Pittsburgh, October 17, 2012 -- The American Society of Healthcare Human Resources Administrators (ASHHRA) held its annual meeting recently in Denver with over 700 healthcare HR leaders in attendance.
Select International surveyed the attendees, examining impressions of talent strategies and the effectiveness of training to improve patient satisfaction.
Results of the survey showed that less than 50% of the participants' current training programs were either effective or very effective at driving positive behavioral changes. Hospitals are spending millions of dollars to train staff to be more patient-focused but these responses seem to indicate that something is missing. Much of the training is built around a "check the box" mentality giving all employees a list of tasks that when performed consistently, may improve the patient experience.
"The problem is that little attention is paid to the individual behavioral make-up of employees," said Bryan Warren, Healthcare Solutions Manager at Select International. "Some employees are high in compassion, attention to detail, awareness, or openness to new programs. Others are not. Training needs to take these individual differences into consideration and give employees tools to improve their own approach to more patient-centered care."
Other results show:
- 55% of participants say that their organization is either not effective, or only somewhat effective, at using behavioral competencies as a consistent foundation for human resource functions.
- Only 45% of participants believe their organization is effective at using behavioral-based interviews. Research shows that unstructured interviews add little value to the selection process. Moreover, inconsistency or deficiencies in the interview approach add significant legal risk to the hiring process.
- Only 35% of participants, representing hospitals, clinics and physician practices, report using behavioral assessments. Well designed assessments, used appropriately, have been shown to reduce turnover, improve employee performance and patient satisfaction, as well as contribute to positive culture change and reduce legal risk.
"These results seem to confirm what we see anecdotally," said Warren. "Healthcare organizations, as a whole, lag behind other industries in proven, progressive strategies to build and develop the workforce required to face today's challenges."
To learn more about Select International's Healthcare Solutions, visit us at www.hiringinhealthcare.com.
About Select International
Select International develops employee assessments and healthcare hiring tools to help healthcare organizations identify, select and develop a strong, productive workforce. The company's employee selection and development solutions include pre employment assessments, executive assessment, online interview training, manufacturing assessment tests, healthcare hiring assessments, customer service assessment tests, and tools to help organizations hire safe workers. Select International works closely with its clients to improve hiring at all levels, and across all industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, customer service, energy, retail, transportation and logistics, and distribution.
Select International is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, and maintains offices throughout North America and around the globe. For more information on Select International, call 1-800-786-8595 or visit http://www.hiringinhealthcare.com or http://www.selectinternational.com.
