In this issue, we are featuring the results of our State of the Industry Survey on Lab Management Best Practices. Thank you to all who responded to this survey. One of the primary issues in laboratory management is recruiting and retaining staff. We asked readers about their organizational benefits that are offered to retain and recruit staff.
This year’s survey saw increases in financial incentives, such as sign-on bonuses, merit allowances, and retention bonuses (48%, up from 42% in 2024); succession-planning processes by offering additional responsibilities to top performers (22%, up from 19% in 2024); and partnerships with local colleges and tech schools to offer internships in their labs (46%, up from 38% in 2024). Benefits that showed decreases included continuing education offerings (46%, down from 50% in 2024); clinical ladders/structures to encourage professional development, such as from novice to expert (33%, down from 40% in 2024); and shift changes to offer employee scheduling flexibility (33%, down from 44% in 2024).
I recently watched a webinar, “The Workforce Crisis: Innovative Strategies to Strengthen and Support Healthcare Teams,” in which panelists discussed strategies they are using at their healthcare organizations for recruitment and retention. The panelists indicated that staff turnover is stabilizing following “the Great Resignation” and “quiet quitting;” however, healthcare staffing is still plagued by complexity and uncertainty. A significant pressure on many healthcare organizations is that the patient populations they serve are becoming older and sicker, placing more demands on organizations and their staff. Leaders are devoting a 50/50 percent of resources toward immediate staffing (retention and building a long-term path forward) and future staffing (recruiting high school, community college, and college students).
The CEO of a rural Iowa hospital, Michelle Majerus, shared that staffing agencies have struggled attracting laboratory professionals to rural environments. This hospital, Avera Holy Family Hospital, has found that international technologists have helped fill laboratory positions and reduce frustrations amongst the existing staff since laboratory coverage is needed 24/7. This CEO indicated that more rural hospitals are moving to this model.
An executive from Banner Health, Margo Karsten, shared that she received a grant to recruit high school and community college students. All panelists agreed that pipeline development was absolutely necessary, in addition to up-training existing staff. More efforts are going into developing the middle manager roles and agile leaders who are technologically focused and can drive change forward. The panelists hear “loud and clear” that tuition reimbursement is important to current staff and potential candidates.
The on-boarding process is given deeper thought these days. Organizations are starting to see it as a 12-month investment, i.e., a 12-month program. Instead of providing a series of modules to introduce and immerse new staff into the organization, on-boarding is thought of as more of a (work) cultural experience. Speaking of culture, it is increasingly recognized that this is what keeps people in an organization. At Banner Health, they recognize the power of connection (whether virtual or in-person) to improve employee retention and their sense of purpose. Culture, engagement, and connection can give staff a joy for their work.
I welcome your comments and questions — please send them to me at [email protected].
