07. 20. 22
The Great Resignation is one of the many consequences of the pandemic. It has upended nearly every aspect of our lives. People are quitting their jobs in droves, leaving employers scrambling in their wake.
At healthcare practices like yours, workers who stay often face the dispiriting task of filling in the gaps to keep the doors open. As an office manager, you know that boosting employee morale with these remaining workers and attracting new talent are two of your greatest challenges.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 47.8 million people quit their jobs in 2021. With average monthly resignations at about 4.4 million through April 2022, the U.S. is on track to exceed last year’s record-high numbers.
The healthcare sector has been among the hardest hit by the Great Resignation. So far this year, the industry has lost about 2 million workers at a staggering rate of about 2.5% per month.
The changing times have prompted many people to reconsider what they want in a job and what their work means to them. Whether they’ve had years of dissatisfaction or a recent dip in morale, they now have the ability to go somewhere else to get what they need.
Some common themes among healthcare employees who have left their jobs or are considering leaving include:
Morale is the feeling of enthusiasm and loyalty you have for your job. Employee morale determines job satisfaction and retention and is linked to productivity, quality of care, reputation, and overall success of your healthcare practice.
Now more than ever, healthcare office managers need to focus on morale to attract quality workers and keep the ones they have. Prime Dental Partners CEO Paul Madsen recently said, “If I had to focus on just one [challenge dental service organizations are up against], it would be the importance of creating and maintaining a positive work environment for all our staff.”
And while lunches, contests, and lottery tickets are fun ways to boost employee morale, real change means making their work easier. Technology is the main tool for simplifying healthcare processes. By embracing automation, you show your employees that you value their time, talent, and effort.
Here are four ways automated solutions can help healthcare managers lift employee morale.
Efficiency is crucial when staff is in short supply. However, more than 40% of U.S. workers spend at least a quarter of their time on repetitive, manual tasks, according to a Smartsheet report. It’s not surprising that 97% of those workers surveyed believe automation could help their organization by increasing productivity and reducing errors.
In the healthcare sector, the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that 36% of work could be automated. What processes are your employees still doing manually? Tasks ripe for automation include patient registration, collecting patient payments, and sending patient messages. With the right technology, you can do more with less effort and create a seamless experience for staff and patients. Improved employee morale naturally follows.
Career development is a top goal for many workers and an important factor in employee retention. Nine out of 10 employees report that having career development opportunities would encourage them to stay at a company longer.
But how do you find the time — especially during a national staffing crisis? Technology can help free up time to allow employees to upskill or engage in higher-level work. Among Smartsheet survey respondents:
It’s clear that companies who don’t invest in their staff will fall behind.
Your employees know their workflows best. They understand what works well and where their pain points are. But too often, technology projects bypass this lived experience.
According to a report by Accenture, placing technology solutions in the hands of those closest to the day-to-day business can spark innovation. And 92% of healthcare executives agree. This process, called democratization, encourages employees to solve problems using technology and become their own agents of change.
A survey by Microsoft found that frontline workers are also optimistic about technology. Two-thirds believe technology can be a gamechanger when it comes to scheduling, automating repetitive tasks, and providing real-time updates. Among factors that can help reduce work-related stress, 46% of employees rated technological tools third behind higher pay (64%) and more vacation time (50%).
After a rapid shift to remote work in 2020, a new normal is emerging — a hybrid model that incorporates the best of both worlds. Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index report includes several key takeaways about hybrid work:
What this means for healthcare practices is that you will need to continue investing in technology that supports a hybrid work environment. For example, cloud-based software reduces friction and allows seamless collaboration between those who work in the office and those who are remote. When you automate, you give your employees what they want and help make your practice more appealing and future-ready.
Rectangle Health’s work and cash flow platform, Practice Management Bridge®, is a leader in digital patient payment solutions. Our innovative system not only helps you achieve faster payments, higher revenues, and improved patient satisfaction, it also helps modernize and simplify your practice operations.
Automated functions, such as contactless payments, digital registration forms, and custom text messages save your staff time and eliminate the need for paper statements, forms, and payments. Practice Management Bridge is also designed for administrative ease and efficiency with automatic payment posting, effortless voids and refunds, and simple reporting and batching.
With almost 30 years of experience, we understand the need to comply with HIPAA and payment card industry standards. Our software uses state-of-the-art technology to assure your patients’ health and financial information is secure.
To learn more, contact us today.
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