Increasing Workforce Diversity : A Strategic Plan. Dr. Shantel Anderson, DHEd. Leadership and Organizational Management MPH 543

Transcription

1 Increasing Workforce Diversity : A Strategic Plan Dr. Shantel Anderson, DHEd Leadership and Organizational Management MPH 543 Jill Marshall January 12, 2014

2 2 In addition to being a requirement of the Joint Commission, cultural diversity is imperative for today s workplace because healthcare professionals need to have cultural competence to provide effective and efficient health services to diverse patient populations, and the healthcare industry needs to ensure that the healthcare workforce mirrors the patient population it serves, both clinically and managerially (Borkowski, pp , 2011). Additionally, it is important because patients deserve care, treatment, and services that safeguard their personal dignity, and respect their cultural, psychosocial, and spiritual values (JCAHO, 2008). Hospitals as a business must also consider the importance of a diverse workforce from a business perspective. According to Elizabeth Rice in her article entitled The Importance of Recruiting a Diverse Workforce, successful businesses are recognizing diversity in the workplace as a business strategy that maximizes productivity, creativity and loyalty of employees while meeting the needs of their clients or customers (Rice, 2014). As such, the current state of this hospital reflects a workforce diversity that has been identified at 10 percent. As an effort to increase workforce diversity for all of the reasons listed above, the hospital administration has instituted a taskforce charged with the development of a Strategic five-year plan designed to increase organizational workforce diversity from its current ten percent to thirty percent. To address this and increase workforce diversity consistent with this charge the taskforce has prepared the following recommendations organized by calendar year. Calendar year: 2014 During 2014 it is recommended that this agency implement the following strategies to increase workforce diversity. Starting in January, the hospital s Quality Assurance/Performance

3 3 Improvement department (QA/PI) along with the Human Resources (HR) Department will conduct a gap analysis of their current recruitment and retention system to identify possible reasons that the current workforce reflects only ten percent diversity. A gap analysis is defined as a simple tool that assists with the identification of the gap between the current situation and the future state that is desired (Mind Tools, 2014). Specifically, this gap analysis will review and the gap between 10 percent workforce diversity and 30 percent workforce diversity at the hospital. The gap analysis will include three steps including 1) identification of the future state including the identification of the objectives needed to be achieved; 2) analysis of the current situation including identification of subject matter experts, resources, and training; 3) Identification of needed actions to bridge the gap between the current situation and future state (Mind Tools, 2014). The gap analysis will also specifically answer the following two questions: 1) Does the hospital workforce resemble the community for which the hospital operates and 2) Does the workforce demographic match that of the consumers served by the hospital? (WSJ, 2013). The gap analysis will be completed within three months. The report, prepared by both departments, will be presented by the HR Director and the QA/PI Director during the April Governing Board meeting (MDB, 2013). The Gap analysis will also be presented to this taskforce to ensure that any modifications to this current strategic plan are made to ensure all gaps are addressed. During the next three months of the calendar year (i.e., April, May, and June). The following actions are recommended. The HR Director along with the Education and Training (E&T) Director will review and revise (as needed) the cultural competence training to ensure that it is reflects the requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards, as well as promotes a learning environment that supports

4 4 cultural diversity from both an employee and patient perspective. This course will be mandated by administration to be provided for all employees during new employee orientation and annually thereafter (JCAHO, 2008). Additionally, during this quarter, the Human Resources Department will be required to ensure that discrimination is not tolerated in the workplace (Veracious & Riggs, n.d.). This will be accomplished by 1) providing training for all supervisors so that they promote a discrimination free environment and 2) by supervisors and the HR department promptly addressing any concerns related to discrimination (through the use of progressive disciplinary action if needed). The second half of the year will have an emphasis placed on recruitment. During the month of July, each department head (e.g., nursing, therapy, medical, social work, etc.), will work with the HR Director to develop a list of internal and external stakeholders within the community. This list will be used to send out invitations to establish a community focused awareness group to celebrate diversity and network within the community. The hospital under the direction of the Chief Information and Community Relations Officer (CIO) will send out the invitations for this committee and hold the first meeting during the month of August. The purpose of this meeting is to improve community networking with diversity organizations and schools with a diverse student body (Veracious & Riggs, n.d.). The committee will be tasked with developing a community vision, promoting the vision of the hospital, holding job fairs (while promoting as an equal opportunity employer) to recruit from within the community, and to celebrate and promote diversity and cultural awareness (Veracious & Riggs, n.d.). Committee membership should not be limited, as membership should be open to all community stakeholders interested. The committee will be held every other month and a report will be presented by the CIO to the Hospital Administrator and the Governing Board on a quarterly basis (MDB, 2013).

5 5 Calendar year: 2015 Efforts established during the 2014 calendar year will continue and will be evaluated by the Quality Assurance and Performance improvement department thorough the use of an annual gap analysis. The analysis will be conducted during the month of January, and results presented to Hospital Leadership during the February Governing Board meeting (MDB, 2013). During the 2015 calendar year, the hospital will expand recruitment efforts to include organizations outside the immediate community. The CIO will work with nonprofit organizations such as the Urban League, National Council of La Raza, and other similar organizations so that out-of-area workers may become more interested in relocating and seeking employment at the hospital (WSJ, 2014). The CIO and Human Resources Director will then establish a methodology for attracting candidates from outside of the immediate community and even out of the state. The calendar year 2015, will also focus on staff and recruitment through the development and use of a staff referral program. By February of 2015, the HR department will be required to establish a mechanism for peer referral, one that offers rewards for successful referrals including (a day of administrative leave, or a key parking spot) (WSJ, 2014). By the second quarter of the 2015 calendar year (i.e., April), the Deputy Director will be responsible for creating an employee morale committee that includes membership from each department of the hospital. The employee morale committee will establish an employee of the month program, as well as a program to celebrate diversity. This includes having a formal the celebration of a different culture each month. This committee will also brainstorm and present ideas to hospital leadership their ideas and strategies to attract more diversity to the hospital. Finally, this committee will develop recommendations to amend and revise the hospital mission statement to reflect and promote a culturally diverse and competent workforce (WSJ, 2014). This

6 6 committee will be responsible for meeting monthly and will be provided a small budget to support the employee of the month and cultural awareness celebrations. Calendar year: 2016 Again, efforts established during the 2014 and 2015 calendar year will continue and will be evaluated by the QA/PO department thorough the use of an annual gap analysis. The analysis will be conducted during the month of January, and results presented to Hospital Leadership during the February Governing Board meeting (MDB, 2013). The year 2016, will focus on employee benefits and ways to attract a non-traditional workforce. During 2016, the HR Director will prepare a proposal for the Governing Board in conjunction with all department heads that will make employment with the hospital more attractive to those who are not able to work a traditional schedule. Considerations for the proposal include (but are not limited to) the possibility on-site day care, childcare subsidies, flexible schedules, and accommodations for cultural and religious holidays (WSJ, 2014). Other considerations include salary differentials for those who speak a second language and are willing to serve as an interpreter. In addition to the cultural competence training established above, during 2016 the hospital will increase its focus on education, training, and research innovations for staff to improve geriatric competency. During 2016, the hospital credentialing committee will be responsible to ensure that each licensed personnel who either works for the hospital or has hospital privileges meet the credentialing requirements for their respective profession (Borkowski, 2011). Although credentialing will continue to be conducted by the each year in July, as of 2016 any licensed staff that provides services for persons over the age of 55 will be required to receive additional training consistent with best practices, trending, and licensing to

7 7 treat older persons. Any non-licensed staff that provides services to persons over 55 will be required to attend in-house training conducted by the hospital training department. All training must occur annually and each employee must have such training documented by a hospital approved instructor and maintained in each employees human resources file. Additionally, during 2016, the CIO will increase relationships with organizations such as the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) (WSJ, 2014). This will be done to encourage their membership on both the community and organizational stakeholder committees. The CIO will also work with these organizations to promote employment and volunteering from AARP members and other similar organizations. Calendar year: 2017 Program efforts will continue and will be evaluated (including those implemented during calendar years ) by the QA/PI department thorough the use of an annual gap analysis. The analysis will be conducted during the month of January, and results presented to Hospital Leadership during the February Governing Board meeting (MDB, 2013). As recommended by Nancy Borkowski in her book entitled Organizational Behavior in Health Care, as part of diversity management, healthcare managers need to devise strategies for attracting younger workers to enter the healthcare field while maintaining positive relationships with older workers (Borkowski, p. 35, 2011). To address this, it is recommended that the Deputy Director and the HR Director develop a leadership program to grow, develop, and mentor a new workforce. The program will be designed to recruit a younger workforce that is mentored by those who are more seasoned workers (i.e., those employees who have been with the hospital for many years). This program will be a leadership program designed specifically for those newer staff that

8 8 demonstrate positive job performance. Once developed the program will be implemented by the Education and Training Department through the use of 1) applied learning and 2) on-the-job mentoring. Applied learning will be used to link on-the-job challenges with the development and promotion of new ideas, concepts, innovations, and recommendations. Through their participation each student will design a personal development plan that allows them to seek and engage in ongoing professional development. The program will also support on-the-job mentoring by using long-term staff with a proven record of positive performance. Each program participant will be assigned to a mentor to assist them in the development of their plan and the creation of new ideas, concepts, innovations, and recommendations (LBJ School of Public Affairs, 2013). Upon completion of the program, each participant will be recognized and complete a program graduation receiving a certificate from their mentor and signed by the hospital administrator. Mentors will be recognized and receive an additional benefit for their efforts such as administrative leave, a special parking spot, an indicator on their employee identification badge, etc.. The program is expected to be developed within the first six months of the 2017 calendar year, with the first class starting in July The duration of the program will be three months and the first class is expected to graduate by September of The second class is expected to graduate in December of Additionally, the program should be designed to have four classes graduate annually. Calendar year: 2018 The program efforts of 2018 will evaluate initiatives implemented during calendar years by the QA/PI department thorough the use of an annual gap analysis. The analysis will be conducted during the month of January, and results presented to Hospital Leadership

9 9 during the February Governing Board meeting (MDB, 2013). During the calendar year of 2018, the focus will be on program sustainability. A plan to sustain efforts implemented during the calendar years will be devised to ensure all efforts continue and there is a protocol in place to continue to promote ideas and strategies to increase diversity in the workplace. This plan shall be developed by the diversity taskforce writing this report. During 2018, the taskforce will review the 2018 gap-analysis conducted by the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement department, and have the ability to extend this plan if needed incorporating any needed recommendations from their review and their 2018 sustainability plan into an updated strategic plan to increase workforce diversity.

10 10 REFERENCES Borkowski, N. (2011). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC. Pages Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) (2008). Comprehensive Manual for Home Care (CAMHC). Joint Commission Resources Inc. Page RI-1. LBJ School of Public Affairs (2013). Governor s Executive Development Program. Retrieved From Mind Tools (2014). Gap Analysis: Identfying What Needs to Be Done in a Project. Retrieved From MDB Group. Business Results Through Diversity and Inclusion. (2013). Comprehensive Plans to Increase Workforce Diversity and Representation Retrieved From Rice, E.M. (2014). The Importance of Recruiting a Diverse Workforce Retrieved From Veracious, A., Riggs, A.R. (n.d.) How to Develop a Diverse Workforce. Retrieved From Wall Street Journal. (2014). How to Increase Workplace Diversity. Lessons in Leadership Retrieved From