Culture is the heart of your healthcare organization. A positive workplace culture makes it easier to attract, retain and advance staff – and makes for an environment that also benefits patients. Here’s what to know about fostering a workplace culture that will take your practice from strength to strength.
The Value of Culture
Healthcare workers have always been drawn to the sector because they want to do meaningful work that helps people. That’s even more true today. Workers want to make a difference, feel valued, enjoy growth and leadership opportunities, and be able to fulfill their personal needs and goals across multiple dimensions. A workplace with a strongly defined, positive culture shapes employee experience – and delivers on those expectations.
When employees are happy, they’re more likely to do good work and grow with your organization. They also pass along their satisfaction to the patients they care for, resulting in improved patient satisfaction that feeds back into the worker experience. An investment in culture is an investment in the future of your practice.
Building a Great Culture
Culture doesn’t arise in a vacuum, and it also isn’t the only factor critical to employee satisfaction. Culture needs to be guided by a strong leadership aware of the needs and goals of staff – and willing to implement and foster policies that address those. Here’s how:
- Create clear, consistent brand guidelines. Define your purpose, mission, brand pillars, tone, and approach to communication. Dialing these in will create a clear vision that people can understand, communicate, and support.
- Lead by example. Culture is driven from the top. Make an effort to embody the culture of your practice and empower your leadership team and other senior staff to do the same. This will help infuse culture throughout the workplace in a cohesive, consistent way.
- Take input and show appreciation. Give your staff a voice in day-to-day operations and make it easy for them to raise and share concerns or suggestions. And make it a point to acknowledge their work and achievements in their preferred manner. This will help create a positive environment where staff feel valued and heard.
- Communicate expectations and metrics. Understanding expectations and whether you’re meeting them is critical to job satisfaction. Clearly define roles and responsibilities, share key metrics – and then let employees know when those metrics are met on an individual or organizational level. This will help them share in the success that you’re creating together.
- Focus on employee experience. Culture is half of the equation, but other factors such as job mobility, training, and workplace conditions are critical. Even a place with a great culture will struggle to retain staff if needs such as work-life balance aren’t met. Simplify, streamline, and ensure that staff isn’t courting burnout.
- Provide a great environment. The physical environment of your practice helps shape the overall experience of it. A contemporary, well-positioned space that’s easy to get to and that offers perks and amenities can help foster a positive culture – and meet the needs and expectations of staff and patients alike.
Let Your Space Shape Your Culture
At Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty, we specialize in healthcare realty. If you’re looking to elevate your culture, improve your overall employee experience, and deliver a positive patient environment, talk to us. We can help you find the ideal space for your needs – so that you take your organizational culture to the next level.