Developing a compelling value proposition for employees

As we’ve been discussing, the COVID pandemic and ensuing economic environment have driven health system job vacancies and attrition rates to all-time highs. Right now, for myriad reasons, many hospital workers are deciding that the financial, emotional, and professional benefits of working for a hospital are outweighed by the toll working in a hospital takes on them personally. Health systems are responding to this challenge with a wide variety of discrete measures—including hiring and retention bonuses, incentive pay, employee wellbeing initiatives, and expanded professional development opportunities— that target specific groups of employees, but don’t form a long-term solution to workforce instability. To rebuild a stable and committed workforce, health systems must create, and then communicate, a compelling employee value proposition—a concise statement highlighting why employees should work for them.

The graphic below shows what we believe are the key components of a successful employee value proposition, which must have a clear vision and focus on the things most important to employee needs: compensation, work-life balance, and career support. Systems can use the guiding questions listed in each column to craft a value proposition that is differentiated in their local labor market, informed by their level of resources, and undergirded by their own culture and values. (Find more guidance on developing an effective employee value proposition on our Gist Insights blog.)