Quality staff members are hard to find and even harder to replace.
Turnover is an inevitable aspect of every business. However, it tends to hit the healthcare industry particularly hard. And outside of losing your labor, the costs can add up: Recruitment, training, and unused vacation payout are just a few factors negatively affecting your bottom line.
While some of this can be blamed on life in the medical industry, some other reasons could be contributing to professionals leaving. Knowing these factors can help you identify and resolve potential disruptions before an employee leaves.
If you find your medical office struggling with high turnover rates, follow these five tips for retaining quality staff at your medical practice.
Foster positive office relationships.
Studies show that your staff will work more productively if they feel like they’re part of a team. Set aside some time to arrange an office outing, whether a holiday party, a hosted potluck, or a quick happy hour outing.
Acknowledge and celebrate staff birthdays and other special occasions like work anniversaries. Trying to organize team activities shows you care about your staff and allows them to bond.
Listen to your staff members.
Life in the medical field is fast-paced and constantly changing. As an office manager, take advantage of opportunities to interact and openly listen to your team.
One of the best ways to keep your team engaged is to run routine “check-ins” on all employees. One-on-ones with individual team members and even engaging in regular team meetings can help everyone feel heard.
Offer competitive salaries.
Money isn’t everything, but proper compensation is vital to people, especially those who are good at their job and know their worth.
Educating yourself on industry-standard wages when making or attempting to keep a hire will help your office when seeking long-term employees.
Recognize your employees.
Even minor employee recognition can truly go a long way. Recognition can come in a variety of forms. Outside of the more apparent strategies like promotions or pay raises. Some ideas for employee recognition include:
- Positive feedback from a manager or supervisor
- Increased opportunities
- Public recognition or acknowledgment, like an award
Watch for burnout.
Healthcare is a challenging industry; it’s demanding and consuming work. Because of this, burnout is real and the mental, emotional, and physical demands can take a toll on your staff.
Keep an eye out for symptoms of burnout among your staff to help battle it and keep them feeling healthy and satisfied. Some signs include:
- The compulsion to work harder
- Neglecting personal needs
- Cynicism and negative talk
- Withdrawal
- Behavioral changes
- Depression
[Click here for some stress-reducing tips!]
Hardworking and happy employees are essential to medical practice success. A content and fulfilled team can improve patient satisfaction, productivity, and employee retention.
As an office manager, your job is to create a positive environment that encourages and rewards innovation and hard work and makes staff want to stay.
Tags: medical office management, medical offices, national organization of rheumatology managers, NORM, retaining staff, rheumatology, tips for office managers Posted by
