It may be a misconception that employees from the millennial generation are fickle, but practices do need to ensure they find ways to keep staffers in their 20s and 30s fulfilled, according to an article from Physicians Practice.
"Millennials are not going to be surgery schedulers for 35 years," said Elizabeth Woodcock, an Atlanta-based practice management consultant. "That's just not happening. In order to retain them, you have to keep them engaged."
Here are three surprising ways to do just that:
- Think past your practice. Millennials are as interested in causes that help improve society as they are averse to corporate greed. Leverage this mindset by having your office organize or participate in coat drives, charity walks or runs or other events that support your community. Employees should never be pressured to make donations, however.
- Offer leadership opportunities from the get-go. Millennials have much of their careers still in front of them and are often eager to expand their skills, so send them to workshops and conferences that help keep new knowledge flowing back to your practice. Many groups, for example, are having their millennial employees train older doctors on ICD-10, according to Kurt Mosley, senior vice president of physician search firm Merritt Hawkins.
- Embrace their desire for better work-life balance. Because patients are looking for access to your practice outside of their workdays, flexible scheduling options can be win-win for your staff and clientele, the article noted. With physicians especially, the push for more personal time is less a function of laziness than of this generation's doctors seeing "how overworked and frustrated" many older, more-established physicians are, and seeking to avoid that fate, FiercePracticeManagement reported previously.
To learn more:
- read the article