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July 21, 2022
As the national nursing shortage continues to grow, hospitals and health systems are being forced to reconsider how they work to attract new nurses and retain current employees. Becker’s and SullivanCotter partnered to expand upon some ways in which healthcare providers can adjust their recruiting strategies to remain competitive in today’s difficult job market.
Enhance current compensation strategies
SullivanCotter and Becker’s recommend considering the implementation of several different benefits to entice potential employees to join your team. These include:
- Include specialty pay to recognize specialized team members and their skill sets
- Use sign-on, referral, and retention bonuses to recognize long-term employees, those who bring new talent to your location, and provided added benefit of joining your team.
- Ensure across the board or merit-based raises for each team member. Becker’s notes that the projected annual increase for 2022 is a four-percent raise.
- Accelerate or fast track career growth for newer nurses.
- Offer short-term bonuses to encourage nurses to fill open or night/weekend shifts.
- Provide additional opportunities for staff by improving in-house travel nursing programs.
Create a supportive environment for employees
- Maximize schedule flexibility through non-traditional schedules and remote work options
- Create career ladders to showcase the process of career advancement for your employees
- Ensure quality and safety measures are up to date to quickly identify and solve issues.
- Provide clinical and/or clerical support to assist your nurses in working to the top of their license
- Share your diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Expand benefits offerings for staff
- Consider improving benefits offerings, including extra perks such as on-site childcare, parking, transportation, student loan reimbursement and more.
- Increase retirement contributions for experienced and long-term employees.
- Recognize well performing employees through subordinate recognition systems.
- Clearly and frequently communicate the value of your employees total rewards packages.
Encouraging feedback and cooperation
- Use team-based care models.
- Make sure you are using an open-door policy, and that employees are aware.
- Encourage RN participation and input in policy making.
- Use RN input in the creation of action plans.
- Increase opportunities for participation in developmental experiences.
- Communicate successes and failures.
SullivanCotter used recent workplace trends to help develop these strategies, and address some of the major concerns listed by nurses across the country.
