Every industry and profession believes in some way that they are unique in how they recruit and retain good employees. Having seen many employee surveys in my time, the reality is that all industries and professions share many similarities when it comes to keeping good employees.
It's no secret that the best teams are made up of happy people who feel respected, appreciated and challenged in the workplace. The "Where to Work: BEST Hospital IT Departments" survey shows that this is the case with hospital IT employees.
With that in mind, here's what you could call the "Universal Laws of Workplace Satisfaction."
Feeling valued. Employees will go the extra mile if they feel responsible for the results of their work, have a sense of worth in their jobs, believe their jobs make good use of their skills, and receive recognition for their contributions. It's important for employers to say "thank you" to employees for their efforts and find different ways to recognize them. Even something as simple as a free lunch can go a long way towards making employees feel valued.
Learning and growth opportunities. Training employees reinforces their sense of value. Through training, employers help employees achieve goals and ensure they have a solid understanding of their job requirements. It's important to provide employees with adequate job challenges and tools that will expand their knowledge in their field. Employees are more likely to stay engaged in their jobs and committed to an organization that makes investments in them and their career development.
A Positive Culture. A department that creates the right culture will have an advantage when it comes to attracting and keeping good employees.
Communication. No matter what the size of the department, communication is central to building and maintaining credibility. It's also important for employees to know that the employer is really listening and responds to (or otherwise acknowledges) employee input.
Coaching/feedback. It's important for managers to give feedback and coaching to employees so that their efforts stay aligned with the goals of the company and department. During an employee's first few weeks on the job, an employer should provide intensive feedback. Employers should also provide formal and informal feedback to employees throughout the year.
Listen to employees and ask for their input as to what changes they suggest for improving employee satisfaction, and production. Most team members will work harder to carry out a decision that they've helped to influence.
The survey results are a great opportunity for IT leaders to engage their staffs in looking for ways to do the work differently and better and eliminate some of the frustrations in the workplace. Rather than try to fix everything, it is usually helpful to figure out what the most important thing to change is and put most of your energy in making improvements in that area.
Often when you make progress in one important area, it improves your survey scores in several others. The critical thing is to develop action plans with clear timelines and accountability for follow-up.
Ana McGary is President of PeopleFirst Enterprises, a human resources consulting company in Atlanta, Ga.
