Compensation and incentives are not nearly enough to drive employee engagement, this according to a survey conducted by Cielo during the ASHHRA 49th Annual Conference & Exposition. We facilitated two roundtable discussions during the Conference, and found that healthcare leaders believe positive managerial relationships, pride in the company brand/reputation, and challenging and rewarding work are more vital to maximizing engagement than salary or monetary incentives:

Primary Drivers of Employee Engagement

Many hospitals and health systems have low turnover rates, often averaging around 10 years per employee. This may lead to perceived positive engagement and high performance, but it can also mask poor communication, disconnect between executive-level and ancillary staff, inadequate care quality (and in turn, poor HCAHPS Survey scores), among countless other detractors.

The roundtable discussions highlighted this fact, emphasizing the importance of looking beyond compensation to better understand employees’ needs. In fact, one leader in attendance found the biggest detriment to engagement at their organization is “staff members’ view of administration.” This conversation led to unanimous agreement that healthcare providers need to first hire the right people, then invest in their growth, leadership development and personal well-being. 

Does it shock you not a single attendees listed “compensation and incentives” as the primary driver of employee engagement, or is this as expected? Are there other, more important components of engagement missing from attendees’ responses? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic below!