The healthcare sector is heading toward a global shortage of 10 million workers. Research from Tilburg University shows how HR departments can creatively contribute to the battle for healthcare staff, and why they need to go beyond traditional methods. ’Many healthcare organizations are still looking for candidates who meet all the requirements.’
Staff shortages in healthcare are high on political agendas. But it’s not just about hiring more people, says Professor Petri Embregts. ’Thinking outside the box for solutions is equally important.’
The research team worked closely with organizations that provide care for people with intellectual disabilities. The team examined how these care organizations respond to staff shortages, as well as demographic trends and technological developments affecting the labor market. What can healthcare organizations do to attract and retain their employees? The research outlines three strategies to tackle the staffing shortage: better leveraging the skills of current healthcare workers, employing innovative HR methods, and developing strategies to retain existing staff.
Recognition and Appreciation
What can healthcare organizations do to ensure their employees stay? ’It starts with the well-being of healthcare ’, workers’says Embregts. ’A good work-life balance, access to mental and physical support, and a positive work environment are essential to keeping employees healthy and motivated. Competitive salaries are obviously important, but recognition and appreciation for the work employees do are equally crucial.’
It could be interesting to deploy employees across different locations or in various roles.
Vincent Peters
Task Redistribution
It’s also wise to consider how to best utilize different skills. Task redistribution offers opportunities to efficiently allocate care tasks and deploy healthcare workers in alternative ways: the right healthcare worker in the right place. For example, reducing administrative duties can allow caregivers to focus more on direct care for clients.
Flexible Staffing Strategies
In addition, it’s important to implement flexible staffing strategies where possible. Researcher Vincent Peters notes, ’It could be interesting to deploy employees across different locations or roles, depending on where the need is greatest. For instance, staff might work a morning shift in care for people with intellectual disabilities and then move on to elderly care. However, we often see that laws and regulations don’t yet allow for this, despite enthusiasm from both healthcare organizations and staff.’
Innovative HR Methods
Innovative HR methods begin with recruitment, says Vincent Peters. ’Many organizations are looking for candidates who meet all the requirements, but that’s often not feasible in this tight labor market. Organizations could be more flexible by hiring candidates who fulfill, for example, 80% of the criteria, with the remaining skills developed on the job. We also see that work-study programs for refugees provide opportunities for meaningful employment in healthcare, provided they are properly supported.’
Artificial intelligence is often mentioned as a potential solution to staff shortages in other sectors. How does the research team view this? ’Technology and automation can certainly help save time and foster creative innovations, but in care for people with intellectual disabilities, the human relationship between caregiver and client is crucial. The focus now should be on solutions that support the human side of the work’, says Embregts.
Thorough Onboarding
Finally, a strong onboarding program is essential to guide new employees, especially recent graduates, from the start. ’If they feel welcome and continually supported from day one, they are more likely to stay longer’, Embregts concludes.
About this research
Researchers Vincent Peters, Noud Frielink, Carry van Leest, Luciënne Heerkens, and Petri Embregts conducted this study in collaboration with care organizations as part of the Academic Collaborative Center Living with an intellectual disability (AWVB; Tranzo, Tilburg University).
The research has been published in the renowned scientific journal International Journal of Operations and Production Management.