A few months ago, we wrote about the five reasons why medical professionals change employers. Some of those reasons included burnout, workplace drama, and feeling undervalued by superior. Now, we want to help you learn how to keep those employees happy with your group. These actions may take time to implement, but when done well – you will see rewarding results.
- Be honest in expectations. Groups need to be very clear about what is expected from the worker. Be as detailed and specific as possible on the front end about what the position entails.
- Give timely and affirmative responses to excellent work. When you notice an employee taking initiative to give superior care to a patient, or helpful instruction to a new co-worker, tell them you notice and appreciate their effort. This can be done through an audible affirmation or through a personalized note.
- Encourage patients and their families to write thank you notes to their medical practitioner. Health centers have little control over how challenging a patient acts towards his or her healthcare practitioners. However, groups can promote kind reviews and thank you notes to outstanding workers. Some health centers host employee “Gold Star Awards” in which patients are encouraged to nominate employees who have demonstrated outstanding patient care. It is encouraging to workers to see the reasons why they were nominated, even if they do not win.
- Understand their hopes and desires. A person feels a sense of accomplishment and pride when they get to do something in which they are uniquely gifted. Talk with them about any skills and abilities that they would like to use more at work.
- Meet with workers periodically to ensure that they are still engaged and excited at work. If they tell you that their tasks have become very repetitious and monotonous, try to assign a variety of new tasks to help them feel more challenged.