“The healthcare industry has been somewhat immune to the economic recession compared to other hard-hit industries,” says Patty Enrado on HealthcareFinanceNews.com, “but a new survey reveals that healthcare organizations are battling low employee morale. Twenty percent, or one in five, of the more than 350 healthcare employers reported low morale. Meanwhile, 38 percent of healthcare workers cited lack of motivation and nearly 25 percent reported no loyalty to their employers.” Healthcare employers are turning to recognition and incentive award programs in order to turn the tide of low employee engagement and loyalty.
The main complaint of healthcare employees, according to the article, is that they experience poor communication and a lack of recognition from management. In this case, award programs can be designed to improve communication and provide employees with consistent recognition and feedback. For clients of mine in the healthcare industry dealing with these same issues, I have helped to implement online recognition programs with peer recognition and some paper-based components.
Peer to peer recognition programs allow managers and employees to nominate other employees for an observed behavior. Employees can access the recognition website and fill out a peer to peer recognition form to thank a co-worker for their help, share anecdotes that demonstrate employee excellence and also post compliments about peers. When the management of a healthcare company is firmly behind the peer to peer components of a recognition program and consistently recognizes employees for their contributions, employees are more likely to also participate. Organizations that achieve this kind of participation can truly establish a culture of recognition in the workplace.
Another important component of healthcare recognition programs is including paper-based awards such as certificates of achievement or appreciation when an employee reaches an important milestone. Fromservice anniversaries and safety achievements to outstanding performances and on the spot recognition, paper-based recognition can reward employees and provide a kind of trophy for the employee to display at home or in the workplace. This trophy serves as a reminder of the employee’s achievement and also a reminder of being recognized for his or her contributions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that healthcare will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018, more than any other industry, making employee loyalty extremely important for healthcare employers. By instituting a standard way by which employees and managers can participate in a culture of recognition and providing some paper-based components of an award program, employee loyalty and engagement can be greatly impacted.
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