In the high-pressure environment of a hospital where even small decisions can be the difference between life and death, you need a highly qualified, well-trained and satisfied set of employees. The unfortunate reality, however, is that there is a worryingly high rate of hospital staff turnover; it was at 17.2% in 2015, up from 13.5% in 2011.
This impacts the quality of patient care, and also puts a heavy burden on your hospital’s operational cost. The cost of losing a single nurse is equal to twice the nurse’s annual salary. A high turnover also indicates a failure of your HR team’s ability to develop a sense of workplace pride in your staff, and to keep them committed to the hospital’s goals.
It isn’t all doom and gloom, though. Your HR team can turn the tide on employee dissatisfaction by doubling down on measures to improve morale and automating workflows to make processes as efficient as possible.
1. Start off strong with great talent
Demand for great talent in the healthcare industry far outstrips supply – some reports estimate a shortage of almost one million nurses in the US by 2020. In such a competitive environment, it’s likely that the candidates who impress your HR team are also interviewing with other hospitals.
You want to let a candidate know from the first interaction that your hospital is a different place to work at. If you take a week or more to get an approval for hiring a new head of nursing, her expectations will be set pretty low with regards to the level of efficiency she can expect. You don’t want to start by disappointing your staff before they even join.
With an automated approval workflow, hiring managers can weigh in quickly using a mobile app and put offers on the table within hours. That’s something they probably aren’t experiencing anywhere else.
2. Set your employees up for success
It takes a team effort to provide excellent healthcare in a hospital, and each employee has to be on top of their game. This can only happen if you nail your training processes. If a new receptionist can’t make sense of the hospital’s check-in software, or a pharmacist doesn’t have a good handle on how her shelves are stocked, it leads to delays that set off a domino effect of confusion and frustration amongst numerous patients and employees.
To minimize the risk of mistakes adding up and disrupting patient care, set up an automated training workflow to ensure that all new hires hit the ground running.
3. Reward and Retain
Suppose one of your nurses serves as a role model to other employees through his technical strength and his ability to time and again put the needs of the patient above his own. Nothing will motivate him more than a bonus that is timed right after a tremendous week of patient care. But if bureaucratic slowness gets in the way of your good intentions, it could be months before he actually receives the money. Eliminate approval inefficiencies with an automated workflow, and ensure that your best employees always know how much you value them.
4. Stay on top of conflict resolution
While toiling for long hours in a pressure cooker of a workplace, tensions can flare up even between two well-meaning employees. Sweeping these issues under the rug will only lead to breakdowns in crucial working relationships, and will create a caustic environment. But by encouraging your employees to report issues confidentially through Kissflow HR Cloud software on your hospital’s network, your HR team can stay abreast of important issues and work quickly to resolve them. This keeps the workplace happy, and helps ensure that your best talent stay and take your hospital to greater heights.
In a high-stress hospital environment where employees work tirelessly to offer the best patient care, nothing motivates them like their great work getting acknowledged. By automating your HR workflows with Kissflow HR Cloud, you can ensure that well-thought-out employee programs are actually carried out and that benefits are awarded on time.
With Kissflow HR Cloud, you can nip the employee turnover problem in the bud. So, don’t wait – try a free demo of Kissflow HR Cloud today!
