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Today, HR managers in the healthcare industry go far beyond recruitment to take up a more holistic role.
In this post-pandemic era, their roles and responsibilities have dramatically expanded. HRs are actively taking part in research, analysis, and implementation of new-age HR management strategies to bring the best out of the healthcare workforce despite the current labor shortage.
The healthcare staffing shortage is real and has dire consequences.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 2.1 million job openings in this industry and the second highest openings rate in the country.
The demand is not only for surgeons or specialist medical practitioners. The shortage of labor is at every level of the healthcare industry including nurses, DNP graduates, doctors, therapists, technicians, and all kinds of non-medical workers.
A shrinking talent pool and ever-growing demand for the healthcare workforce have pushed HR heads to come up with more sustainable strategies to manage this department.
If you are a healthcare HR, you know the healthcare recruitment challenges firsthand. And to tackle them, you need to put on your problem-solving hat and look for practical solutions. HR Clouds can be your perfect companion in better managing human resources and creating a positive work culture in your organization.
Here are the 6 practical and effective tactics to manage HR in the healthcare industry in 2022 and beyond.
The primary responsibility of HR managers in healthcare, as in any other industry, is to scout for the best talents and recruit them.
In the healthcare industry, managers may struggle to stay on top of the recruitment game as the availability of candidates is quite limited due to the strict qualification requirements.
HR managers need to use advanced HR software like HR Cloud solutions to effectively manage different stages of the hiring process and deliver a delightful employee onboarding experience.
For instance, to expedite the paperwork, you can use different DocuSign alternatives e-signature tools to get the documents signed at the convenience of the recruit.
You can share comprehensive videos for knowledge transfer, come up with an effective mentoring program, and ensure the recruit is engaged and set up for success right from day one.
Once you hire a good healthcare workforce for your hospital, it is imperative that you nurture and mold them.
In an industry like healthcare, adequate training and skill development can sometimes be the difference between saving lives and losing them. And that's why HR managers have the great responsibility of getting every new recruit trained thoroughly before they start working with the patients.
So, if you want to successfully manage HR in the healthcare industry, work with employees to set professional goals for themselves and come up with well-designed training programs to reach them.
Everything from their daily tasks to hospital work culture, soft skills, getting acquainted with the latest equipment, stress management and so much more should be covered in the training sessions. It’s the same for being an HR in the graphic design industry.
Ensure the training is tailored to the specific needs of their work areas.
The effects of the “Great Resignation” is evident in the healthcare industry too.
According to the NSI Nursing Solutions report, there was a sharp increase in the hospital turnover rate in 2021.
The responsibility to reduce turnover and improve retention rates greatly rests upon the shoulders of HR managers.
One of the best solutions HR managers have before them is internal mobility programs.
Most HRs agree that internal recruiting helps retain their most valuable talents. It is also a great employee engagement technique.
If you want to successfully manage HR in the healthcare industry, you have to come up with a comprehensive internal mobility strategy. Some of the major components of this program could be:
Creating a database of your present employees’ KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities)
Identifying the promotions or new roles they qualify for
Identifying the skill gaps
Partnering with L&D teams to bridge the skill gaps
Building an internal career page exclusively for your employees
While recruiting current employees for new positions, you should look beyond their skills or qualification and consider qualities like leadership, teamwork, and their contribution to your hospital.
You might be aware of how the affiliate marketing concept works. Why not create a similar program for your employees to refer professionals, both internally and externally, for different positions and get rewarded for doing so?
Not only will the employees enjoy the benefits of employee recognition programs but it will bear a positive impact on your employer branding too. And HR Cloud offers best-in-class solutions to help HRs plan, strategize, and execute such programs in the most effective manner.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that healthcare professionals are some of the most stressed-out employees in the world, resulting in most of them getting married later in life.
And this is where the HR managers have a major role to play.
They should strategize to manage HR in the healthcare industry in a way that even in the midst of stressful situations, medical professionals are highly productive.
Not just occupational stress, but there are several other reasons why healthcare professionals could be dissatisfied and quit their jobs.
For instance, according to GoCo, the expectation for workplace safety is highest in the healthcare industry. Besides GDPR compliance in healthcare, HR managers and healthcare center leaders must implement safety measures like hospital security cameras, mental health resources, and other precautions to protect their employees.
When managing HR in the healthcare industry, ensure that your hospital’s aim to deliver exceptional care to the patients should not take a toll on the employees.
Your job is to develop a strong healthcare employee engagement strategy that reduces their stress levels. Work on helping doctors and nurses to serve with the required level of enthusiasm without experiencing burnout.
Some of the steps you could take to reduce dissatisfaction and burnout include:
Providing protection from injuries
Providing job security
Promoting positive mental well-being by creating a healthy working environment
Implementing pro-employee regulations
These can greatly contribute to enhancing employee lifetime value, which in marketing terms, is similar to customer lifetime value.
Along with building deep talent pipelines, HRs in the healthcare industry need to manage plenty of other responsibilities. And to efficiently deliver at every front, they need to rely heavily on technology.
As a HR manager, it is your responsibility to stay up to date on emerging technologies and introduce the right tools to your team to be highly productive.
You should stay well aware of the integration of AI and IoT in healthcare, and other technologies that are revolutionizing the industry and making work easier.
A comprehensive solution like HR Cloud can boost your performance and efficacy by helping you manage everything from recruitment to onboarding new staff, collaboration, and performance management using a single platform.
For an efficient and quick adaptation of new technology, the learning curve has to be as shallow as possible.
Adopt an effective technology assessment and training program to get everyone in the HR department future-ready.
As you can see in this ACIS report, around 70-75% of patients said that they were satisfied with the in-patient and out-patient care provided by hospitals.
Patient care goes beyond the treatment and nursing care that the patients receive. And that's where HR professionals have a significant role to play.
As HR managers, it is your responsibility to ensure cordial and professional interaction between patients and the staff, be it the doctors, nurses, or the admin team.
“Interim Healthcare SLC needed HR technology, and we’re pleased with the results we’ve gained from HR Cloud’s solutions for recruiting, onboarding, and employee engagement. Yet it’s an opportunity for all Interim franchises. It would be so great if each franchise owner could implement similar solutions to replace legacy systems that might not work as well as they should.”
Start by streamlining your scheduling process based on spikes in patient traffic and employee availability.
Ensure employees get the soft skills training, software, hardware, and other resources they need to ensure patient satisfaction.
As we conclude, the role of an HR manager in the healthcare industry is far more inclusive than in many other industries. From boosting employee morale to developing a positive company culture and improving patient experience, your plate is always full.
And to successfully manage HR in the healthcare industry, they might even need to wear a cape and work like superheroes.
If you are an HR leader or manager in the healthcare industry, you know the challenges you face.
Go ahead and adopt the strategies we’ve shared to create a comfortable working environment for your hospital’s healthcare workers. Along with that, consider incorporating the tools offered by HR Cloud to perform to your full potential.
Your efforts will surely lead to enhanced employee and patient satisfaction.
Author Bio:
Gaurav Sharma is the founder and CEO of Attrock, a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years | 10X leads | 2.8X conversions | 300K organic monthly traffic. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business 2 Community, TechCrunch, and more.