Work with your Hospital Foundation to Invest in Employee Engagement

The Advisory Board Company, a best practices firm, found that 20% of all hospital employees are either disengaged or ambivalent, while 40% are merely content. Engaged employees, on the other hand, believe in their organization’s mission, vision and values. Healthcare organizations are so focused on delivering patient care that they may unintentionally overlook the people who provide that care in addition to those on the front-lines who have staff and patient interaction.

Increased Employee Satisfaction and Retention The “war for talent” is growing each day, with competition for healthcare hires on the rise and open roles exceeding the number of qualified professionals available to fill them. Employees who don’t feel connected to your organization have plenty of opportunities to pick up and leave when another opportunity presents itself. When they feel they belong in your organization, either because of the people you serve, the team they work with, or the opportunities they have for growth, they will stay longer.

Improved Patient Care and Satisfaction Engaged employees will go the extra mile to provide high quality care, while disengaged employees may do the bare minimum just to get through the day. Every employee in your organization, from your physicians and nurses to housekeepers and environmental service staff, have an impact on  patient satisfaction — for better or for worse. When your employees are stressed, your patients will be stressed. But when your employees are happy and go out of their way to make a difference, your patients will see it and be happier too.

 Improved Employer Brand and Candidate Quality As employee and patient satisfaction improves, your employer brand — or the way candidates perceive your organization — will improve as well. People would rather work in an organization with happy employees and patients — so you will find it easier to recruit and retain top-tier talent. Healthcare organizations will be competing in the same talent pool, but a great employer brand can help you stand out as an employer of choice so you can win the best talent for your team.

Increased Profit For each 1% increase in employee engagement, The Advisory Board saw a 0.33% increase in HCAHPS Overall Hospital Rating, and a 0.25% increase in HCAHPS Willingness to Recommend Rating. When patient satisfaction and HCAHPS scores are directly tied to revenue, happy patients can increase profits for your organization. With better patient care, it’s likely you’ll also see shorter hospital stays, fewer malpractice suits, and lower recruitment costs. 85% of engaged employees display a genuinely caring attitude toward patients, while only 38% of disengaged employees do, an engaged employee can be the key to high quality care and patient satisfaction.