A proposal for hospital staff engagement

Inspiring productivity, commitment and brand advocacy

Faced with the challenges of healthcare reform, hospital leaders are recognizing the importance of building a high-quality workforce, and that staff engagement is an important part of their corporate culture.

What is staff engagement?

Staff engagement isn’t when one employee finally drums up the courage to get down on one knee and ask his coworker for change for the soda machine. Call it a modern take on job satisfaction; staff engagement is what happens when healthcare employees care about their organization and have an emotional bond to its success.

The benefits of an engaged workforce

Employees that feel highly engaged understand and take pride in their roles; they are committed to going all-in to accomplish their goals. Engaged employees tend be a hospital or practice’s best advocates, and the higher the level of engagement, the higher the level of productivity and the lower the chance of an employee leaving.

The findings of a survey by employee benefits provider Unum in partnership with Harvard Business Review Analytic Services of nearly 400 human resources decision-makers reported on the subject of staff engagement:

• 45% said improving staff engagement is a top challenge, and 70% expect that challenge to intensify.
• More than 40% said recruiting quality employees is a top challenge, and nearly 60% expect that challenge to intensify.
• Nearly 40% said dealing with the impact of health care reform is a top challenge, and 80% expect that challenge to intensify.

The survey also found that the role of corporate culture is perceived as critical to driving engagement, recruitment and retention of quality employees. The survey finds:

• A company’s values and focus on employee fulfillment are the most important factors in attracting and engaging quality employees.
• Being a company that cares about the well-being of its staff was twice as likely to be viewed as very important in attracting and retaining staff as providing a high salary.
• An attractive benefits package and an ethical, transparent culture were also more likely to be viewed as very important in attracting and retaining staff than were a high starting salary and job security.

Staff engagement is not a silly proposition. It benefits an entire organization. Employees get the satisfaction of a job that they believe in, fostering confidence in their role, which makes them feel valued while developing their strengths. Hospital leaders are rewarded with dedicated and productive employees who have the desire to do great work and find ways to better the workplace.