Employee turnover in healthcare affects both clinical care and enterprise financial performance. Every time an employee leaves a healthcare organization, they leave a care gap to be filled.
That gap also represents an immediate set of expenses to fill the vacancy. The costs associated with recruiting, onboarding and lost productivity can add up, leaving healthcare organizations struggling with unanticipated staffing costs.
Efficient processes for filling vacancies are one part of the staffing solution. Developing strategies to retain the people you have is more cost-effective than managing constant turnover – and it improves overall operations. And offering training opportunities can improve healthcare employee retention, reduce turnover costs and improve clinical outcomes for healthcare organizations.
The Real Cost of Healthcare Turnover
High turnover has become an operational norm in healthcare, with attrition rates as high as 41% for workers in allied healthcare professions. Every vacancy represents real costs associated with recruiting, onboarding and training new employees. According to research by Gallup, the cost of replacing a frontline employee can rise to the equivalent of 40% of that employee’s salary.
Recruiting and onboarding costs are only part of the picture — lost institutional knowledge and team disruption add significant hidden costs every time a staff member leaves. In addition, high levels of turnover strain the remaining staff, affect the quality of patient care and creates a cycle of churn that’s hard to break.
Finding strategies to retain employees can maximize healthcare staff retention and minimize the negative impacts of turnover.
Employees Stay When You Invest in Their Growth
Investing in workforce development can reduce churn, cut turnover costs and improve enterprise outcomes. Gallup’s research shows employees who see a clear path forward with the organization are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.
One strategy for reducing healthcare turnover rates is by offering career training as an employee benefit. Extending opportunities for upskilling or credentialing signals that the organization values its workforce. In turn, this increases employees’ engagement and loyalty.
Another benefit of training is that it gives employees clear pathways for career advancement. Not only is this an incentive for individuals to remain with the organization, but it offers measurable benefits for the organization.
Gallup reports that replacing a manager with someone from outside the organization costs approximately 200% of the manager’s salary. Promoting from within realizes cost savings and transfers the employee’s valuable institutional knowledge into a leadership role.
How MedCerts Partner Solutions Supports Your Workforce
MedCerts Partner Solutions offers online healthcare certification programs that provide employees with convenient training options that fit their current work schedules. Flexible, self-paced programs mean staff can upskill without leaving gaps in shift coverage.
The MedCerts online healthcare training courses deliver clear advantages for healthcare organizations:
- Scalable online healthcare training opportunities
- Increased talent retention
- Upskill your workforce
- Build internal talent pipelines
Pathways include both clinical and administrative training in critical healthcare roles, such as:
- Electronic Health Records & Reimbursement Specialist
- Medical Coding & Billing Professional
- Clinical Medical Assistant & Scribe Professional
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Pharmacy Technician Specialist
- Surgical Technologist
Contact MedCerts Partner Solutions today to learn more about how our workforce training options can benefit your healthcare organization.
