Urgent Care Staffing: Five Ways to Attract and Retain Employees
In 2021, 20% of healthcare workers quit their jobs, which is more than double the pre-pandemic rate. Now, more than ever, healthcare centers are looking for the best urgent care staffing models to keep their staff. When top talent looks for you, recruitment isn’t hard to do. Here’s how to attract and retain employees who love their jobs.
What Are People Looking for in Urgent Care Jobs?
Healthcare workers are turning to urgent care positions to avoid the rigorous workload of an emergency room and to receive better benefits. They’re looking to continue experiencing a wider range of patients but not in the high-stress, high-pressure situations of an ER.
In addition, they want a more patient-centric approach that large hospitals can’t match. This means spending time with the patient and finding the best solution for them. Urgent care can also provide staff with more predictability and necessary flexibility with their schedules compared to a hospital staffed 24/7.
Systems & Support
Burnout among healthcare workers is a significant concern. The high patient volume in an emergency room or urgent care can be a turnoff. So, good urgent care staffing models have the proper support to avoid burnout from happening.
Establishing protocols that give clear direction to all employees will help your facility run like a well-oiled machine. Since receptionists, medical assistants, mid-level providers, and physicians will know their delegated tasks and what to prioritize, management won’t need to micromanage. The better the clinic runs, the happier your employees are and the more likely they will stay with you.
By franchising with an urgent care brand like American Family Care (AFC), you’ll already have proven systems that have worked for hundreds of urgent care clinics. We underwent trial rounds of different methods to find the best one for you, so you don’t need to.
Proper Orientation, Training, & Evaluations
If you set your staff up for success, they’ll be more committed to you and your business. Providing proper orientation is vital because staff will easily get frustrated without a clear understanding of their duties. That’ll then lead to quick burnout and them leaving. So, invest in the front end to keep them for the long term.
Perform periodic evaluations with your staff. They want to know how you think they’re doing. Be sure to tell them their strengths – not just areas of improvement – and that you recognize their quality work.
Then, encourage continuous learning. Incentivize ongoing training, webinars, seminars, or conferences. Them bettering themselves will increase the success of your clinic. Giving them a chance to grow in their position will encourage them to stay at your clinic versus a competitor. Ongoing training sessions can also promote teamwork and collaboration throughout the center.
At AFC, we provide module-based training so our staff can improve their skills and continue to provide excellent patient care. This part of our business model helps with efficiency in providing the medical experience that professionals and patients desire[MN1].
In addition, we have systems in place to measure patient satisfaction by collecting patient feedback regularly, which is often encouraging when sharing with staff.
Build a Team-Oriented Environment
In the fast-paced environment of urgent care clinics, it’s easy for staff to put their heads down and focus on their specific tasks. Through your systems and training, you want to cultivate a team-oriented environment. When employees feel like they’re part of a team, the morale of the entire staff generally increases, reducing turnover.
The Medical Group Management Association mentions that every person will bring their beliefs and values to the workplace. It’s up to you and your management to ensure that everyone feels a part of the team, no matter their differences.
Besides, within their personal evaluations, you should recognize accomplishments publicly. This urges employees to celebrate each other’s achievements and increases the team feel of the clinic.
Offer Flexible Scheduling
The emphasis on “life” in work-life balance is growing. Nowadays, with the option of working from home in other jobs, it’s key to include flexible scheduling within urgent care staffing models. Tandym, a workforce solutions company, says that allowing employees to coordinate their shifts to fit their unique schedules can give you an edge over other employment opportunities.
Employee Incentives
Looking at how to attract and retain employees? Companies now offer programs like student loan repayment or health and wellness funds to use on gym memberships. These go beyond the typical 401(k) matching and can help sway top talent to work at your urgent care facility.
AFC’s Urgent Care Staffing Model
Part of your urgent care marketing plan is attracting top talent. Let the leading name in the urgent care industry, AFC, guide you through the process. In addition to what we’ve mentioned above, we offer our franchise owners staffing services within your area to help with hiring.
Ready to join the growing urgent care industry? Fill out this form, and one of our representatives will be in touch to tell you more about our franchise opportunity.
