Staff Retention

I went to a restaurant with some friends on a perfect summer evening, and the hostess greeted us by telling us they were closing early because the staff had been working all day with no second shift to relieve them. We could see open tables, but there wasn’t enough wait staff to make use of them. This exemplifies a real problem in every business sector that we encounter daily and includes healthcare and O&P. It seems everywhere I turn businesses are having similar issues with staffing. Even after hiring new staff, and beginning to train them, many quit showing up for work after a couple of weeks. Then we find ourselves back at the drawing board, posting openings on job boards—hoping to get a warm body to interview. Since the current work pool is so shallow, the question becomes, what can we do about it? Secure your current staff. There are several things you can do today to improve retention. Ask questions. Don’t wait for frustrated employees to come to you. If you are feeling stressed out, overworked, and perhaps undercompensated for all you do due to a staffing crunch, you can believe the same is true for your staff. Ask your employees where their pain points are, where they feel help is needed. The answers to these questions will give you a different perspective to the issues the company is having. Your staff might also have some good suggestions about how to handle these staffing issues. The least it will do is make them aware that you know what is happening and increase communication. Show your appreciation. According to research from O.C. Tanner learning group, 79 percent of employees who quit their jobs attribute lack of appreciation as a major reason for leaving. Showing appreciation doesn’t have to be bonuses or pay raises, but when the company can afford it, do it. It can also be encouraging words, a shout out on social media with the employee’s win and your appreciation, an extra day off, a flexible schedule, or a free meal. Do not let an opportunity pass without demonstrating your appreciation for a team member. Showing appreciation will increase the morale in the workplace and make those employees want to work harder. Make your employees feel like they are important and that their opinions and voices matter. Be sure to connect with employees you may not work beside each day. Check in to see how they are doing. Try to be aware of each employee’s needs or concerns before they bring them forward to you. Don’t let it get to a point where an employee has to ask several times for a raise or a meeting with you. Know your staff’s hiring anniversaries and make it a point to meet with them then. There may be several employees that you need to meet with regarding the review or anniversary and those meetings can be easily overlooked, but that individual has been waiting 12 months for that meeting. Let the employee know the meeting is also important to the organization. The US Department of Labor reported that during the months of September, October, and November 2021 13 million workers quit their jobs . Competition for employees is obviously very high, and employee retention takes effort and action. Look inside your practice to see what can be done to keep the members of your team satisfied and productive. Putting this effort and action into play will not only go far with the staff, but in the end, it will result in an overall better business—and maybe an employee referral. Erin Cammarata is president and owner of CBS Medical Billing and Consulting. She can be contacted at erin@cbsmedicalbilling.com.

Staff Retention

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Staff Retention

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Certified Prosthetist Orthotist or Board Eligible Prosthetist Orthotist

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