Operational excellence
7 min read

How to retain top talents in healthcare ?

Published on
February 26, 2024

Professional retraining is the new norm with 64% of workers (in France for exemple) ready to take the leap !

Motivations are diverse :

  • Working conditions that no longer match desires/needs,
  • Seeking flexibility,
  • Quest for meaning,
  • Personal development,
  • Breaking the routine,
  • Inadequate remuneration…

So how do you boost talent retention in this whirlwind of changes ?

Whether you're a hospital, private clinic, pharmaceutical industry, or laboratory, retaining the best talents in your establishment can be particularly challenging.

The impact of the pandemic on talent retention

In 2020, the pandemic disrupted the priorities and expectations of healthcare workers. Professionals in the sector faced unprecedented challenges, from increased workloads to the need to adapt quickly to changing protocols. This pressure had a significant impact on their mental and physical health.

New personal and professional aspirations

Some healthcare professionals have reevaluated their priorities in light of pandemic experiences, with many seeking more recognition for their hard work. Retaining your teams largely depends on how they are valued and recognized for their efforts.

Talents are now looking for workplaces that offer greater flexibility and a better work-life balance. Organizations that do not meet these needs will inevitably struggle to retain their employees !

No room for error for the employer !

Are departures more hastily considered in the case of professional disappointment ? If your recruitment promises are attractive, know that the key lies in their realization ! ☝ The consequences of too significant a gap between promises and reality can have problematic effects on the business, including :

  • Employee frustration,
  • Decreased performance,
  • Increased errors,
  • Negative reviews,
  • Deterioration of employer brand image,
  • Repeated sick leaves,
  • Inattentiveness and a higher risk of accidents,
  • Or, of course, resignations.

5 ways to retain Top Talents within your healthcare institution !

Navigating talent retention in the healthcare sector is kind of difficult... Here are five effective strategies to keep your top talents engaged and committed to your institution :

1. Continuing education support

Offering training opportunities to enable employees to enhance their skills is a powerful way to foster loyalty. This approach is a dual-benefit investment : it demonstrates your commitment to your employees' professional development while strengthening their loyalty to the organization.

Show that you are ready to invest in their professional growth !

Continuous training allows employees to stay updated with the latest advancements in their field, improving both their job performance and the quick access and quality of medical services provided. 🩺

Training your talents over the years gives them a compelling reason to stay within your institution rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere. By reducing your turnover rate, you also save costs associated with recruiting and training new employees.

You will also increase your attractiveness to new talents.

2. Annual evaluations

Annual evaluations are key moments that offer the opportunity to deepen the understanding of your employees' needs, concerns, and aspirations.

Implement a structured annual evaluation process that goes beyond a simple performance review. These evaluations should provide a safe space for employees to receive feedback for development and also express themselves without stress, embarrassment, or fear ! On your part, demonstrate active listening.

Based on the discussions emerging during these discussions, develop personalized action plans. The goal is to show that your organization is keen to support each individual's career.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the annual evaluation should not be an isolated event. Ensure continuous follow-up throughout the year, listen actively, coach your team members so that both parties can adjust action plans and address any new concerns. In other words, keep the office door open. 🚪😉

3. Support for professionals seeking specialization

At each annual evaluation, encourage your employees to express their professional aspirations and the areas in which they wish to specialize. Then, create a tailored support plan that allows for career advancement without disrupting the service's operation. This plan may involve rotations within different services, specific projects, or interdisciplinary collaborations…

📕 Also read : 7 things a change consultant management can do for you ! 

4. Schedule adjustments

Implementing more flexible schedules, or even scheduled on-call duties, allows employees to better balance their professional and personal obligations.

Reducing stress and improving employees' overall well-being will also be visible and positively impact their efficiency.

5. Use of temporary staff

The use of temporary staff allows for quick adjustments to staffing levels based on fluctuating needs, whether to cope with activity peaks, compensate for absences, or respond to unforeseen situations.

Planned absences are usually related to taking paid leave, training, taking time off, or long-term sick leave. Whatever they may be, these absences should not disrupt the service's operation or shift the workload onto the remaining employees. Temp staffing is an effective solution that helps prevent overload and maintain high levels of service quality.

In the healthcare field, where specialized skills may be required, temporary staff can be hired for specific missions (technicians, nurses, nursing assistants, administrative assistants, receptionists...).

Did you know ?
Using temporary staff is also cost-effective, more economical than hiring permanent staff for temporary needs ! 💰

Hiring a Change Management Advisor for talent retention

A Change Management Advisor is a professional experienced in managing change within organizations.

They can evaluate existing processes, HR policies, and employee feedback to better understand what promotes (or hinders) talent retention within a healthcare institution.

Based on their analysis, the advisor will develop a customized strategic plan.

  • Redesigning recruitment processes,
  • Introducing recognition and reward programs,
  • Developing strategies to meet new employee expectations, etc.

A Change Management Advisor is not only involved in the initial phase but also ensures continuous monitoring of implemented initiatives, adjusting the plan based on feedback and organizational context changes.

Hiring a Change Management Advisor allows you to anticipate changes, adapt strategies, and create an environment conducive to retaining top talents in an industry where competition is intense !

In summary

Retaining top talents in the healthcare sector has become increasingly challenging due to the changing aspirations of healthcare professionals and evolving job dynamics. 

Concrete recruitment promises are crucial to avoid detrimental consequences. This includes : 

  • continuous training, 
  • support for specializations, 
  • annual evaluations, 
  • flexible scheduling, 
  • and the use of interim teams when needed. 

If you lack time to anticipate changes and retain top talents in a highly competitive environment, seeking assistance from change management advisors like Bee’z Consulting is a viable option !

Sibylle Rolland

Transform Your
Healthcare Organization

Are you in one of these situations ?

A hospital looking for increased performance, frictionless digital processes and/or optimized infrastructure management…
A clinic suffering from evolving healthcare demands and a competitive markets...
A healthcare institution facing chronic understaffing, poor retention and/ or declining wellbeing of their specialized healthcare workers...

These challenges are not new, we all know it.Discover how our agile and collaborative solutions can drive growth and improve patient outcomes.

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