Strategies to Keep Health Center Employees Engaged

Transcription

1 Strategies to Keep Health Center Employees Engaged Presented in partnership with: Joint Commission-Health Center Accreditation Program December 13, :30 am 12:30 pm CST

2 This webinar presented by: Alicia Gonzales, MSSW Director of Consulting and Professional Development Services, NCFH Patricia Horton, BA Consulting and Professional Development Coordinator, NCFH

3 Session Objectives Understand the importance of staff satisfaction and engagement and its impact on workplace culture. Explain the importance of developing a strategic initiative. Explain key factors in building leadership support, a culture of open communication, and employee initiative Understand the importance of staff surveys and integration of analysis into organizational systems. Visit our website: National Center for Farmworker Health 3

4 About NCFH A national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health status of farmworker families through the provision of innovative training, technical assistance, and information services. Visit our website: National Center for Farmworker Health 4

5 Why Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction? Health care organizations have significant responsibility for prevention and care, therefore assessment of job satisfaction among health centers staff is essential. If staff are not satisfied, then quality of health services will be decreased.

6 Employee Satisfaction vs Employee Engagement Employee Satisfaction is about. Doing my Job Making Me Successful Personal Commitment Employee Engagement is about. Doing my Job ABOVE and BEYOND Making me AND the organization successful Mutual Commitment

7 Employee Satisfaction/Engagement Not just a Feel Good Initiative. Needs to be strategic: Employee Satisfaction directly impacts patient satisfaction. Employee Satisfaction directly affects retention. Development of a plan.

8 What does it mean for the CHC environment? Unsatisfied health care employees negatively affect the quality of care which adversely affects patient satisfaction and loyalty to the health center. (Peltier & Dahl)

9 Employee Satisfaction in the CHC Environment What road blocks prevent leadership from embracing an employee engagement process/program? All of our focus is on the patient no time for anything else. We have not heard about any problems and everyone seems happy. We do not need a staff satisfaction survey right now.

10 Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction in Health Centers Satisfaction: Believe in Mission- Serving vulnerable populations Working with their colleagues and coworkers- sense of teamwork Enjoyment and dedication to the job; the work- take pride in serving the communities

11 Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction in Health Centers Dissatisfaction: Lack of efficiency and amount of work expected to complete; lack of clarity on job tasks, responsibilities Difficulties with management/supervisors- sense that they do not listen to the issues or opinions do not count Lack of effective communications throughout the whole organization-lack of workplace culture Lack of appreciation Compensation

12 Top Ten Drivers of Health Center Staff Satisfaction 1. How well job duties are defined 2. Is my work respected? 3. Effectiveness of Communications 4. Shared workload 5. Reward and Recognition- policy 6. Fulfillment of Mission 7. Utilization of staff abilities and skills 8. Satisfaction with immediate supervisors 9. Satisfaction with procedures, documentation, etc. 10.Opportunities for advancement Source: NACHC, 2009

13 Poll Question #1 Do you have an employee engagement/satisfaction plan? Yes No Unsure

14 CHAT DISCUSSION For those of you who have a plan, what does it consist of? What are the elements of the plan?

15 3 Important Factors Health care organizations that routinely achieve higher employee satisfaction scores tend to have the following in common (1) Leadership Support (2) culture of open & frequent communications (3) employee empowerment and initiative in providing best care to patients. (Peltier & Dahl)

16 FACTOR 1: LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

17 Creating the Culture Strong Vision and Leadership Consistent Communication Supervisor Interaction Employee Development Team Environment Culture of Trust Clear Expectations Ensure that staff are regularly recognized, rewarded valued. Employee Feedback Competitive Pay and Benefits Consider task force or committee Keep staff informed and engaged. On-going analysis and evaluation

18 FACTOR 2: OPEN & FREQUENT COMMUNICATIONS

19 Factor 2: Open and Frequent Communications Institute a Transparent Workplace Us vs Them I vs We Clear Communication Channels Regular check-in meetings; weekly, monthly etc. Annual Reviews; 360 Degree Reviews Employee Exit Interviews State of the Union communications Create communication guidelines to improve communication at all levels. Senior Leadership Team and Management Orientation

20 FACTOR 3: EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT & INITIATIVE

21 Empowering all Staff Voice at all levels! Telling employees that the organization values their work, opinions Express opinions Encourage structure and focus risk taking Understand their role in the larger organization mission.

22 Getting staff involved Communication and safety Reaching out on personal level Regular engagement Seek employees whenever possible. Empower to solve problems Collaboration Above and beyond staff meetings

23 Understanding Motivation "The heart of motivation is when we give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want: productivity, quality, and service." (An Honest Day's Work (1988) Twyla Dell

24 You cannot motivate another person; you can only create an environment in which people become selfmotivated. All people are motivated, and they do things for their own reasons, not yours. Thus, the challenge is not motivation, it's LEADERSHIP.

25 CHAT DISCUSSION What are 1 or 2 realistic ideas you can put in place now to enhance staff engagement efforts at your organization?

26 STRATEGIES FOR MEASURING AND IMPROVING STAFF SATISFACTION/ENGAGEMENT

27 Benefits of Measuring and Improving Staff Satisfaction Reduced turnover Associated reduction in training costs Identifying cost saving opportunities Curbing absenteeism Strengthening supervision Evaluating patient service issues Assessing training needs Streamlining communication Benchmarking the facility s progress in relation to the industry Gauging employees understanding of, and agreement with, the facility's mission

28 Employee Engagement Planning

29 Organization Infrastructure: Policies and Procedures

30 Organization Infrastructure: Policies and Procedures

31 Common Strategies for Maintaining or Improving Employee Satisfaction Quarterly performance assessments Performance goals Incentives Recognition Provide Clarity on job function and expectations Track and communicate progress Document and communicate positive feedback Most importantly, leadership should consider addressing staff satisfaction as an ongoing process.

32 Conducting a Staff Satisfaction Survey Staff satisfaction are like thermometers that take the temperature of an organization s culture and help hone treatment or solutions. Like thermometers, action taken after the survey s implementation determines whether or not an organization heals.

33 Poll Question #2 How often do you administer staff satisfaction/engagement surveys? Every 6 months Every Year Every 2 years We don t administer staff satisfaction surveys Unsure

34 The A s of Staff Satisfaction Surveys Annual Accountability and Open Communication Action- Now What?? Nothing ever gets Done..

35 Key Strategies when Conducting a Staff Satisfaction Survey Start Small, etc. Keep the survey short based on the priorities of the employees and leadership. Have employees participate in the construction of the question as well as in the formation of solutions. Following survey, share results and include the process in a action-oriented, strategic plan. Use the survey as a tool for accountability.

36 Staff Satisfaction Survey Categories to Consider Overall job satisfaction Daily Workload Clarity of Job Performance/Expectations Specific Work Tasks Related to Job Processes within Organization Manager/Supervisor Relationship Inter-Department Teamwork and Communication Employee Courtesy and Friendliness to One Another Importance of Organization Mission Overall agency leadership communication and change Management Salary & benefits competitiveness Opportunities for Advancement/Professional Development Recommend others to work at organization

37 Effective Strategy Following Survey Analysis 1. Organize focus group-like conversations with employees at each level of your organization. 2. Review Results 3. Verify/Identify/prioritize top areas of concern 4. Offer strategies for improvement 5. Create action plans 6. Share with leadership for adoption 7. Implementation

38 Planning and Improvement Models

39 No Cost Ideas for Staff Engagement Give individual attention Onboard right from the start. Provide training and coaching Identify internal growth paths. Serve others Recognize proudly and loudly, or through handwritten note. Create in-house mentorship opportunities.

40 Key Take Aways Leaders are the drivers of employee engagement and it should be strategic. Clearly define what employee engagement looks like for your health center/organizations. Measuring tools, methods, and reporting Communicate and collaborate across the organization. Develop a positive org culture. It s an attitude to be practiced daily at work!

41 Survey Resources 1. Any type of Survey: Survey Monkey 2. The CrossRoads Group 3.

42 Resources and Works Cited 1. Fields, Rachel (2012). 6 Issues that Damage Employee Satisfaction in Hospitals. Becker s Hospital Review. 2. Pelier, J and Dahl, A. (2009). The Relationship between Employee Satisfaction and Hospital Patient Experiences. FORUM: For People Management and Measurement. 3. Shahnazi, H., Daniali, S., and Sharifirad, G. (2014). Job Satisfaction Among Health Centers Staff. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 4. Stonehouse, D. (2012). Motivational/Transformational Leadership. Edge Hill University Faculty of Health. Slide Share. 5. Patel, S. 11 Strategies For Boosting Employee Engagement. Inc.com, (Online) March Lytle, T. 7 Tips to Increase Employee Engagement Without Spending a Dime. Society For Human Resource Management (Online) September Employee Engagement, Voice Project Top Ten Drivers of Health Center Staff Satisfaction. NACHC, 2009.

43 Thank You! Alicia Gonzales Patricia Horton This project was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under U30CS0 9737, Technical Assistance to Community and Migrant Health Centers and Homeless, ($1,583,856). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. All photographs in header are Copyrighted to Alan Pogue