Are you prepared for the unexpected when it comes to staffing your healthcare facility? While you may be focused on growing your team, it’s equally important to prepare for when employees resign or retire from your organization. Succession planning, essentially the process of “replacement” planning, involves identifying future staffing needs and securing individuals with the core skills and competencies to fill vacant roles. Despite the obvious importance of succession planning, many employers unfortunately fail to undergo this process. In fact, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, studies show that many leaders don’t think about succession planning until someone at their organization retires or leaves the company. As a healthcare employer, here are some of the most critical benefits of succession planning – especially during uncertain times:
Ensuring ample staffing coverage.
When members of your team quit or retire, vacancies can affect many aspects of your facility, including productivity and quality of patient care. By implementing a comprehensive succession plan, you can ensure proper staffing coverage for your organization, no matter what type of turnover occurs. This will not only provide support to your full-time staff, but allow your team to maintain superior patient care, despite the loss of certain staff members.
Keeping morale high.
When employees leave an organization, it can be easy for organizational culture to take a downward spiral. With a succession plan in place, you’ll demonstrate a commitment to the long-term success of your team. Employees who feel valued and supported by new leaders will naturally be more motivated to perform at a high level and may even work extra hours as necessary to fill in the gaps. As a result, your entire organization will experience an elevated morale that transcends to both staff and patients.
Eliminating hiring costs.
When people leave your organization (especially unexpectedly), typically, a costly hiring process can ensue to find the best replacements. However, with a succession plan, you’ll already be equipped to fill these job openings without enduring expensive hiring procedures involved in sourcing, screening, and interviewing candidates. Succession planning eliminates the need to embark on costly hiring, providing a blueprint for how your facility will account for the responsibilities that need to be met.
Through proactive succession planning, you can set your healthcare organization up for future success, resulting in both high-quality staffing and patient care as staffing changes evolve.
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