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Improve employee engagement to retain your workforce
Jessica M Tullar1, Benjamin C Amick, Shelley Brewer
1Jessica M. Tullar, PhD, is Faculty Associate, Institute for Health Policy and Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston. E-mail: Jessica.M.Tullar@uth.tmc.edu. Benjamin C. Amick III, PhD, is a Senior Scientist, Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Shelley Brewer, DrPH, CSP, is Global Environmental Director, CB&I, Inc., The Woodlands, Texas. Pamela M. Diamond, PhD, is Associate Professor, Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston. Steven H. Kelder, PhD, is Beth Toby Grossman Distinguished Professor in Spirituality & Healing, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus. Osama Mikhail, PhD, is Professor, The Fleming Center for Healthcare Management, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.
Employee engagement programs help healthcare workers stay longer at their jobs. This study found that engaged employees had a significantly lower risk of leaving their hospital positions.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Psychology
- Human Resources
Background:
- High employee turnover negatively impacts patient care quality and incurs significant costs for hospitals.
- Improving employee engagement is a potential strategy to enhance workforce retention in healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an employee engagement program in reducing job turnover among healthcare workers.
- To determine if participation in an engagement initiative correlates with lower termination risk.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study compared healthcare workers (patient care technicians and assistants) participating in an engagement program versus non-participants.
- Retention time and termination risk were analyzed using human resources data for employees in similar job roles.
- The study included 216 participants in the engagement program designed to foster meaning and connection in work.
Main Results:
- Participants in the employee engagement program demonstrated a significantly lower likelihood of leaving their jobs compared to non-participants (hazard ratio = 0.22).
- This effect remained statistically significant after controlling for other relevant factors (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.37).
Conclusions:
- Implementing employee engagement programs can lead to increased employee retention in hospitals.
- Investing in strategies that enhance employee engagement is crucial for reducing turnover and improving hospital stability.