Creating a Sense of Belonging in the Healthcare Workplace

Employee turnover rates are high in the healthcare sector, which poses a constant challenge to healthcare employee retention. As of January 2023, the hospital employee turnover rate was 22.7% in the United States. This not only creates problems for the efficiency of healthcare operations but also leads to the loss of valuable resources and finances.

One of the most effective ways to combat this problem is to create a sense of belonging at work among your healthcare employees. When employees feel a sense of community and connection, they are more likely to be loyal and satisfied with their jobs. However, this sense of belonging at work has been negatively trending in the past few years, especially in the healthcare sector.

Fortunately, it is possible to increase your employees’ sense of belonging at work and boost retention in your healthcare organization.

How to Create a Sense of Belonging in the Healthcare Workplace

Creating a sense of belonging in the healthcare workplace is essential for boosting employee retention. Research shows that employees who experience a strong sense of belonging at work are more likely to stay with their organization and be productive members of the team. By understanding the value of belonging at work and implementing effective employee retention strategies, you can help ensure your staff feels like part of the team – and stays with you longer.

Let's look at some employee retention strategies for creating a sense of belonging in the healthcare workplace.

Provide Opportunities for Collaboration and Team-Building

When individuals feel a part of a cohesive team, they are more likely to remain committed. Encouraging employees to work in teams and participate in collaborative projects can boost their sense of belonging and promote a positive work environment. Hosting team-building events like outings, charity events, and holiday celebrations also helps to build a sense of community among coworkers.

The challenge in healthcare, though, is the long work hours and distributed shift times. To address this, look for ways to provide opportunities for collaboration on multiple occasions. You can also encourage managers and supervisors to track who is able to and actually does come to the events. Then prioritize reaching out to those individuals who cannot or do not attend to better understand how to improve their sense of belonging at work.

Offer Professional Development Opportunities

Providing employees with chances for professional growth and development is key to boosting their motivation and loyalty toward a healthcare organization. Providing regular training and advancement opportunities in line with employees' career aspirations demonstrates your commitment to their growth and development. This also gives them a sense of a future with the organization and motivates them to stay.

It's also important to find professional development opportunities that are cross-discipline. One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is fostering connections between different disciplines. Whether it be nurses and doctors, pharmacists and technicians, or other combinations, providing training opportunities that bridge those divides is an essential part of increasing a sense of belonging at work.

Create a Positive and Inclusive Work Environment

A friendly and inclusive work environment is essential to ensuring employees feel like they belong. Encourage diversity and inclusion, and cultivate policies that prevent and address any form of discrimination or harassment. Your employees should feel comfortable at work through positive reinforcement, making room for open communication, and by publicly acknowledging their accomplishments.

This can be difficult in the busy and stressful environment of healthcare. To create a positive work environment, start by recognizing small wins and promoting an attitude of positivity and respect. When everyone is on the same page about the values and purpose of your organization, it's easier to establish an inclusive atmosphere where all employees feel welcome.

Encourage Work-Life Balance

Balancing professional and personal life is vital to ensuring your employees have happy and fulfilling lives outside of work. Allow for flexible work schedules and perks that provide work-life balance. This not only shows that you're considerate of their personal needs but also creates a stronger bond and loyalty between the employee and the organization itself.

The 24/7 operations of a healthcare organization make it difficult to consider work-life balance for their employees. However, it is still possible to create reasonable flexibility while maintaining patient care coverage. For example, consider creating schedules that allow employees to rotate in and out of shift hours. Or, if caregiving or other responsibilities prevent someone from working, offer incentive shifts to those who are able. This shows that your organization is willing and able to support employees at all stages of their life.

Create Your Account Today

Start Hiring

Conduct a Belonging Pulse Check in Your Healthcare Organization

In order to make sure that your employees truly feel like they belong in the organization, consider conducting a belonging pulse check with all of your staff. Ask them questions about their sense of community within the workplace and how connected they feel to others on the team. This will help you identify any areas where there may be room for improvement and what changes you can make to ensure a greater sense of belonging at work.

Some of the items you may ask about during this pulse check include:

• How welcomed do you feel in this organization?
• Do you feel like your contributions are valued and acknowledged?
• Do you have access to the resources and support you need to succeed?
• Can you name three people to whom you feel personally connected to within this organization?
• How likely are you to recommend working at this organization to others in your discipline?
• How likely are you to recommend working at this organization to others outside your discipline?

If possible, it’s best for this pulse check to be completed anonymously. The results should be analyzed by a third party or department that does not know the respondents. That way, the employee can answer honestly and provide details using comment boxes.

Healthcare Employee Retention Starts With a Sense of Belonging at Work

In the healthcare industry, employee retention is crucial. By adopting an approach that puts emphasis on increasing a sense of belonging at work, employers will create an environment that fosters loyalty and commitment among employees. The future of any organization depends on the health and well-being of its employees. When your employees feel a sense of worth and belonging, your organization stands to thrive as it leads to a better engagement rate, higher performance, and – ultimately – improved healthcare employee retention.

For more employee engagement and retention tips, head to iHire's Employer Resource Center.