The health and social care sector is currently facing a serious staffing crisis. Currently, one in ten job vacancies in the UK are for jobs in the sector and if these aren’t filled, there is a high risk that care providers will become overwhelmed and the services they provide will not be adequate.
Unison and the NCF are calling for a pay boost to attract more people to the sector as well as a retention bonus for the healthcare workers who have worked through the pandemic.
Interestingly, stats found by Skills for Care that over this period, staff turnover at both managerial level and among care overs was lower than normal, which demonstrates the loyalty and commitment shown by healthcare professionals at what was likely to be the most difficult time in their careers.
Whilst government intervention is vital to ensure the long-term solution to the staffing crisis is found, something that healthcare providers should make a priority is embedding meaningful reward and recognition schemes within their organisations.
Healthcare workers have bore the brunt of the pandemic and therefore recognising their hard work and dedication and ensuring they feel valued will play a key part in retaining them in the sector.
Here are some things to consider when building a reward and recognition scheme that will be both impactful and meaningful:
1. Engage with your workforce
A good reward and recognition scheme should be tailored to meet the needs of your employees. If you want to incentivise your teams and show them how valued they are, the types of rewards your offering should be relevant and meaningful. A good starting point is to engage with your staff directly on this as it shows you genuinely want to deliver the best for them.
2. Focus on core values
There are many protocols and standard practices that healthcare professionals are required to follow when carrying out their duties and collectively, these will add up to your overall rating. Try focusing of some of these core drivers within your recognition programme so that as well as rewarding hard work, this hard work will also lead to wider industry recognition by ensuring you get the highest rating as possible. This will also instil a sense of pride across your workforce for example if your organisation achieves an outstanding CQC rating, your employees will be proud to say they work there and will do their best to maintain this standard.
3. Enable people to be the best they can be
Healthcare professionals have an innate desire to look after people and if they have the right tools and environment to do their job to the best of their ability, they will absolutely do so. The early stages of the pandemic and the lack of PPE was a prime example of how serious things can get if healthcare workers aren’t given what they need to work safely. Not only does impact morale, it can pose a serious risk to the safety of patients and staff. Encouraging regular feedback from your staff can help you get a clearer insight into any additional support or equipment they might need. It also allows you to review any processes that are less effective so that your staff feel empowered to work effectively and deliver the best care possible.
4. Keep evolving your reward strategy
An effective reward strategy will continuously evolve just as the needs of your staff will over time. Something that might sound like a good idea in principle may not work as it should in practise so don’t be afraid to admit when things aren’t working and make improvements. Getting regular feedback and input from your teams will also help to ensure your reward programme is engaging, motivating and meaningful.
A motivated and valued healthcare team deliver better patient care so getting your reward and recognition programme right is vital. Not only will it help to retain your existing talent, it can also be a way to attract new talent to your organisation, something that is going to be essential in the coming months and years.
If you’re in need of talented, committed healthcare workers, we can help. We work with a network of flexible, hardworking healthcare professionals across Oxfordshire and our team have years of experience in providing clients with the right staff for their business.
