What are Employee Attrition and Turnover in the Healthcare Industry?

In India, the attrition rate for the year 2022 in healthcare and pharmaceuticals was 15.67% in the January- March quarter and 14.11% in the October- December quarter, as per 2023 reports. In this people-driven landscape of healthcare, where the competition is neck-to-neck, retaining the best talents and employee retention strategies in healthcare are pivotal for continued growth.

But first, let us define these two terms:

• Employee Attrition: Attrition occurs when employees leave their jobs voluntarily, either because they retire or find new employment. It is an expected element of any workplace.

• Employee Turnover: This is a broader term that counts employees who leave and the ones hired to replace them. A high turnover rate indicates a large number of employees leaving and a large number of recruits. It is a crucial feature that defines an organization.

To reverse early attrition and put a check on turnover rates, there are many healthcare workforce retention methods and ideas that you can implement in your organization. Before we dive into that, let’s pinpoint the root cause of this issue.

Is Staff Retention In Healthcare an Issue in Indian Healthcare?

According to Latino (2008), the healthcare industry is significantly labor-intensive. Many countries, particularly developing nations, are experiencing a scarcity of healthcare staff. The World Health Organization predicts that the scarcity will increase from 7.2 million to 12.9 million in the next 20 years. Sen and Bhattacharya (2019) stressed the significance of a creative and global strategy to address the shortage of talented individuals as well as the problems associated with talent development and retention in the Indian service sector. Following a similar strategy is crucial in Indian healthcare too!

Factors Affecting Employee Attrition in Healthcare

The turnover rates for healthcare employees in the country have many root causes. While some are slowly catching eyeballs, others are still unnoticed. To discuss a few:

• Burnout and Stress

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) in India are often overworked. In both the private and public sectors, health workers are often overburdened with extended work hours, multitasking, and minimal day-offs. More work and zero play initiate burnout, fatigue, stress, poor sleep quality, foggy minds, and dwindling productivity.

However, India’s recent doctor-to-patient ratio, as reported in December 2022, stands at 1:834, which is better than the WHO recommended (1:1000).

• Inadequate Work-life Balance

Long work hours, demanding appointment calendars, irregular shifts, and the need to attend practice on government holidays can affect personal life and family time severely. Poor work-life balance results in reduced productivity and job dissatisfaction.

• Work Overload

Many healthcare centers and private facilities are understaffed or undergo delayed employee transitions that exhaust the existing workforce. Increased workload is often without adequate compensation leading to dissatisfied, irritated, and overworked staff who lack the motivation to work.

• Poor Recognition

Professionals can get demotivated if they do not feel respected and recognized for their effort and hard work.

• Overload of Administrative Work

Excessive paperwork and administrative tasks take time away from patient care. Administrative operations can be simplified to save time, allowing professionals to focus on their main responsibilities.

• Lack of Employee Orientation, Team Activities, and Interaction

A lack of orientation programs and team-building activities might cause healthcare personnel to feel isolated. This is very true in the case of specialists who are expected to handle healthcare centers single-handedly in remote locations. Poor mental health is reflected in the low patient outcomes.

• Reduced Financial Incentives

Financial constraints often result in reduced incentives for healthcare professionals. Poor compensation for their expertise and dedication is often the reason for frequent job switching and the foreign exodus in the Indian healthcare landscape.

• Fear of Stagnation

Many professionals fear stagnation in work experiences, skill development, and financial benefits while working for years in an organization, which pushes them to switch jobs.

Identifying the root cause of employee retention in healthcare can help your organization and its managers develop creative ways to retain healthcare workers. Here are a few such ideas from our experts.

Employee Retention Strategies in Healthcare

The bottom line of the healthcare industry isn’t the investments, the technology, or science alone–-it is a happy and healthy workforce that drives great patient outcomes. Employee retention strategies in healthcare are by far the best ways to develop a motivated team of healthcare workers; remember that they are different from the regular staff retention methods.

Read on:

• Ensure Employee Engagement

Engaging healthcare professionals in India through regular training programs, conferences, and team meetings fosters job satisfaction, a sense of belonging, and commitment to the motto of the organization.

• Creating a Safe, Happy, and Well-structured Workplace

Implementing safety protocols with reduced workplace accidents creates a conducive environment where doctors, nurses, and paramedics feel secure, leading to improved job performance and higher patient trust.

Infrastructure is important; for example, you cannot employ an oncologist without a proper histopathology lab, and skilled chemo nurses. Similarly, cardiology requires skilled cardiac technicians, CCU-trained nurses, and a well-equipped cath lab.

• Appreciation, Recognition, and Awards

Award ceremonies and appraisals boost morale, motivating dentists and technicians to deliver exceptional services, benefiting both patients and the organization.

• Delegation of Administrative Paperwork

By outsourcing administrative tasks, doctors and nurses have more time daily for direct patient care. This streamlined method saves time, allowing medical staff to focus on their expertise and, as a result, improve the quality of healthcare services.

• Flexible Work Hours and Locum Work Options

Striking a balance between shifts and erratic work schedules at the hospital is important. HR in healthcare plays a pivotal role in managing work calendars for doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics, and technicians. This could be a lucrative feature for retaining the best talents in healthcare.

Locum or shift-based jobs also attract healthcare professionals. Especially for Gen Z, who prioritizes work-life balance and believes in nurturing side gigs for additional income, locum positions come in handy.

A hybrid work model that involves virtual and physical consultations is another method to encourage employee satisfaction in healthcare. It offers work flexibility and broadens patient engagement.

• Including Technology and the Internet

Integrating digital platforms and AI decreased diagnosis time, allowing healthcare practitioners to quickly access medical records. This translates to better treatment planning and more efficient laboratory operations for dentists and technicians, providing prompt patient care.

• Offering Compensation Packages and Incentives

Financial incentives encourage healthcare workers to recognize their skills, assuring employee dedication and retention and significantly contributing to the stability and expansion of the healthcare sector.

• Streamlining Appraisals

Streamlined appraisal systems encourage doctors and nurses to consistently improve their skills, pairing their knowledge with evolving healthcare needs, thereby ensuring staff retention in healthcare.

• Staff Engagement in Continued Education Programs

Participation in educational programs, seminars, and webinars promotes the use of advanced medical treatments. Continuous learning benefits dentists and technicians by broadening their knowledge base and ideas about cutting-edge health technologies.

• Periodic Feedback Mechanisms

Feedback is essential. Critical feedback and motivational kudos motivate and recognize the enormous efforts of healthcare staff. Nurses and paramedics cherish patient feedback, which makes them more attentive and responsive, improving overall healthcare experiences and staff retention in healthcare in Indian hospitals and clinics.

• Encouraging Social Activities

Participating in social gatherings increases camaraderie among healthcare workers and is an indispensable employee retention strategies in healthcare. They develop a supporting network through these connections, generating a healthy work atmosphere that shows in their patients' work.

Importance of Employee Retention in Healthcare

Implementing the correct employee retention strategies in healthcare, that are suited for your practice is necessary to curb turnover rates. A stable, happy, motivated workforce that is well-aligned with your facility’s vision is the crux of your organization’s success.

Why is it a best practice to retain seasoned professionals and avoid frequent hiring? Because it has numerous advantages. To tell you a few:

• Ensures value-based care: quality over quantity

• Smooth functioning of the medical facility

• Optimal patient care and patient-doctor trust

• Patient satisfaction and smooth vendor relationships

• Better use of available resources like budgets, equipment, software, and other consumables in a healthcare setup

• Reduced overheads involved in initiating a hiring process include advertising, interviews, and onboarding

• Cost savings

• Becoming an industry exemplar—the happiest place to work

Make Things Easier with Anastomos

Anastomos is a one-stop, full-spectrum, end-to-end solution meticulously crafted by esteemed professionals within the medical realm, offering a comprehensive approach to shaping your professional path. If you are searching for your dream job or the topmost talents in the industry, our dedicated ANASTOMOS personal guides are readily available to assist you.

We'll connect you to understand the employee retention strategies in healthcare that are suited to your specific needs. Serving as an unparalleled platform for career advancement in the Indian healthcare sector, our commitment lies in providing you with the expertise to navigate online networks adeptly and choose the most suitable portfolio provider.