Take care of your people, and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that. -Richard Branson

So often in our world of health care regulations, limited budgets, and challenging work it’s easy to get lost in the “how” of building our teams.

What if we instead embraced the “why” of value? Keeping quality people most often correlates with them knowing they’re valued.

While navigating the hamster wheel for hiring let’s also invest in the foundations of our people. Focus on strong culture, competitive compensation, opportunities for growth, and a focus on employee well-being.

Jack Welch, the famed leader of General Electric, often referenced the value of personal relationships, responsibility, and growth. “I’d have a personal relationship with every employee if I could.” He was known for personal notes and interests of his team. “It’s what counts most”.

Let’s revisit the hierarchy of needs from “why employees leave.”

Hierarchy Of Employee Needs

• Purpose, Passion & Fulfillment - There is a shared purpose between the organization and the people, and the alignment to the plan.
• Appreciation - Status, recognition and rewards for achievement will take your employee experience up another level.
• Community & Connection - An environment where people feel understood and appreciated is key to harnessing discretionary effort and loyalty.
• Wellbeing - People are offered the appropriate training and development to ensure they are capable of fulfilling their duties.
• Basic Needs - Access to a safe working environment, bathrooms, fresh air and appropriate rest and food breaks.

Source: McKinsey.com – Top Reasons for Quitting April 2021-April 2022

For each level of identified need, what measures are in place to help people feel fulfilled from their work?

Something as simple as acknowledging employees by name and affirming them through an “I noticed” comment or card can make a huge difference.

Other successful measures that don’t require huge effort include:

• Exit Interviews – Conduct Exit Interviews with the employees that are leaving to find out where there are problem areas. If there are trends or red flags, develop a plan for retention.
  “Knowledge isn’t free. You have to pay attention.” –Professor Richard Feynman
• New Hire Luncheons – Establish this as a routine and fun environment. Introduce your new employees to their team so they can establish a sense of community.
  “You don’t change culture through emails and memos. You change it through relationships… One conversation at a time.” – Danny Steele
• Communicate – Keep an open line of communication so you know where your people need support and where they excel. Ensure there is a comfort level and availability for them to have a voice and be heard.
  “Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.” – Andy Stanley
• Pour into your people so they can pour into your business - Provide training and development opportunities. Give them opportunity to grow.
  “Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson

About the Author

Heather Nacol currently serves as Business Office Manager and HR Representative for a nursing and rehab community in Gautier MS. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts with experience building teams for both corporate and private sector employers. Heather is passionate about advocacy and education for building strong teams, communities, and workforce.

For More Information on increasing your team’s performance while decreasing risk Contact Lanette Williams with Healthcare Risk Services at 601-750-6625 or lanette@hrsins.com.