Chronic and worsening healthcare workforce shortages are likely in the foreseeable future. The objective of this project is to learn about how hospitals and other healthcare organizations are coping with healthcare workforce shortages. Specifically, how do organizations perceive the causes of turnover, and what strategies have they found successful in improving both their recruitment and retention?
1. Identify one professional group (e.g., nurses, laboratory technicians, radiologic technicians, information technology personnel) that is known to be experiencing recruitment and retention problems.
2. Choose two healthcare organizations that employ this professional group.
3. Locate the individual or individuals most directly accountable for recruiting and retaining professionals in this group. This person may be a staff member in the HR department, a nurse recruiter, or another employee.
4. Find the approximate number of professionals in this group needed by the organization.
5. Obtain the following information on this group: a. Current vacancy rate b. Turnover and retention rates for the last five years
6. Discuss with the appropriate individuals their perception of the causes of recruitment challenges and of turnover and the reasons people choose to stay with their organizations. If possible, interview front-line staff in this professional group to obtain their perceptions on these issues.
7. If possible, explore the costs associated with recruitment, retention, and turnover at the facilities you have selected. Do the organizations keep track of these costs? If not, why? If so, do they use this information to make decisions concerning future recruitment and retention efforts?
8. In your discussions, explore the strategies both organizations have used to increase the success rate of their recruitment and retention efforts. Do the organizations know which strategies have been successful and unsuccessful? If so, which strategies have proven successful? Which strategies have not been effective? What strategies may be effective but are difficult to implement?
