High employee churn and rising labor costs are making it increasingly difficult for healthcare and information technology (IT) employers to retain staff. Allied health professionals are in a particularly challenging position, with a PLOS One study revealing attrition rates as high as 41% across various fields.
Lack of forward momentum is a key driver. Employees leave when they don’t see opportunities to progress, which makes career mobility a major differentiator. Here’s why it’s one of the best retention strategies you can implement.
1. Retention Is Cheaper Than Replacement
Gallup researchers estimate that replacing a frontline employee can cost around 40% of their salary, increasing to 80% for technical professionals. Some of these are hard costs, such as the need to hire contract labor. Sourcing those contractors can be as time-consuming as recruiting a full-time professional, especially given the staffing shortages in healthcare and related industries.
Internal talent development is much more cost-effective, especially when you consider the compounding costs of vacancies. Reduced productivity puts morale and service quality at risk, impacting the entire organization and its stakeholders.
2. Employees Stay When They See Growth
In the 2024 PLOS One study, the most common reason for seeking professional change was a lack of career progression. Healthcare workers described feelings of frustration and a lack of upward momentum, leading to a desire to quit.
Organizations can interrupt this cycle and retain employees by providing tangible career pathways. The key is to offer advancement through nationally recognized certifications, which enhance the credibility of career mobility programs.
3. Upskilling Builds Internal Talent Pipelines
Team members appreciate earning credentials they can apply elsewhere, but internal mobility is even more valuable for the organization. Gallup reports that replacing a manager or organizational leader costs approximately 200% of the professional’s salary, making an internal hire even more valuable.
With talent development programs from MedCerts Partner Solutions, IT and healthcare organizations can train entry-level employees for more advanced positions, both client-facing and back-end. This reduces your reliance on external recruiting and reduces the uncertainties of hiring an unknown.
4. Flexible, Working-Adult Training Models Matter
MedCerts provides online, self-paced training modules geared to working professionals. Team members can pursue programs of interest at times that are convenient for them, without worrying about keeping up with work responsibilities. Many learners can complete hands-on assignments at work, making these programs particularly convenient.
Most MedCerts programs are designed for completion in four to six months, with flexibility built in to accommodate learners’ schedules. Participants can see progress quickly, potentially even earning a promotion in under a year.
5. Multiple Structured Mobility Models Suit Different Organizations
Whether you need to train existing staff or bring on additional qualified candidates, MedCerts’ broad network and trusted training models can help. Talk to us about:
- Train-and-hire: We locate and train high-potential candidates. You hire them once they finish their training.
- Apprenticeships: We help you build your own program and connect students with training opportunities.
- Upskilling partner programs: Enroll your employees in any of our 50+ short-term programs geared to national certifications.
- Access to certified graduates: Hire graduates of our healthcare and IT programs in 51 states and territories.
Ready to build your internal talent pipeline? Connect with our partnership team today to discover how MedCerts can help you fill critical roles and drive retention within your organization.
