Hospitals that work toward creating a more collaborative and inclusive environment for employees tend to happier workers and, as a result, more satisfied patients, a recent report published by Press Ganey Associates concludes. Currently, 45 percent of the 235,000 employees surveyed consider themselves "distanced from or discontent with their current work."
Employees who seem the most unhappy are younger employees--mostly Gen Y and Gen Xers--while those employees born prior to 1945 appear to be more satisfied with their roles. Researches pointed out that part of the reason for this gap is that Gen X and Gen Y employees desire recognition for their work; they also want to be included in decision making processes.
"Tomorrow's successful leaders need to learn about Gen X and Gen Y employees and be trained on their needs, which also include more focus on the 'softer' side of management," the report says. "[They need to be trained on] saying thank you, investing in a relationship to build trust and being a coach and motivator for employees."
The report also suggests that senior leaders and managers give up some of their control for the betterment of employees. "To be successful in a complex organization such as a hospital, leaders must realize they cannot control everything," the authors write. "[I]nvolving staff in decisions improves the outcomes, adoption and sustainability of processes, programs and improvements."
Employees in the South and Southeastern portions of the U.S.--Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee--all tended to be happier than employees in other regions of the country. Employees on the West Coast and in the Central Atlantic recorded the lowest employee partnership scores.
To learn more:
- read this press release on the report
- here's the report