ordinary, and creating outcomes that are both remarkable and efficient. Contact us today to learn more.