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Introduction. Human Resource is a key function in the area of Healthcare. In the United States more than 14 million people are employed in the healthcare industry (Flynn et al., 2016). Understanding the nature and peculiarities of HR in the healthcare context is important. There are many challenges related to the way the industry functions and the nature of service that is expected to be provided by the employees.
Highly educated and motivated employees are key to maintaining the operational efficiency and success of the business. With a lack of qualified employees; recruiting, interviewing, training and retaining key personnel becomes critical (Dieleman and Harnmeijer, 2006). Many organizations either, fail to recognize the importance of HRM in their strategic planning process or give it cursory thought.
Since the industry is very human-dependent and labor intensive, care needs to be taken in the quality of service delivered. Peculiar to healthcare industry is the fact that the service is purchased and consumed at the same time.
Since the dependence on human beings is so high, the areas of recruiting, interviewing, training and retention, gain importance. The skills and talents of the employees hired will directly determine the quality of service delivered.
The skills and talents, however, will change in the course of time, due to training factors, motivation, benefits given, compensation, performance awards and obsolescence due to technology.
Since the level of performance determines the level of service, the healthcare industry needs to keep a close eye on the performance indicators of all employees and monitor it regularly (Maurer, 2015). According to Maurer (2015), a survey carried out by HealthCareers amongst HR managers revealed that almost 73% expect to have the same job over 2 years. Almost half believed that the most difficult factor is to find the talented and skilled candidates – doctors and nurses.
Key Steps in the HR planning process
Organizational goals and objectives. The first step in the planning process is to understand the vision and mission of the organization. The HR process also needs to take into consideration the business objectives of the organization, skill gaps that exist, budgets available and the needs and aspirations of the employees.
Environmental Scan. Another factor to consider is the environmental scan – factors or changes in government policy, education and training, other disruptive factors which will impact the recruiting and growth of the organization. This will include labor trends, economic outlook, social and cultural factors, technology changes. From an internal viewpoint, changes in compensation, laws relating to employment, diversity, health policy platform, service delivery, training, learning, and ethics will need to be considered.
Gap Identification. The next step is to identify the gaps that exist in the skills that are available and the skills that are needed.
Develop the Plan. Based on the data available the plan needs to be developed which covers different functions and processes within HR.
Monitoring. Measurement and monitoring form a very important part of this process. This helps in understanding whether the plan is working as desired and whether any corrective steps need to be undertaken.
Once we have arrived at how we will develop the plan and monitor it, we need to look at the finer aspects of key areas within HR operations - Recruiting, Interviewing, Training and Motivation (Retention).
Recruiting. Among the many practices that have been employed successfully for recruitment, the employer brand is one of the most important. It is critical to monitor how candidates and external stakeholders think and feel about the company. Key to this is again the monitoring of Press articles, views on social media and engagement with educational institutions and communities. An employer brand will enable companies to attract the right talent at the right compensation. It will also help in managing the pipeline effectively.
As the industry is facing labor shortages globally, there is a need to deploy an efficient strategy for attracting new talent (Gruzd, 2011). The right kind of employees will not only help in providing the best service to customers, but also help in higher motivation, team spirit, lesser turnover and more profitability. Especially in the healthcare industry, the ability to hire quickly, onboard and retain employees plays a major role in overall patient care.
Besides the normal challenges of attracting the right talent – compensation, benefits and so on, the major challenge is also the shortage of the workforce and globalization. Skilled workers are given attractive pay and benefits from many global organizations.
Technology is playing a major role today in all aspects of human engagement. With millions of job boards and web sites, candidates have a plethora of job choices and comparisons to make.
Companies are also relying on technology to keep track of resume databases, manage candidate process, references, offers and so on. Effective sourcing strategies involve the creation of a data pool of internal and external candidates for the skill gaps that would have been identified.
According to Maurer (2015), the design of the right compensation and benefits policy is critical to attract healthcare employees. For example, new doctors would be looking for innovative debt relief from their student loans. C&B policies that are tied to the lifestyle and needs of the healthcare professionals will help in creating a differentiated employer brand and attract the right talent.
Monthly stipends can be given to doctors in college if they commit to join the company. Given the nature of the profession – very human focused and intensive – a good work life balance will be desirable for most healthcare professionals.
Candidate engagement in schools and universities should be managed effectively to ensure that the company is in the consideration set, when employees are looking for new opportunities.
Many candidates are using social and mobile to connect with companies and other employees. An effective Alumni program and connect initiatives on digital media will help keep the name of the company top-of-mind.
Interviewing. The interview process must involve qualitative and behavioral techniques. Since the roles are very human oriented with patient interactions, the key is to hire the right people who have the temperament, patience and culture to excel in the service they provide.
According to Morgeson (2015), many organizations only check on professional skills and technical expertise while evaluating candidates. It is mandatory that candidates be assessed for attitude, motivation and culture fit. Innovative and creative ways can be designed to ensure a two-way interview process.
A mix of structured and non structured techniques can be used, based on the nature of the job and skills needed. A good candidate must show a good understanding of the healthcare industry and be passionate about the work.
In addition, tenets such as honesty, integrity, respect, customer service, compassion and collaborative working are favorable.
Many organizations are using behavioral assessments to help select the right candidates who possess the right soft skills to match the job role. The scientific assessment helps in understanding the needs, motivations and behavioral characteristics of the candidate – helping the company hire the best person for the job.
Training. Skill development and training form a key part of the HR process and employee development cycle. Training is very important since the industry is undergoing change – in terms of technology, workforce shortages and service levels.
Developing career development and continuing education programs will help employees up skill and stay current on their competencies. There can be many forms of training techniques (AHA, 2013).
Extensive Training: This type of training is organized to help employees achieve greater performance, related to the goals of the organization.
Career Development: This type of training identifies the correct career path for employees and provision of support to attain that goal
Management Training: This involves the identification of the leadership pipeline and talent to help the organization’s future strategic direction.
Retaining Employees. Building motivation and retention plans are critical to the healthcare industry (Gruzd, 2011). The retention rates are quite low. There are unavoidable reasons – marriage, change of location, studies or retirement. But 20% of workers move jobs every year.
This percentage (12-15%) is more than other industries. The HR mantra that we all know is that hiring a new employee costs 6 times more than retaining one. In the healthcare industry, it costs about $50,000 to hire and train a nurse. It could be double that for critical care nurses. The turnover numbers therefore need to be controlled and reduced.
Employee engagement programs are key to keep employees happy and satisfied in their work roles. Supervisors and managers play a key role in motivation and team management. Keeping a healthy work environment will help retain the best employees.
Positive and successful engagement programs have been seen to increase performance levels. Communication strategies are needed to ensure that all employees stay engaged and aligned to the organizational goals.
An effective feedback mechanism with supervisors is also necessary to ensure that employees are heard.
Challenges and Solutions. One-on-one interviews with supervisors can be held to understand what ‘at risk’ employees feel about the organization and their role in it. Questions relating to their aspirations, motivations and behavioral assessments can help in understanding their motivation to leave or stay.
These processes will help in flagging employees who are unhappy and demotivated; so necessary action can be taken to help retain them. Retention is the main challenge that HR people face in the healthcare industry.
It is therefore imperative that HR training should include some of these behavioral aspects to help in building positive culture.
Supervisors and manager must ensure that (Gruzd, 2011):
Employees are treated with respect and kindness
Encouraged to speak about their grievances and thoughts
Communication is open
Policies are fair and neutral
Keep staff aware of organizational changes and developments
Organize awards, felicitations, birthday and anniversary celebrations
Have a fair performance review system
Frame policies which promote work life balance
Skill development and special coaching/mentoring
Support and reward good performance on a monthly basis
Encourage team work and collaboration
Provide exemplary leadership
Create a positive culture
Organize team outings
Recognize hobbies and provide opportunities to showcase
Create financial programs (loan assist, scholarships, housing, pay hike and rewards)
Managers must ensure that these challenges are addressed on a regular basis and a record
is kept in the HR Information System. This is to ensure that any change in the HR department will not impact the developmental needs of the employees since the records of skilling; training and career advancement will be readily available.
Managers can keep track of the progress of the various HR programs and initiatives based on the following factors.
Conclusion. As the healthcare industry grows and the labor force contracts, the role of HRM in the organization will be critical. Strategic planning levers and operations like recruiting, interviewing, training and motivation should be managed effectively to ensure that the skill gaps are reduced and the pipeline of new employees is strong. Needless to say, the HR function will play a key role in determining the success or failure of the healthcare organization.
References
American Hospital Association. (2013). Developing an Effective Health Care Workforce
Planning Model. AHA.org. Retrieved from:
http://www.aha.org/content/13/13wpmwhitepaperfinal.pdf
Dieleman, M and Harnmeijer, J. W. (2006). Improving health worker performance:
in search of promising practices. KIT - Royal Tropical Institute, World Health Organization. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/hrh/resources/improving_hw_performance.pdf
Flynn, W. J., Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., and Valentine, S. R. (2016). Healthcare Human
Resource Management. New York: Cengage Learning.
Gruzd, N. (2011). Attracting, Onboarding and Retaining Employees
Within the Health Care Industry. Naylornet. Retrieved from:
http://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=134767&issueID=22500
Maurer, R. (2015). Managing the Talent Gap in Health Care Staffing. Society for Human
Resource Management. Retrieved from: https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/staffingmanagement/articles/pages/talent-gap-healthcare-staffing.aspx
Morgeson, F. P. (2015). How healthcare organizations leverage behavioral assessments to recruit
top talent and reduce employee turnover. Becker’s Hospital Review. Retrieved from: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/how-healthcare-organizations-leverage-behavioral-assessments-to-recruit-top-talent-and-reduce-employee-turnover.html
