Recognition remains an important aspect in the success of workplace culture. An employee’s engagement can change drastically with the inclusion of recognition, making it a valuable skill to utilize in any company, organization, or business. Hospitals and clinics—the healthcare industry in general—share no exception to the importance of recognition, as it can contribute to the betterment of both employee and patient health and livelihood.
The healthcare industry is an environment where hard working individuals are needed. Through shared routines and responsibilities, these individuals work through a number of various job functions. It doesn’t matter if it’s a nurse, physician, or administrative staff—all healthcare workers have to work with one another to improve patient experience. Unfortunately, according to HIT Consultant, the result of high turnover rates and heavy competition for top candidates has stunted the attraction of the healthcare system, resulting in a loss of valuable employees. Consequently, some healthcare workers perform subpar in their duties, effectively lowering The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, or HCAHPS scores.
Ensuring that healthcare workers are properly engaged in their environment is essential to bettering not only the worker's experience, but that of the patient’s as well. HIT states, “employee engagement has many standards, and one opportunity often overlooked by healthcare organizations is employee recognition” (HIT).
Employee recognition refers to a company’s response to the contributions that an employee makes towards the business. It’s a way of acknowledging an employee's hard work, and fully appreciating all that they do for the company. Specific things to look out for when recognizing an employee include (but not limited to) achievements, desired behaviors, and milestones.
Considering the intensity of healthcare professions, it’s important to consider what can be done to engage the community at hand. With this engagement comes a slew of benefits—one of which is exceedingly important for the success of the organization: HCAHPS scores.
The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, otherwise known as HCAHPS, is a tool that measures patient satisfaction through the use of 27 survey questions that ask patients about the quality of care they receive. These questions include anything from sanitation levels in the hospital environment to management of medication and transitions from hospital to home care. Essentially, HCAHPS acts as a gauge, one that determines a healthcare employee’s success and effectiveness in caring for their patient/s.
Prioritizing recognition in healthcare (and anywhere else for that matter) results in fantastic success for organizations as a whole, with virtually no drawbacks to the process. The benefits of recognition are already feasible rewards to an organization, but it’s these collective rewards that culminate into one massive jackpot: increased HCAHPS scores. Many of the points in the previous section directly influence the outcome of these scores. Better patient safety results in higher patient satisfaction, which directly impacts HCAHPS scores for the better. Remember that increased HCAHPS cannot be earned without better employee and patient safety, and this increased safety is not possible without proper recognition implementation. But the benefits of recognition don’t stop there. When high HCAHPS scores are obtained in a hospital through high engagement, there is a second recurring effect on the organization and its employees. This second effect sees an even further increase in performance as the ratings incentivize employees to continue an above-and-beyond approach. This results in a more efficient, operational, and better healthcare organization. Furthermore, HBR found that organizations with those improved HCAHPS scores in patient experience and employee engagement saw the average patients’ global ratings improve as well. Win-win.
Employee recognition is a powerful tool. Healthcare companies and organizations should take note of such an addition, as recognition can provide an upper hand in the competitive business environment.
Increasing HCAHPS scores, creating efficient employees, and ensuring unparalleled quality care to patients are just some of the many benefits that recognition provides. Without it, the healthcare system would remain stagnant in service.
Employee recognition is the improvement that organizations are looking for, and a testament to what can be accomplished when employees are appreciated for their hard work. Simply put, recognition creates results.
To witness the transformative power of employee recognition firsthand and unlock its full potential, consider scheduling a demo of our cutting-edge employee recognition and engagement platform today. Experience how appreciating your team's hard work can translate into measurable and impactful results.