"The Elephant in the Room” for Healthcare Recruitment and Retention: Today’s Workforce Spans Five Generations

It is almost impossible to avoid the amount of research, articles, and “airtime” spent on addressing employee turnover and retention.?Workforce stabilization remains a top priority for hospitals, and health systems are developing initiatives to maintain a consistent, reliable, and well-balanced workforce.??

Achieving workforce stabilization requires identifying and addressing the root causes of staff turnover and retention. Whether at the C-Suite, department, or staff level, healthcare leaders must create supportive work environments, improve job satisfaction, retain their current skilled professionals, and recruit quality candidates who are a solid cultural fit.?

In addition to the above, staffing shortages are expected to continue to be challenging. Fundamental contributors need more academic pipelines for nurses and clinicians, burnout, job dissatisfaction among nurses at the bedside, and clinicians reprioritizing their needs post-pandemic.?

While every institution is actively working to address the above ongoing turnover/employee retention challenges, few have acknowledged “the elephant in the room” –??

Today’s Generational Workforce Imbalance!?

Let us take a quick look at defining today’s healthcare workforce. Today’s workforce spans?five generations, which are defined by the Pew Research Center as:?

1. Silent Generation (born before 1945)?
2. Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964)?
3. Generation X (1965 to 1980)?
4. Millennials or Generation Y (1981 to 1996)?
5. Generation Z (born after 1997).?

Before you express your thoughts on the percentage of the “Silent Generation” in the workforce, the reality is that the Silent Generation now represents a growing percentage of patients being treated throughout healthcare facilities nationally.??Let's examine the present-day nursing workforce closely to better understand today’s generational imbalance.?

Today’s nursing workforce comprises four generations of nurses working side by side. From a cultural and holistic perspective, this generational blend adds invaluable diversity to the workforce but also brings added complexity. A litany of studies has analyzed the work values and attitudes of the four nursing generations: Baby boomers, Generation X, Y, and Z.?

The following is a simplistic attempt to highlight the differences in work values and attitudes among nurses of different generations (and yes, the following represents generalizations and clear research outcomes).??

1. Generation X is less likely to challenge the conventional norm and supervisors.?
2. Generation Y and Z are the most tech-savvy generations and can adapt quickly to innovative technology.??
3. There is a clear trend correlating to a greater emphasis on work-life balance as the generation gets younger.??
4. Generation Y and Z nurses perceive that younger nurses need respect and recognition from their colleagues.??

Acknowledging generational differences in work values and attitudes is just the beginning. Whether you are the CEO, Chief Human Resource Officer, or responsible for People Experience and Talent Development, your strategy must account for a multi-generational workforce moving forward.??

With unique values, beliefs, and lifestyles distinguishing one generation from another, generational diversity adds complexity to the workforce and challenges providing optimal care delivery in the healthcare setting.?

However, healthcare leaders can view these differences in values and behaviors as potential strengths. With a better understanding of generationally driven variables, these insights can be leveraged to develop effective strategies to maintain the diverse yet shrinking nursing workforce. Generational differences can also be capitalized on and employed to create positive work environments and enhance quality and productivity to foster better patient care delivery.?

Knowledge and understanding of these generational differences and similarities are crucial. Leadership must actively foster a harmonious inter-generational working environment, leveraging these values and attitudes to increase productivity while retaining staff. Findings suggest that the younger generation, including millennials and Generation Z, work to live with greater emphasis on work-life balance. In contrast, the older generations, including baby boomers, live to work with a more significant commitment to their jobs. The younger generation also desires greater power and autonomy at work with recognition and respect despite their early age. Identifying these generational differences and issues will allow nursing leaders to strategize better approaches, such as workplace flexibilities relating to shifts, working hours, and incentives to better cater to the needs of the different generations while increasing employee work satisfaction, morale, and care delivery to patients.?

The new focus is actively tailoring strategies to improve individual and organizational performance while creating a work environment that enhances intergenerational harmony and teamwork. This is not a simple task in today’s healthcare environment!?

To complicate the multi-generational issue further, studies have demonstrated a diminishing level of employee work engagement—an additional element that can negatively impact work performance and increase employee turnover rates.??

As an aside, “work engagement” is typically defined as a positive, motivated state of mind characterized by elevated energy levels, dedication, and a strong focus on work. In addition, this usually coincides with prominent levels of individual and organizational performance standards, patient satisfaction, job satisfaction, and employee retention. Some studies extrapolate that positive nurse work engagement outcomes were decreased hospital mortality rates and significantly higher financial profitability of organizations. Hence, researchers and human resource experts are increasingly focused on work engagement as an additional strategy element for enhancing the overall functionality of the organization.??

As an integral component of employee work engagement, we would be amiss not to touch on the significant amount of time, research, and resources associated with the historical term "culture." Obviously, today’s hospital/system’s culture must be multifaceted while aggressively promoting active programs incorporating all facets of Diversity and inclusion. The complex construct of healthcare culture recognizes the varied subgroups that comprise our healthcare organizations with an overarching goal of understanding. ?

Today's workforce encompasses a litany of distinct elements that Healthcare Leadership must strategically address both internally and externally. In today’s environment, employee “Retention and Recruitment” are impacted by many entwined elements that must be considered routinely. In addition, one cannot simply acknowledge the positive and/or negative impact fueled by a multi-generational workforce—“The Elephant in the Room.”??

In the quest for resolution, a sizable portion of the healthcare arena—during and post-COVID—outsourced a significant amount of workforce process management to external vendors. In addition, many top healthcare vendors have transitioned into electronically / AI-driven organizations that believe a “One-Stop Shop” is the answer to critical strategic Leadership requirements. Although this approach supports a positive reduction in their workforce and internal margins, it presents an apparent dichotomy of what today’s hospitals/systems need.??

In summary, healthcare in 2024 remains focused on these key issues:?

1. Financial stability remains a critical element for all hospital/systems?
2. Leadership / Employee Retention and Recruitment remain challenging?
3. Staff Shortages and Disruptions continue to complicate operational execution?
4. C-Suite Leadership needs “creative vendors” offering viable Solutions?

As the industry finishes 2024 and enters 2025, successful Leadership will deploy a litany of creative strategies and tactical plans to succeed. With hospitals and systems searching for unique external partners, creative vendors offering viable solutions will be the new norm.??

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At Moab Healthcare, we understand the critical elements of Recruitment and Retention, including the essential nature of YOUR organization’s culture and requirements.??

So, who is Moab Healthcare??

Our mission is to enhance patient safety and quality while offering healthcare organizations the opportunity to increase revenue and reduce costs.??

• We offer a full range of Executive Search & Interim Leadership support?

• Our teams deliver an OR/SPD Flexible Staffing Solution to facilities like yours, who all look to us for leadership and staff to eliminate risks that obstruct Surgical Services.??

• Our solution ensures consistent Sterile Processing education, adherence to standard operating procedures, and access to certified techs and leaders. The outcome??

• Enhanced patient safety, heightened physician satisfaction, steady throughput, cost reduction, and boosted revenue.??

Whether in the Sterile Processing Department, Operating Room, or Radiology, we work with our clients to ensure proper Allied Staffing that supports their specific needs (Technicians, Leads, Supervisors, Managers, Directors, and Educators).??