Becker's Hospital Review

Becker's Hospital Review 5th Annual Meeting - call (800) 417-2035 10 mouth or what your managers and directors are hearing from the most vocal individuals." Kanoe Allen, chief nursing officer at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, Ca- lif., says her organization saw positive results after using a 52-question survey from the Great Place to Work Institute to gauge staff satisfaction. Based on the survey results, she says the organization addressed concerns about communication and favoritism. Opportunities for advancement are now announced ahead of time and made clear to everyone, she says. As a result, she says Hoag Orthopedic has received positive feedback from staff and has seen improvement in performance. "Taking care of our employ- ees generates good will for all of us and our patients, and it's evidenced in our HCAHPs scores," she says. It's important for healthcare organizations to not just gather data but to also take action based on their survey results, says Mr. McCaffrey of The Advisory Board. It can't just be a "check-the-box" activity. "You want to use the data," he says. "You want to be able to harness it. You've got to have clear goals in mind." Mr. Spiegelman of Stericycle agrees. "What's most important is doing the work that's required to engage employees," he says. Forums, huddles and celebrations: The importance of communication and recognition In addition to surveys, more casual methods of gauging employee satisfac- tion can benefit healthcare providers. Dr. Berrett of Texas Health Presbyte- rian Hospital says "a focus on internal communication is imperative." His organization holds regular employee forums, has celebrations and recognizes achievements, both personal and professional. "We like to say, 'Are we having fun at work?'" he says. "In this day and age, especially with the millennials, it's imperative. People want to work where they feel purpose, satisfaction and joy." Spreading positivity through employee recognition is key for healthcare providers, says Chris French, vice president of customer success at Globo- force — a company that provides cloud-based software solutions allowing an organization's employees to recognize and reward each other for strong performance. "There are some unique challenges in healthcare," he says. "People are work- ing really hard. It's a highly emotional, high-stress environment….The ability to counter that environment with points of light and positivity is crucially important for the employee and also for the bottom line." He says acknowledging and informing everyone in the organization about great performance not only encourages those who are recognized but also serves as an example for others. "If you share it immediately to that person's work circle, it could influence a change toward more positive behavior in others," he says. Ms. Allen says Hoag Orthopedic works to make sure staff members commu- nicate and connect with each other through employee huddles. For instance, she says everyone knows the number of babies (25 and eight on the way as of late February) staff members at the organization have had during the last three years or are due to have. "It's bringing the humanity back into the workplace," she says. Creating a vision: How to establish an intentional culture Beyond just gathering data, healthcare companies can learn from Google's overall deliberate approach to creating a workplace environment, according to Kristin Baird, RN, president and CEO of Baird Group, a consulting company. "They create an intentional culture," she says. "In other words, people are re- ally defining, 'This is what we want our culture to be.'" An intentional culture starts with having a vision for the company environ- ment, similar to the mission statement a company might have to guide its business goals. Once an organization defines their desired work culture, the leaders can strive to achieve and maintain that environment, she says. She recommends hiring only people who fit the desired culture. "Use behavior-based interview questions," she says. "Be slow to hire and make sure they fit the leadership. It's been said that people don't leave their jobs; they leave their managers." Overall, she says the nature of the service healthcare organizations provide to patients makes designing a deliberate workplace culture and engaging em- ployees to produce better outcomes especially important. "It's a sacred relationship that we enter every single day," she says. "Leaders of healthcare organizations have a responsibility to make sure they're creating an environment very intentionally that's going to engage people so they really feel connected to that greater purpose." n Becker's Hospital Review 5th Annual Meeting May 15-17, 2014 Swissôtel • Chicago, Illinois For more information visit, www.BeckersHospitalReview.com and click on "Conferences." The Most Business- and Quality-Focused Meeting in the Hospital and Health System Arena 100+ sessions and 190+ speakers

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