If you’ve been fortunate enough to assemble a team of medical office professionals that work well together to support the practice objectives, we applaud you! With today’s unemployment rates at an all-time low and medical jobs on the rise, cultivating a great team is hard work and can take months, even years to find the right fit.
Today’s robust job market means you need to do more to ensure your employees stick around. Forward-thinking managers that put significant effort into team building and retention are doing themselves a huge favor in terms of practice stability and growth. But if your employees don’t feel valued and appreciated, turnover will be inevitable. While you’re watching the almighty bottom line, your employees may have their eyes on one of the 1.9 million new healthcare jobs that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects to become available over the next 10 years.
There's no time like the present to rally your team together and demonstrate your gratitude for all that they do!
Employee conflict and turnover are expensive and time-consuming. A lot of practices struggle to find the right fit. Once you develop a great team, you still need to work to keep them around. Don’t overlook these tips to help you keep your employees and deliver a consistent patient experience.
Take the time to onboard properly. For many new employees understanding their role starts before they accept the position. When interviewing candidates, make sure you talk honestly about your workplace culture. If the candidate likes to work independently and you describe your office as a fast-paced, collaborative environment, they may not fit in with the rest of the team. Painting a clear picture helps establish expectations upfront.
Communicate on a regular basis. Keep a line of two-way communication open. Make yourself available and be honest and upfront when confronting problems and issues. Regularly scheduled check-ins are also a great way to connect with employees and get honest feedback.
Give praise when praise is due. Don’t wait until your employee’s annual job performance review to praise them. Instantaneous praise is gratifying and something they will most likely never forget. In fact, positive feedback produces a caring workplace culture, improves employee well-being, and increases productivity. It’s a win-win for the practice and your patients.
Maintain a culture of respect. Lead by example. Showing your employees that you respect them and appreciate all their hard work goes a long way. Being courteous, considerate, and listening to new ideas to improve procedures encourages respect and teamwork.
Invest in employee training. Whether it’s a new employee or an employee taking on a new role, training is a great way to encourage, motivate, and retain good employees. It’s also essential to their growth and satisfaction.
Other training options:
- In-house training conducted by experienced staff members
- Community colleges continuing education departments
- Workshops offered through medical societies, hospitals, and independent physician organizations
- Traditional education through colleges, universities, trade schools, and correspondence courses.
Bettinna Signori and Jason Lockard will present a dynamic session on improving engagement with your team, Thursday, October 28 at noon CDT. They will provide numerous ways to cultivate a loyal, collaborative, and tight-knit team that will improve patient satisfaction and so much more.
