Participation in staff engagement campaigns at large healthcare organisations: a focus group study

Healthcare organisations work better with an engaged workforce, and staff-engagement campaigns offer a method to build this engagement. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), one of the UK's largest Trusts, provides an example of where an organisation-wide engagement intervention has been used in a healthcare setting. This study aimed to understand why staff participate, or do not participate, in staff-engagement campaigns, supporting healthcare leaders to increase participation in future campaigns.

Scenario-based focus groups were carried out across five different organisational units within LTHT. The data from these were transcribed, coded and analysed using reflective thematic analysis.

Participation in staff-engagement campaigns is dependent on campaign awareness, staff perceptions of the campaign and the practicalities associated with participation. Perceptions of the campaign are further subdivided into the campaign's perceived effectiveness, purpose and relevance.

Staff engagement was a powerful driver of participation, which presents a conundrum: how do you encourage participation in staff-engagement campaigns, if engagement is a prerequisite for participation? The answer lies in taking advantage of organisational belongingness and visible leadership, supported by communications that take control of the narrative around the campaign. Behavioural science models may guide leaders across the organisation in mapping where these approaches can have the greatest impact within their existing spheres of influence. Further, considering inequalities around participation across different groups may help target action to the areas of greatest need. Accordingly, the research provides pragmatic guidance for leaders in thinking about how to use staff-engagement campaigns more effectively.