Engagement Matters
The Achievers report
Two-thirds of the workforce is eyeballing the door.
That’s according to the latest Engagement and Retention Report from Achievers Workforce Institute. The report indicated that 41% of employed people surveyed plan to look for a new job in 2024; another 24% were undecided.
The report also made a strong case that plenty of things beyond money drive employee loyalty — but that doesn’t mean you can simply add ping-pong tables and bring-your-dog-to-work days and assume all is well.
So how do you build employee loyalty? Let’s start by adapting a classic.
Maslow at work
A classic model in psychology is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs — a blueprint for how to feel fulfilled in life (or self-actualized), usually depicted as a pyramid.
At the base of the pyramid are the things you need to survive, such as water and shelter. When those are in place, you move up to the next level, safety and security. The farther you move up the pyramid, the closer you are to feeling fulfilled.
Gallup developed a survey that brings Maslow’s hierarchy into the workplace, with four levels in the pyramid: Basic Needs, Individual, Teamwork, and Growth. Each survey question matched one of the four levels. For example:
- Do I know what’s expected of me? Do I have the right tools to be successful? (Basic Needs)
- Do I receive recognition for work well done? Do I have a mentor? (Individual)
- Is my opinion valued? Do I have work friends? (Teamwork)
- Has anyone discussed my progress or growth opportunities? (Growth)
This pyramid is a great touchstone for onboarding and engagement.
Onboarding: The First 90 Days
The bottom of the pyramid is about meeting an employee’s basic needs in the first 90 days to ensure their long-term success.
Build a foundation
Create a clear and concise onboarding plan. It should list and describe job duties, things that need to be learned, standard operating procedures, and a rough timeline. Gather all the resources and equipment they’ll need and set up their workspace well before they start.
Assign a mentor
The best mentor for a new employee is a peer. Have your new employee shadow their mentor for the first few weeks. Then have the mentor shadow the new employee, offering feedback as they undertake their daily tasks.
Why have a peer as a mentor and not you? The stakes are a lot lower in front of a peer. You have implicit permission to make mistakes, which is how learning happens. But if you’re the only option as a mentor, make it clear that it’s OK to mess up.
Involve the team
Team cohesion comes from understanding each other’s roles and responsibilities. Have new providers shadow the front desk for a week or two. Have new support staff observe several types of appointments and receive a hearing evaluation, so they know what the experience is like.
Communication Through the Employee Life Cycle
This is the most important piece of any onboarding and retention strategy. It’s a communication plan you should use for both new employees and your entire team indefinitely.
One-on-ones
The one-on-one format is simple. Ask the employee what’s going well, what still needs work, and what you can do to help support them. One-on-ones can be handled by an owner or the office manager, whichever makes more sense for your practice.
During an employee’s first 90 days, meet weekly with them and, separately, with their mentor. Make it a priority — you need to ensure any roadblocks are removed that might impede their learning the job.
You should have one-on-ones with all your team members, no matter how long they’ve been with your practice. You’ll know based on your employee mix how often to have them. Some practices do well with monthly one-on-ones. For others, semi-monthly is the sweet spot.
We can’t reiterate this enough: Schedule the time, protect the time, and hold these meetings without fail. Constantly canceling or rescheduling one-on-ones sends the message that your staff aren’t a priority to you.
Personal, professional, and financial goals
During a new employee’s first 90 days, you should discuss their personal, professional, and financial goals (PPFs). Help them tie their goals to the goals of the practice. They’ll see how their work impacts the practice as well as how the practice’s success impacts them.
Have PPF conversations every year with each employee to continue the conversation. Remember their goals and bring them up occasionally throughout the year. They’ll know you truly heard them and care about their success.
Team meetings
Next, hold regular team meetings — on a weekly basis if possible — in the first few months of a new employee’s time at the practice. It’s a built-in chance to get everybody on the same page and help your team bond.
Continue them after a new employee’s first 90 days, but feel free to adjust the frequency depending on your team’s needs. Just ensure you do hold them regularly.
Initial 90-day performance review
Ninety days isn’t enough to completely learn a job. It is, however, enough time to see if a new employee is working out. It’s also enough time to compile feedback so you can let the new employee know how they’re doing and what they still need to work on.
Annual appraisals
Conduct performance reviews on an annual basis. If you do them all at the same time of year, you get them all out of the way at once. If you do them every year at the employee’s hire date, you’re doing performance reviews throughout the year. Whichever route you choose, be consistent and steadfast about conducting reviews each year with each employee.
A Four-Point Employee Retention Plan
Communication is so important, in fact, that we made it the first element of our four-point employee plan for retaining talent.
Ensure a consistent experience through the employment life cycle
As discussed already, develop a detailed communication strategy and follow it consistently for every employee. This creates a sense of fairness and a close relationship with you.
Encourage constructive feedback
Build a culture where constructive feedback is accepted, considered, and acted upon. Ask for feedback on your own leadership. Provide feedback on how somebody is doing their job. But always do it with gentleness and respect.
Understand what your employees value
Develop an understanding of what your employees value. That happens through the PPF conversations. Whether it’s work/life balance, financial security, or career growth, find a way to honor what they value. For example, if they want career growth but your practice doesn’t have very many employees, think outside the box: Let them take classes on the brain and how it relates to hearing, send them to trainings, or give them ownership of a practice priority, such as physician outreach.
Build a culture of recognition and appreciation
This is the most important part of the four-point plan. It can be free — it doesn’t have to be expensive pizza parties. Make a commitment: Every week think of one thing that each of your team members did that was great, and share it in a meeting, a note, or an email to the team.
Praise has a domino effect. People repeat the behaviors that they’re praised for, and people copy the behaviors they see others receiving praise for. Make it personalized. Make it public. Do it on a regular basis.
A little effort goes a long way
All these things require just a little bit of additional time and effort on your part, but they pay off. Even if your employee notices an enticing, higher-paying job elsewhere, they’ll think, “Why would I go elsewhere when I can achieve my goals here? Plus, I have great work/life balance and I love the people I work with.”
Be an Employer of Choice
With just a few important pieces in place, you can establish yourself as an employer of choice in an ever-evolving market. And you don’t have to do it alone. Our HR experts can help you build the team of your dreams.
So don’t wait — reach out to your SBU today, or contact us to learn more.