You give annual raises, celebrate your physicians’ birthdays and implement collaborative team-building activities. Yet, still, many of your physicians are unhappy and end up leaving. Unfortunately, this problem is all too common at many healthcare facilities. When it comes to achieving physician satisfaction, it may be time to consider some non-traditional strategies for positively engaging your people – and retaining them for the long haul. Here are some steps you can take to improve happiness among your team:
Implement flexible policies
Healthcare careers are demanding, often taking busy physicians away from time with family and friends. Offering physicians flexible scheduling, such as the option to work part-time or full-time, can do wonders to shift work-life balance and create a more enjoyable experience for your team. If possible, you can also consider letting your physicians create their work schedules in conjunction with personal obligations (such as allowing earlier shifts so they can pick their children up from school). With some careful coordination and planning, accommodating flexible schedules can greatly improve physicians’ satisfaction at your facility, building a stronger sense of loyalty and morale among your entire team.
Invest in professional growth
Despite the many years of schooling physicians must go through, they are always expected to continue advancing their knowledge. Offering your physicians access to professional opportunities in which they can grow their areas of expertise will keep them not only engaged in their practices but in your facility at large. Some of the ways you can do this may include encouraging them to become active in medical associations and conferences; teach at a local university; or take courses to learn new techniques or specialties. If external activities conflict with work schedules, consider employing temporary physicians to fill in as needed.
Employ locum tenens physicians
Speaking of temporary employees, bringing on board a locum tenens workforce can be a game-changer for reducing burnout and improving job satisfaction among your full-time physicians. While you certainly don’t need to employ locum-tenens employees year-round, there’s a huge benefit to utilizing temporary physicians during your busiest times, such as during flu season or the holidays when staffing levels are lower. Locum tenens physicians can play a vital role in supporting your staff and filling unexpected vacancies, so your full-time employees don’t become overworked.
