2 Ways Hospital Leaders Are Thinking About the Workforce of the Future

It's crucial that organizations think beyond the standard recruitment and retention efforts.

The future of healthcare depends on the ability of hospital and health system executives to sustainably inject the industry with new talent.

That objective requires educating, recruiting, and retaining younger clinicians through a different approach than has typically been the case to ensure that staffing shortages aren’t too much to overcome.

Here are two ways executives at the HealthLeaders Workforce Decision Makers Exchange are discussing the workforce of tomorrow.

Reaching younger generations

Health system leaders recognize that while they may have as many as five generations working in their organizations, it’s the newer generations that are making up the bulk of their staff. Executives must consider what younger workers value to effectively recruit and retain them.

In recruitment, organizations will often have to sell themselves to newer candidates instead of the other way around. One of the ways providers can do that is by being quicker in their responses to job applications, which is a top factor for applicants accepting new positions. Streamlining processes and utilizing AI to speed up the application process can significantly improve hiring practices.

It’s also vital to have people who can speak the language of younger workers involved in the recruitment process. This can involve utilizing high performing bedside nurses to engage with candidates and share the culture of the organization, as well as their own experiences. Providers should also get creative with recruiting through social media such as TikTok to increase visibility among millennials and Gen Z.

After staff are on board, organizations should prioritize flexibility to retain workers. Newer generations want more work-life balance, which means traditional shifts and schedules may need altering. Implementing technology that can reduce clinical and administrative burden, like ambient listening, can also reduce burnout and employee turnover.

Pictured: Executives share strategies on the first day of the HealthLeaders Workforce Decision Makers Exchange.

Overcoming barriers to entry

On the physician side, health system executives are concerned about educating enough doctors to combat shortages.

The low rates at which medical schools accept applicants compared to the vast number that apply means that many potential physicians are left without a path to the profession. Medical schools, however, are hard to innovate, due to the number of regulations and restrictions involved.

Leaders would like to see policy changes on how medical schools and residency are funded, as well as a way to combine undergraduate and medical school together to offer greater opportunities.

In the meantime, the explosion of APPs has filled the void, but executives still need to figure out how to best optimize and capitalize on the talent of APPs. This could include using an APP counsel to help retain them, and creating executive positions to oversee them.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the Exchange as executives further discuss solutions for the workforce.

Our Workforce Decision Makers Exchange is happening now at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

Are you a CEO or executive leader interested in attending an upcoming event? To inquire about attending the HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.

The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at the LinkedIn page.