3 hospital employee engagement strategies

A small hospital that enlisted Gallup's help to boost employee engagement not only improved its overall engagement score in a three-year period, it also experienced a drop in staff turnover and workers' compensation claims.

Hospital leaders reached out to the research company in 2010 to help them improve engagement and ensure that hospital staff remained devoted to their roles and work, according to the Gallup Business Journal, which didn't identify the organization.

As part of the initiative, the hospital followed three interventions:

  1. Hand-picked staff based on talent: The organization used a scientific approach to hire all new employees, including executives, managers, nurses and front-line staff.

  2. Provided staff with ongoing development opportunities: The hospital offered programs to employees to meet and exceed performance expectations.

  3. Enlisted leaders to emphasize engagement: The chief executive officer set the tone by emphasizing engagement and urging managers to help their teams set goals and meet them.

Since the hospital implemented these strategies, its overall engagement score rose from the 20th percentile to above the 70th percentile, according to the Journal. In addition, the article reports that hospital turnover dropped from 22 percent to 15 percent and registered nurse (RN) turnover was cut nearly in half, from 25 percent in 2010 to 13 percent in 2013. Workers' compensation claims also dipped from 18 per year to seven per year.

The changes also led to significant savings. Costs associated with hospital RN turnover decreased by $1.7 million from 2010 to 2013, the Journal reports.

Hospitals also succeed in increasing employee engagement by using data, FierceHealthcare previously reported. Organizations can boost workplace satisfaction by offering employees small surveys to gauge engagement progress and get feedback on improvement efforts; conducting regular forums and meetings to highlight personal and professional achievements; and defining a vision for what they want their workplace environment to look like.

To learn more:
- read the Gallup Business Journal article

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